Tap Yard Wilmington, a new bar and beer garden, has opened its doors at the corner of South 16th and Church streets.

The business, which began welcoming customers during its soft opening last month, sits on the former site of The Transplanted Garden, a longtime Wilmington garden center. This is the second Tap Yard location for co-owners Tym Dvorak and Zack Medford (shown below at right), who opened Tap Yard Raleigh in 2023. The business partners are working toward a full opening this spring.

The bar currently serves eight beers on tap, Medford said, along with specialty cocktails and spirits. Outside, Tap Yard’s beer garden features ample open space along with picnic tables, yard games and, eventually, an outdoor bar.

The business partners say they hope the new business will appeal to everyone from families and music lovers to those exploring the nearby Cargo District.

“We're in such a unique area here,” Medford said. “Being in the Cargo District, we have such a great community that's looking for stuff to do.”

The two were looking for a site for the business just as the Transplanted Garden owners were looking to sell, Dvorak said, and the timing just worked out.

“We looked at other places, other scenarios,” he said. “This was the one that looked the most promising.”

The two purchased the roughly 1-acre site in June 2022. Property records show 502 South 16 ILM LLC, an entity registered to Medford, bought the property for $799,000.

Medford said it took about a year to complete the planning and permitting required for the project and then another year for construction. They renovated the former garden center building, taking it down to the studs and installing new plumbing and electrical.

Dvorak oversaw the renovation and designed the bar’s interior upfits, including its custom trim and natural wood ceiling, to create a welcoming feel.

“We were really going for like a cozy hunter lodge, kind of more of a relaxed atmosphere,” Dvorak said. “We're going to have all different kinds of entertainment, but we wanted to be a place that, even when nothing's going on, you feel comfortable here.”

While Dvorak works on the construction side of the business, Medford handles bar operations and marketing. 

Medford also owns downtown Wilmington nightclub Coglin’s and previously owned The Lookout at Iron Front, a former downtown wedding and event venue.

Medford and Dvorak opened Tap Yard Raleigh last spring and plan to open the Wilmington location fully in March. Until then, Tap Yard Wilmington will be a work in progress – the partners have plans to add an outdoor bar and expand its current tap from eight to 16 beers. 

Medford said the business and its menu will continue to evolve. The bar plans to offer a range of beers on draft brewed in Wilmington and North Carolina. Medford said the bar will also offer elevated cocktails made with house-made syrups.

The bar plans to host regular food trucks once it fully opens in March, Medford said, and has a room that can be rented out for private events. They also hope to cater to families and host live music in the evenings.

“We want it to be a place for everybody of all kinds of walks of life, so especially with our entertainment and live music programs,” Dvorak said. “We try to cover everybody and have a place where everybody feels comfortable.”

Tap Yard Wilmington is currently open at 502 S. 16th St. from 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday and from noon to midnight Friday through Sunday.