Print
Restaurants

Restaurants, Breweries Get Creative During Crisis

By Jessica Maurer, posted Mar 25, 2020
Chef Dean Neff is raffling off an in-home dinner party to support Love, Lydia bakery and cafe. (Photo courtesy of Dean Neff)
With the coronavirus closure of area eateries, bars and breweries to customers dining or imbibing onsite, many small business owners are getting creative and finding alternative ways to serve the public and continue paying their employees.

Well-known area chefs Dean Neff and Craig Love have each announced that they are raffling off dinner parties (to be held at a later date) to support employees who are either laid off or earning less than normal.

Neff, who is in the process of opening Seabird, a new downtown restaurant at the corner of Market and Front streets, is raffling off an in-home dinner party in support of partner Lydia Clopton’s bakery and cafe, Love, Lydia.

According to a Facebook post about the raffle, the entire amount raised will be split among the Love, Lydia staff, who were laid off March 19. Bidding is open now via Love, Lydia’s Facebook page and will remain open through Sunday, March 29, at 9 p.m‬. 

Love, chef and owner of Surf House Oyster Bar in Carolina Beach, is raffling off an oyster roast and shrimp boil with cocktails for parties of 10 with bids starting at $1,000. The parties are expected to be held before the end of October.

Bids will be accepted via direct message on Facebook or on the Surf House Facebook page until Saturday, March 28, at 8 p.m. He is also raffling off a three-course, in-home cooing class for six people, with a starting bid of $600.

Funds will support all staff members who are furloughed throughout the pandemic. 

While no longer serving its regular menu for take-out, Surf House is offering three- and five-day meal plans for two or four people. Orders must be placed by noon Tuesdays for pick-up on Thursdays and Fridays between 4 and 6 p.m. See http://www.surfhousenc.com/3-5-day-meal-plans for details. 

Wrightsville Beach Brewery has implemented a grocery service, offering many of the foods they typically have on hand for menu items. Orders for produce, breads, meats and poultry and local seafood such as crab cakes, oysters and shrimp can be placed by phone or email, and WB Brewery employees will deliver the groceries to your car when you arrive.

Orders for 10 items or less can be placed over the phone, while larger orders can be emailed to [email protected]. Orders placed by 1 p.m. will be available for pick-up the following day. 

Owner Jud Watkins said he has implemented strict safety policies for his employees, noting that they must keep a 6-foot distance from one another at all times, change gloves each time they process or handle a new order (takeout or grocery) and wear masks. 

WB Brewery continues to offer take out options, including a make-your-own take and bake pizza, beer in six-packs and cases, growler fills and bottles of wine. 

Have a tip for Restaurant Roundup? Email us at: [email protected].
Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
Dave sweyer 300 x 300

Insights into the 2023 Leasing Market in Wilmington, NC: What You Need to Know

Dave Sweyer - Sweyer Property Management
Pfinder john zachary

What You Need to Know About SECURE 2.0 and Its Effect on Individual Retirement Accounts

John B Zachary - Pathfinder Wealth Consulting
Jasonpathfinder3

What You Need to Know About SECURE 2.0 and Its Effect on Retirement Plans

Jason Wheeler - Pathfinder Wealth Consulting

Trending News

Conservation Group Signs $8M Deal To Buy The Point On Topsail Island

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

Rezoning Could Bring 123 Townhomes To Growing Leland Corridor

Emma Dill - Mar 25, 2024

N.C. Ports Officials React To Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

Engineering Firm Hires Four Employees

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

National Organization Bestows Top Award On Cape Fear Professional Women In Building

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

In The Current Issue

Park Progress

The planning for Pender Commerce Park began in the early 2000s when the county wanted to create an economic driver on its largely rural west...


INFO JUNKIE: Jack Fleming

Jack Fleming, owner of Socialry Marketing & Scourz and emcee for 1 Million Cups Wilmington, shares his media and tech picks....


Hacking Cyberdefense Shortage

A shortage of cybersecurity professionals influenced professor Ulku Clark and her team to slowly evolve UNCW’s offerings to now include eigh...

Book On Business

The 2024 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.

Order Your Copy Today!


Galleries

Videos

2023 Power Breakfast: Major Developments