ARRIVE Wilmington, a boutique hotel under construction at 101 S. 2nd St., will soon be home to a new downtown eatery, Dram Yard.  The restaurant’s name was inspired by the Dram Tree House, one of the buildings that made up The Wilmingtonian hotel complex that occupied the property since the late 1980’s. Hotel managing director Jamie Schaible said she ...

Jeff and Danielle Cousler, owners of A Thyme Savor catering, closed Monday on their purchase of Bon Appetit restaurant and catering.  Jeff Cousler said he had been in discussions with Bon Appetit owner Claudia Costa since her husband, Gene, died in 2016.  “At the time of Gene’s passing, we reached out to Claudia to extend our condolenc ...

Little Asia Bistro co-owner Norah Hsiung was born in India to an Indian mother and a Chinese father. It was there that she first learned to cook both Chinese and Indian dishes alongside her mother. At age 17, she and her younger brother were sent to Taiwan to study, and after earning their degrees, decided to open an Indian restaurant. Hsiung said she spent the next 17 ...

When Bespoke Coffee & Dry Goods owner Chris Batten developed the business plan for his downtown cafe and retail outlet, he did so as a branding exercise. “I wanted to see how people would respond to it,” Batten said. “I’m not so much a coffee guy as a guy who likes to create creative environments.” Creating “outp ...

National Pi Day will be celebrated around the world Thursday, and while the day (3/14/2019) honors the mathematical constant 3.14, it has also prompted some local pizzerias to offer $3.14 pies. Your Pie, 4403 Oleander Drive, will celebrate with a Hollywood-themed event featuring $3.14 pizzas all day, as well as bounce-backs and giveaways throughout the day. This year ...

The Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance (CFCBA) has announed that Cape Fear Craft Beer Week, presented by Untappd Marketplace, is scheduled to take place March 22-31.   CFCBA president Jeremy Tomlinson describes Cape Fear Craft Beer Week as a celebration of the Cape Fear region’s thriving craft beer culture, showcasing breweries, bottle shops, and restaurants, while ...

In an email to customers on March 6, Clean Eatz owners Don and Evonne Varady stated that in order to meet shifting demands in 2019 and beyond, Clean Eatz has closed its Monkey Junction location at 5916 Carolina Beach Rd.   “This comes as we expand services in other areas,” the email stated. Sarah Bon of Bon’s Eye Marketing confirmed that a ...

From the day she was old enough to get her first job, Marissa Ruehle has worked with coffee. “I grew up in Hampstead and my first job was at Port City Java,” Ruehle said. Now she has opened the doors to Casa Blanca, a cafe and roastery she helped design at 7409 Market St. After earning a business degree from UNCW, Ruehle said this was the natural progr ...

Gulfstream Restaurant of Carolina Beach will soon have a second location at the former Causeway Café in Wrightsville Beach. Ed Thomas, co-owner and operator of Gulfstream, took over the 40-year-old Gulfstream Restaurant five years ago, along with business partner Rich Johnson of Atlanta.  “Gulfstream was especially appealing to me because it ha ...

Burrito Shak founder and CEO David Longo has announced that franchisees Amanda and Jason Fabbie of Hampstead are expected to sign a lease soon for 5916 Carolina Beach Road, just south of Monkey Junction. Longo and his wife, Kara, opened Burrito Shak’s first location at 15489 U.S. 17 N. in Hampstead in July 2015, with the intent of developing a franchise ...