A brewery project three years in the making will celebrate its grand opening this weekend. Flying Machine Brewing Co., founded by longtime friends Grant Steadman and David Sweigart, is a 17,000-square-foot facility that will feature two outdoor patios and a large taproom with an indoor bocce ball court.  Brewing primarily on a 20-barrel, three-vessel system, eac ...

Following several months of permitting and construction delays, I Love Juice Bar will open Friday at The Pointe at Barclay. Local franchise owners Stephannie Perrin and Blake Jensen, longtime friends and co-workers, said they were looking for an opportunity to start a business that would promote healthy living.  “We’re excited to open this ...

LM Restaurants, in partnership with the Wrightsville Beach Foundation, will host a fundraising event 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the parking lot of Bluewater Grill in Wrightsville Beach. The event will benefit the Wrightsville Beach town employees affected by Hurricane Florence and serve as a way to thank them for their service during the storm.  &ldq ...

Charles Haskins, owner of Frank’s Pizza on the Boardwalk in Carolina Beach, has opened a new Italian eatery in Waterford Village, in the space formerly occupied by Falcone’s Italian Restaurant. Frank’s Pizza has been a fixture in Carolina Beach since 1992. Although Haskins took over the lease in Leland at the end of August, the opening of what will ...

Ron and Noël Stevens, owners of HopLite Irish Pub & Restaurant in Carolina Beach, are putting the finishing touches on Lake Park Steakhouse, formerly known as The Squeeze. Restaurateur Ralph Roof spent nearly two years renovating the building at 12 N. Lake Park Blvd., which he has owned since 2002, and opened The Squeeze this past March.  Ron Stevens sa ...

Open now for just over a week, chef Kirsten Mitchell said it’s been smooth sailing at The Salt Fish. “Like any new restaurant, we’ve had some hiccups and are ironing out the kinks,” Mitchell said. “But the locals have been so welcoming and supportive and things have gone really well so far.” The self-trained chef has built a menu a ...

Following a monthlong closure because of Hurricane Florence, Staci Murray, owner of Alaia Juice Bar & Bistro, has decided to close for good. While evacuated to her native Ohio, Murray said she discovered that her father was in poor health. He had recently relocated back to Ohio from Carolina Beach, and Murray said she was shocked to find him in a state of decline.&n ...

In July, Ben Wright, co-founder of Bitty & Beau’s Coffee, traveled to Washington DC to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging, where he advocated for competitive, integrated employment and the abolishment of sub-minimum wages for people with disabilities. The title of the hearing was “Supporting Economic Stability and Self-Sufficiency as American ...

Crave Hot Dogs and Barbecue, a franchise launched early this year, has signed a lease at The Pointe at Barclay in Wilmington. Local franchisees Wayne and Laura Decker, along with son Geoff,  announced last month that they were considering The Pointe as well as Ogden Marketplace for their first North Carolina location.   Geoff Decker, who will serve as genera ...

The impact of Hurricane Florence on area restaurants was far reaching, from the loss of perishable products and structural damage to the loss of revenue. Many independently owned establishments are struggling financially. Bassam Safi, owner of the Wilmington branch of Our Town America, a national marketing company that targets new residents, was inspired by the company& ...