Dustin Leek, co-owner of Tongy’s Shmackhouse, said the restaurant is on track for a March 7 opening at 5500 Market St.
 
This is the second Tongy’s location for Leek, his brothers Blake and Chad and partner Domenic Fragomeni. The foursome opened Tongy’s in Conway, South Carolina in November 2012.
 
“We were fortunate to do very well from the start in Conway and have already expanded our restaurant there by 8,000 square feet,” Dustin Leek said. “We’re really excited to bring our concept to Wilmington and take some more chances here.”
 
Dustin Leek said he and his partners have an all-hands-on-deck approach and that he and Blake Leek will be working at the new location daily, along with several managers from Conway who are relocating to Wilmington.
 
“Great service is non-negotiable,” he said. “We also pride ourselves on great food, and we really stand by the quality of our food, with about 90 percent of it being prepared from scratch.“
 
Dustin Leek said Tongy’s will specialize in hand-pattied burgers and hand-cut fries, along with a variety of sandwiches, tacos and quesadillas. But don’t expect to find your average chicken sandwich on the menu, he said.
 
“We like to have fun by putting our own twist on things as well as with the names of our menu items,” he said. “We want to be a little edgier than your typical bar and grill.”
 
Tongy’s will have a full bar and 20 beers on tap, both domestics and a wide variety of craft beers from the Southeast. With pool tables and service until 2 a.m. daily, Dustin Leek hopes to appeal to service industry workers who often don’t get off work until after many restaurants have already closed.
 
A Bloody Mary bar and brunch on the weekends are possibilities down the road, he said. For now, lunch, dinner and drink specials will be offered daily.
 
Tongy’s Shmackhouse is at 5500 Market St., Suite 100, and will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
 
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