Bessie and Giuseppe, a pub-style restaurant specializing in burgers and pizza, has opened Lumina Commons in the space that was previously home to Incredible Pizza.

This is the second restaurant for owners Danny and Earl McPherson who took over King Neptune in Wrightsville Beach in early 2012. 

“We always knew we wanted to do this style of restaurant,” said Danny McPherson. “We’re really excited about it.”

The space has undergone some significant changes.  The previously open kitchen has been closed off and a series of booths now line the walls. The restaurant seats approximately 50 and plans for an outdoor patio that will accommodate another 40 are underway. A full bar has been added as well as a number of high top tables.

The menu is heavy on burgers and pizza but also features salads and several vegan and vegetarian options. The restaurant makes its own sauce and dough for the pizzas, shreds its own cheese and uses all fresh produce for the toppings. The burgers are made with a mix of ground chuck and ground sirloin, all pasture-raised certified angus beef, the owners say.

“We plan to have some great dine-in specials,” said McPherson. “Thursdays will be dollar slice night and we’ll have other fun specials like a burger and a beer for $5.95. Great food and great prices, that’s what we always try to focus on.

“We’re hoping that this is a concept that will allow us to eventually open several locations,” he continued. “But we know how important it is for us to get the first one right.”

As for the name, Bessie and Giuseppe: Bessie is a nod to Bessie the Cow who represents the burgers and Giuseppe represents the pizza.

“We thought about just calling ourselves Burgers and Pizza, but that’s a little too generic,” said McPherson. “Bessie and Giuseppe has more to it, just like our gourmet burgers and pizza.”

Bessie and Giuseppe is located at 1978 Eastwood Road.

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