Pine Valley Market has been named a Toasty Awards finalist in the Local Community Advocate category honoring the restaurant community.

The third annual Toasty Awards, hosted by point of sale (POS) provider Toast, will celebrate the hard work and ingenuity of the restaurant community on Jan. 29, 2020.

Launched in 2013, Toast powers successful restaurants of all sizes with a technology platform that combines restaurant POS with front of house, back of house and guest-facing technology with a diverse marketplace of third-party applications.

“We’re pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the Toast restaurant community,” said Aman Narang, president and co-founder of Toast. “The 2020 Toasty Awards finalists are 20 top examples of outstanding leadership in the restaurant industry.”

Pine Valley Market was selected out of nearly 500 submitted entries as a Local Community Advocate finalist. This category celebrates restaurants that have uplifted the community, from supporting local charities to creating mentorship programs.

Winners will be selected by public vote and are eligible to receive prizes, including a year of Toast software, a $15,000 donation to a charity of their choice, and a sponsored staff celebration. Votes must be cast by 11:59 p.m. Dec. 20. and anyone who wishes to cast their vote for Pine Valley Market can do so online.

Pine Valley Market is owned and operated Christi Ferretti (pictured at right) and Kathy Webb. Ferretti worked in conjunction with the World Central Kitchen team during Hurricane Florence and is involved with a number of local organizations including The CARE Project and GLOW Academy. She was recently inducted as one of the Ladies and Gentleman of the Cape Fear, a local group recognizing service given to the local community. She also was recognized as one of the 2019 YWCA Lower Cape Fear Women of Achievement.

“We are so excited to be a finalist for the 2020 Toasty Awards,” Ferretti said. “What I learned from our efforts in response to Florence is that Wilmington is a strong, compassionate, tight-knit community that steps up in times of need. Pine Valley Market is a piece of a larger picture of humanitarianism that is shown over and over again in Wilmington.

"We love what we do and we love doing it. The fact that we can use our talents and time to help others in need is as much a gift to us as it is to them. We appreciate the community taking a moment to vote and share their stories or thoughts so that we can bring this award home to Wilmington.”

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