The battle for the best ice cream in the Port City just heated up with the expansion of the Tar Heel Creamery.
 
Owner Tony Schwartz, along with his business partner Michael Fink, are ready to test their North Carolina-produced ice cream against the best Wilmington has to offer.
 
“The Kilwin’s war is on, and we’re ready,” Schwartz said. “A lot of others have tried to compete, but we’re ready to win.”
 
With specialty flavors such as bourbon caramel and espresso cookie, the eatery is already attracting customers to its new 15 S. Water St. location.
 
While the space, just under 500 square feet, has undergone renovations, the owners have been selling the frozen treats from a pop-up tent outside the building.
 
Schwartz said they hope to open the interior this weekend but are waiting for final permits.
 
“It’s pretty much done,” Schwartz said. “We’ve been waiting on the plumbing permits and the inspections, but other than that it’s done.”
 
Opening its own storefront will be a change of pace for the three-year-old company, which functions mainly as a commercial ice cream manufacturer and has previously sold ice cream only through a food truck in the Triangle area.
 
“If I had to give you a business model for Tar Heel Creamery, it would only talk about manufacturing ice cream and not even mention the food truck and ice cream shop,” Schwartz said. “Those are just to help get the ice cream out there and spread the word about how great it is.”
 
For Schwartz and Fink, owning an ice cream business is more than just sprinkles and waffle cones.
 
“It’s about using the ice cream industry to bring jobs to North Carolina and encouraging everyone to go more local,” Schwartz said.
 
Schwartz went on to say that giving back to North Carolina is essential for the company, which he says is currently producing at maximum capacity.
 
“We try really hard to only use local products in the ice cream, and it’s all made in Hillsborough, North Carolina,” Schwartz said. “I basically live on I-40, driving the ice cream to all the places it needs to be.”
 
Schwartz said he and his partner became interested in expanding to Wilmington after selling their ice cream commercially to businesses in Bald Head Island and other locations in the Cape Fear region.
 
He also cited the company’s ongoing relationship with Harper Peterson, the former Wilmington mayor who manages the Water Street space they are leasing, as a reason for opening in the Port City.