After working in the restaurant industry in several capacities for more than 25 years, Rich and Traci Hedgepath started the Facebook group “Should I Eat There? Wilmington Area Restaurant Reviews” in January of 2013 to help locals navigate the city’s restaurant scene by way of shared reviews.

“Food is so much a part of all of our daily lives,” Rich Hedgepath said. “We set out with a goal to help people be happy every time they eat out.”

From the start, the Hedgepaths have played a role in monitoring the Facebook group to prevent advertising from area restaurants as well as any forms of sabotage. All members must request to join the group, which has grown from about 50 in early 2013 to more than 2,700 currently.

The group’s steady growth led the Hedgepaths to launch the website “Should I Eat There, Wilmington?” earlier this month. The site allows members to search restaurants by category and location, participate in polls and discussions and share photos.

With more than 500 members signing up in the first week alone, the site is growing at a tremendous rate, according to Rich Hedgepath.

“The site is all about locals discussing local places,” he said. “We want this to become the Bible for food in Wilmington.”

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