Burgaw is on an upward trend. Since 2010, the town population of 4,000 has continued to grow at a rate of 1% annually, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That growth has fueled renovations to buildings as well as attracted new businesses, especially in the downtown area.
 
In January, the town’s commissioners approved an estimated investment of $1.3 million to convert the vacant emergency medical services building into a new town center located at 108 E. Wilmington St.
 
The 4,000-square-foot building will expand by 600 square feet to accommodate an 1,800-square-foot auditorium with a small stage and seating capacity for 260 people, full kitchen, showers and bathrooms. It will also include office space to house the town parks and recreation department currently located at the town hall. The new center will serve as an emergency center if needed, providing housing for emergency workers coming into the area.
 
Burgaw Mayor Olivia Dawson, elected in November and serving a four-year term, said she is excited about the project and the future of Burgaw.
 
“Burgaw is definitely progressing,” she said. “We have done well. There are a few empty storefronts downtown, but many are occupied throughout the rest of town. Burgaw has always had hidden gems, and we are still that quaint little town. We are getting ready for these changes that will nicely tie everything, the old jail and the Community House, together.”
 
Dawson said the approach to the revitalization is both progressive and assertive.
 
“While the details of our revitalization goals are worked out and financial backing is sourced, we are doing simpler less costly projects to create a welcoming downtown,” she said.
 
The town purchased additional Christmas decor, installed decorative light poles and appointed new banners along the N.C. 53 corridor and throughout downtown. Building owners have taken advantage of the town’s fa ade grants to improve the outside appearance of storefronts. In the works are trees, planters and benches, officials said.
 
The town of Burgaw was designed to be walkable. A $2 million-$3 million revitalization project of Courthouse Avenue streets, sidewalks and light fixtures has been underway since 2020.
 
Plans also include a proposed extension of the Osgood Canal Greenway and Urban Trail, developing 4 miles of multi-use paths and sidewalks for recreation as well as making a connection to downtown.
 
The town has held public meetings on the proposal and is pursuing funding opportunities, including American Rescue Plan Act funds of $350,000 as well as a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund matching grant of the same amount. Enhanced connectivity to downtown will attract locals and visitors, providing more opportunity for business growth, officials said.
 
Communication will be a big part of the improvements, Dawson said.
 
“Hearing the word ‘change’ can bring uncertainty,” she said. “I want to get the word out, get everyone engaged, feeling included and excited about where they live. My message is that we are not looking to take away our small-town living or our historic charm, only add to the beauty and opportunities of the town so our residents continue to love it.”
 
In addition to future businesses, Dawson sees the prospect for event spaces, office spaces and apartments on the second floors of some downtown buildings.
 
“We are hopeful for the extra benefits that new businesses will bring,” she said. “New business growth may create the need for additional housing for a demographic looking for opportunities that come with small-town living. And that’s what we want to give them.”
 
Richard Johnson, who created Burgaw Now in 2019 as an initiative to promote the town, is working to bring restaurants and other community-minded businesses into the downtown area.
 
It was Johnson who recognized that Burgaw was missing a pizza restaurant, for example. After purchasing several buildings downtown, Johnson partnered with Jay Kranchalk and opened Fat Daddy’s Pizzeria last August.
 
“Business is outstanding,” Kranchalk said. “I’ve fallen in love with the community of Burgaw who has been so great in supporting us as a brand-new business.”
 
After learning the ropes of running a business for his first time, dealing with construction and navigating the pandemic impacts, Kranchalk now says, “Getting to know the people, the regulars at lunch and the weekend dinner crowd, has made it great.”
 
Kranchalk gives credit to his employees, who bought into the vision from the beginning and have grown with the restaurant.
 
“We built a family atmosphere,” said Kranchalk, whose biggest challenge so far has been inflation. “We worked hard to keep prices reasonable and family affordable without price increases.”
 
While pizza is the top-selling item, Fat Daddy’s offers its own version of stromboli and its signature blueberry knots, a nod to the N.C. Blueberry Festival returning in June to Burgaw. “Locals hear blueberry and think Burgaw,” said Kranchalk, who is looking forward to the festival and the large crowds he expects it will bring to Fat Daddy’s and downtown.
 
Kranchalk described the financial success of his business as “shockingly consistent as far as the numbers go.”
 
It’s this consistency that drives Kranchalk’s plans for the future, which include a patio picnic area with seating for larger groups. He is looking forward to the days when baseball and soccer teams take over his backyard. He is being encouraged by the city to pursue his plans.
 
Enthused by the reaction to Fat Daddy’s, Burgaw Now has started work on Burgaw Brewing Co., a brewpub expected to open in August.
 
Johnson is also working on a redesign of the website BurgawNow. org. Plans are to include a community calendar, an opt-in monthly newsletter, updated blogs and videos to continue to build community and promote businesses and organizations in town.
 
The website will be inclusive of nonprofits and social efforts, Johnson said.
 
“I think Burgaw Now has tapped into the locals’ strong sense of town identity,” he said. “The fact that we are investing in their town seems to be a catalyst for optimism.”
 
Dawson said she is eager to get new initiatives moving.
 
“Some projects have been talked about for years, so my near-term goal is to see many of them get started,” she said. “I have two elementary school-age children. Keeping Burgaw vibrant, community-oriented and a great place for them to grow up means a lot to me.”
 
The next phase of Burgaw’s downtown will be key in that growth, they said.
 
“The bones of Burgaw support a walking, thriving downtown destination,” Johnson said. “We are thrilled to be part of that.”