Amid phase two following the COVID-19 shutdown, downtown Wilmington seems to be alive and well when it comes to outdoor dining, thanks to the Downtown Alive initiative. From Thursday through Sunday, pedestrians rule some city blocks that shut down to traffic as busi­nesses take to the streets to expand occupancy and achieve compliance. “It’s been even ...

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, service businesses are starting to rehire with job gains of 1.2 million in leisure and hospitality. However, some local businesses are struggling to fill the jobs lost during the pan­demic closures.   Some terminated employees are afraid of returning to work amid the pandemic while others have medical issues or ...

Room occupancy tax numbers in the Wilmington area sank in April, as expected, because of measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. For New Hanover County, the countywide room occupancy tax (ROT) in April this year dropped by 87%, from nearly $1.3 million in April 2019 to $164,136 during the same month this year. That's according to numbers provided by ...

Battleship North Carolina officials announced Tuesday that a contract for the battleship's hull repair has been awarded to Wilmington-based Atlantic Coast Industrial Marine Construction LLC, after a public bidding process. According to a news release, the company will cut and replace steel on the ship's bow, as well as repaint the affected areas of the hull when ...

For the SeaWitch Tiki Bar in Carolina Beach, Memorial Day weekend typically serves up the most lucrative part of the summer tourist season. Jenni Gilewicz, who owns the SeaWitch with her husband, Alex Gilewicz, said the weekend leading up to Memorial Day on May 25 went more smoothly than anticipated at the restaurant, where the bar por­tion had to remain closed by s ...

Business owners on Pleasure Island, which includes the New Hanover County towns of Carolina Beach and Kure Beach, share a measured enthusiasm as the phases of reopening from coronavirus restrictions unfold. Few expect a return to “normal” any time soon, but many said they are ready to do what needs to be done to keep their businesses open and safe.   Hot ...

Lee Kent looked out from his Leland storefront. From that vantage point, he saw seemingly endless quick-serve restaurant options, and the adjacent vacant space intrigued him.   “I was looking around the parking lot at McDonald’s, Hardee’s, Taco Bell, KFC and Bojangles’,” Kent said. “So, I was like, ‘You know, nobody is servi ...

One of the Wilmington area's biggest industries – tourism – is feeling the effects of the coronavirus, as school trips to local attractions are canceled, along with volunteer opportunities and other previously scheduled events. On Thursday, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 increased in North Carolina to 14 (from nine on Wednesday), according to ...

Keeping up a house takes work. Keeping up a riverfront structure that houses ballrooms, exhibit halls and meeting rooms for hundreds of events and thousands of visitors takes even more work. Add hurricane-related damage to that, and the workload increases exponentially. That is the reason the Wilmington City Council unanimously approved $1.9 million for repairs to the W ...

Margi and Doug Erickson offer a laid-back atmosphere at the C.W. Worth House, a Victorian inn and bed and breakfast establishment in downtown Wilmington.   “We are casual and like to have fun,” Doug Erickson said. “There’s nothing stuffy about us,” Margi Erickson added. Unfortunately, the small business faces challenges. The Ericksons f ...