Print
Restaurants

Tama Cafe Closing On Military Cutoff Road In Wilmington

By Jessica Maurer, posted Dec 2, 2020
Tama Cafe in The Forum on Military Cutoff Road is closing its doors Dec. 23. (Photo by Cece Nunn)
Almost five years to the day of opening, Tama Cafe at 1127 Military Cutoff Road in The Forum will close its doors for good Dec. 23.

Co-founders Rocco Quaranto and Wells and Kelly Struble opened the cafe in Wilmington on Dec. 22, 2015, followed by a downtown Raleigh location in 2018. Now both locations will be closed by the end of the year, having been impacted by COVID-19.

“The truth of the matter is that people just don’t want to hang out in cafes right now,” Quaranto said.

Quaranto said the partners made the decision to close the Raleigh location in May, primarily due to the fact that it was dependent upon foot traffic from those who normally work in the area. With the majority of businesses shifting to work-from-home scenarios, Quaranto said Fayetteville Street became a ghost town. Just days after the closure, rioting and looting took place on the same block and many businesses fell victim to the destruction.

“In retrospect we got out of there just in time to avoid even further losses,” Quaranto said.

Following the closure of the Raleigh location, the partners put all of their energy into keeping the Wilmington location afloat, but it was just a matter of time before they felt the impact of the virus from all angles. From fluctuating public health guidelines to the loss of revenue and the need to quarantine staff, it all just became too much. With their lease up at the end of December, they made the difficult decision to close.

“We just don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel for the cafe right now and we couldn’t bring ourselves to sign a new lease without any guarantee of return on that investment,” Quaranto said.

Now they will focus on Tama Tea, the craft brewed, tea-based sparkling beverage developed at the cafe. Having launched the line in early 2019 and partnered with a national distributor earlier this year, Tama Sparkling Teas are now sold by hundreds of retailers up and down the East Coast and include three flavors: Lemon Lavender, Mango Verde and Peach Pear.

All three sparkling teas are made with organic green tea and all-natural ingredients. They contain zero sugar, zero calories and are high in antioxidants.

Distribution of the tea has been impacted by the pandemic as well, said Quaranto, with many of their restaurant accounts dropping significantly. On the bright side however, as of March 2021, the tea will be sold at 46 Whole Foods stores across the Southeast.

And having outgrown the space provided to them by Wrightsville Beach Brewery when they first started brewing, Tama has partnered with New Orleans-based Abita Brewing Company to increase their brewing capacity.

“We actually travel to New Orleans to work with their head brewer each time we brew,” Quaranto said. “This truly is a one-of-a-kind craft brewed beverage.”

Quaranto said he and his partners are excited to see the next chapter of Tama Sparkling Tea, and will focus on growing their wholesale accounts. The beverage is also sold on Amazon.

“It’s bittersweet having to shut down half of our operation,” Quaranto said. “But the other half is starting to do some really interesting things.”
Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
Mcwhorter 0005

The Coastal Corridor is Helping Wilmington Startups With Connected Devices for Life Sciences Industry

Heather McWhorter - UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Jasonpathfinder3

What You Need to Know About SECURE 2.0 and Its Effect on Retirement Plans

Jason Wheeler - Pathfinder Wealth Consulting
Burrus rob headshot 300x300

Spreading Wings for Flight: 2nd Annual Trade Show Highlights the Ingenuity of UNCW Business Students

Robert Burrus - Cameron School of Business - UNC-Wilmington

Trending News

Conservation Group Signs $8M Deal To Buy The Point On Topsail Island

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

National Organization Bestows Top Award On Cape Fear Professional Women In Building

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

Engineering Firm Hires Four Employees

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

N.C. Ports Officials React To Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

NCino's Fourth-quarter Earnings Signal Rebound From Liquidity Crisis

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 27, 2024

In The Current Issue

MADE: Polyhose Inc.

Polyhose manufactures and fabricates hose protection, paint hose assemblies and rubber hydraulic assemblies from its Pender County facility....


Expanding Tastes On Castle Street

As John Willse and Beth Guertin, owners of Wilmington Wine bottle shop and now the recently opened Creative Tastings restaurant on Castle St...


Park Progress

The planning for Pender Commerce Park began in the early 2000s when the county wanted to create an economic driver on its largely rural west...

Book On Business

The 2024 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.

Order Your Copy Today!


Galleries

Videos

2023 Power Breakfast: Major Developments