Apple Annie’s bakery changes hands
A longtime fan of Wilmington’s Apple Annie’s has purchased the 29-year-old bakery, where he plans to make improvements but honor the shop’s tradition.
Rob Cooley on March 11 bought Apple Annie’s, which has locations at 837 S. Kerr Ave. and in Landfall Shopping Center, 1319 Military Cutoff Road.
Most of the kitchen and retail staff remain at the bakeries, which will continue to offer Apple Annie’s signature Italian-American style, Cooley said.
Pilot House gives sneak peek of new menu
Closed for renovations since Jan. 1, part of downtown Wilmington’s Pilot House restaurant recently reopened with tastes of its new menu.
The main dining room won’t be back in business until mid-May, but a bar sporting new furniture, fresh white paint and unobstructed views was scheduled to start serving customers in early April.
Debuting menu items before the main dining room reopens will give the Pilot House team a chance to hear feedback from customers, said the restaurant’s assistant general manager Sunni Holley. The “grand reopening” will coincide with Pilot House’s 35th birthday.
9 to open in former Crow Hill spot with doughnuts, tapas
When a sign depicting the number nine went up recently at 9 S. Front Street, restaurateur Matt Schuler finally confirmed rumors that he was planning a doughnut bakery, tapas menu and live jazz music in the location, which once housed a bakery and the late, hip, Mediterranean-themed restaurant Caffe Phoenix.
Doughnut and tapas sales have been rising for the past several years. The trend fits Schuler’s breakfast and dinner plan at the restaurant, named 9, which is set to open in late April.
Mornings will begin with classic and creative doughnut flavors (breads and pastries are due later) baked fresh in house, Schuler said. Potato cake doughnuts and yeast-raised doughnuts will range from glazed plain, chocolate and blueberry to offbeat choices that head baker Gaeten Lowrie said were still under development. The restaurant will close from around 1-4 p.m. to prepare for evening tapas service.
La Gemma, Sugar on Front abandon retail setups
Two Wilmington bakeries have dropped their retail sides but continue sales at area farmers markets, via special orders and to wholesale customers.
After four years in business, La Gemma Fine Italian Pastries ceased retail sales March 31 at its 2323 S. 17th St. store near New Hanover Regional Medical Center. Sugar on Front also recently closed its spot inside Old Books on Front Street, 249 N. Front St.
“Our family circumstances have changed requiring us to spend more time with our young children,” said Roberta Campani, who owns La Gemma with her husband, Jim Gannon.
La Gemma is for sale, but Campani continues to bake there, and customers may still call the shop to place orders and register for upcoming cooking classes.
A burgeoning wholesale business convinced Sugar on Front owner Samantha Smith to move her 3-year-old operation to the former A Sweet Life bakery, 206 N. Topsail Drive, Surf City. It will be renamed Sugar Island. Old Books on Front owner Gwenyfar Rohler said she and the Old Books staff were considering what to do next with the vacant Sugar café space.
Oceanic pier reopens for dining
The Oceanic restaurant in Wrightsville Beach on March 28 reopened much of its pier for outdoor dining.
Tables accommodating about 70 guests fill the pier, and more are coming along with awnings by mid-May, said Mindy Stroupe, spokeswoman for LM Restaurants, which owns Oceanic.
“The final piece of the pier reconstruction project – the public fishing pier – should be finished by June,” Stroupe said.
The Crystal Pier area hosted Luna Pier in the 1950s. Crystal Pier suffered damage during storms in the 1990s.
City Club, Event Center On The Market For $7.5 Million
Emma Dill
-
Apr 16, 2024
|
|
Wilmington Tech Company Tapped For Federal Forestry Contract
Audrey Elsberry
-
Apr 15, 2024
|
|
Commercial Real Estate Firm Promotes Adams, Mitchell To Vice President Roles
Staff Reports
-
Apr 16, 2024
|
|
New Hanover Industrial Park To Get $3.3M In Incentives For Expansion, New Jobs
Emma Dill
-
Apr 15, 2024
|
|
Gravette Named Executive Director Of Nir Family YMCA
Staff Reports
-
Apr 16, 2024
|
For the Business Journal's annual Law Issue, read about area attorney's who made this year's Legal Elite list....
Brunswick Surgery Center recently received four certificates of excellence from accreditation organization DNV Healthcare....
After more than two years of debate, New Hanover County leaders are working to establish the guard rails that will guide any future developm...
The 2024 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.