A Wilmington-based company provided new details Thursday about the grocery store the firm is working to open before the end of the summer on Front Street in downtown Wilmington.
The company also released an artist's rendering of the store, called Farmin' on Front because it's part of Farmin' Brands. Construction is underway inside the 6,000 square feet of space at 143 N. Front St. where Farmin' on Front will serve as a food market, and, company officials hope, a unique food and beverage shopping destination for downtown residents and visitors.
During construction, workers had to remove a small amount of asbestos from the building, but Farmin' on Front is still expected to meet the opening timeline of this summer, set when the upcoming store was
announced in February, officials said Thursday.
The Farmin' construction team, which includes Mike Barnhill Jr. of Westroc Construction, is working hard to meet the deadline, said Molly Crawford, director of Farmin' Stores.
Among the features in the store, Farmin' on Front will include a walk-in Beer Barn and Build-Your-Own Growler station for craft beer enthusiasts, a "U-snip" herb wall, glass bottle milk vending machine, a butcher shop and fresh fish for sale in "The Captain's Fresh Catch" nook, according to a news release. The store will offer a large selection of wines along with grab-and-go items that highlight Southern cuisine with a modern twist, the release said, citing "braised pork with jalapeno pimento spread" as an example.
"We really want to make our store a destination. For me, I’ve been in Wilmington basically my whole life, and when people come to town, there’s that short list of places you want to take them and kind of brag about it … I think some of those features [at Farmin' on Front] are really going to create that destination shopping experience," Crawford said.
Part of creating that destination, Crawford and other Farmin' officials said, has been an emphasis on highlighting the historical aspects of the structure at 143 N. Front St., originally built in 1953, according to New Hanover County property tax records.
“Getting back to the original bones of the building has opened up some great brand element possibilities. The old brick walls and open vaulted ceilings add an olden times character to the store that we look forward to accentuating,” said Farmin’ president Ben Long in the release. “We will play off of these elements and match them with a modern feel of contemporary steels and indigenous wood species from our area, making for a clean and unique look that truly represents the Farmin’ brand.”
In a description provided by the company, Farmin’ Brands "serves as a catalyst between local food producers and local consumers and currently supplies restaurants, cafés and country clubs in southeastern North Carolina through their wholesale division – Farmin’ Exchange." In 2013, the company (then called Carolina Farmin') closed its two-year-old store at 2101 Market St., so Farmin' on Front represents the firm's long-anticipated return to retail, company officials said.
"We want our customers to experience a store that is not only inviting but is also memorable,” Crawford said. “We’re going to accomplish this by way of the diversity of the product, flow and features of our market, and engagement by our team.”