Plenty of energy is being spent daily in Wilmington’s burgeoning Cargo District, the shipping container-based area near Queen and 16th streets. Now busy entrepreneurs and visitors to the district can fuel up on hand-crafted, plant-based energy drinks at DRINX, 1605 Queen St.
 
“Our drinks use lotus, which is a concentrate, with various extracts from the cascara (coffee cherry/fruit), lotus flower, schisandra berry, rhodiola rosea and other superfruits for their amazing health benefits,” owner April Walker said. “Our DR­­INX give you the caffeine feel without all the jitters or crashes at the end of the day. We call it a 21st-century spin on coffee.”
 
“We also use and sell local, raw honey harvested in Wilmington and have our own bee box,” Walker said, adding that DRINXis a member of Got To Be NC Agriculture. “We drizzle the honey in one of our signature drinx, our Honey Bee Lotus, which is purple lotus with pineapple and vanilla with honey drizzled around the sides of the cup as well as on top.”
 
In addition to the energy drinks, Walker also plans to offer acai bowls with toppings as well as some grab-and-go options such as salads, fruits and veggie sticks. Sticking with the shop’s theme, those items will come in a cup instead of a bowl. Also in the works are locally made vegan, gluten-free wraps as well as regular wraps.
 
Walker previously worked for BB&T but lost her job when the bank merged with SunTrust to form Truist. With the support of her husband, she started DooLittle’s Pet Concierge.
 
“To work for myself was a blessing and taught me a lot about small business,” Walker said. “But eventually I wanted a brick-and-mortar business. That began my journey with DRINX.”
 
The shop had a soft opening Dec. 5 but now is open regularly Tuesday-Sunday.
 
Walker is planning a grand opening from noon to 4 p.m. Jan. 15, a celebration that will be built around an outdoor market with a host of local vendors on hand.
 
“We will have a little bit of everything,” she said. “They will set up anywhere along the Cargo sidewalk and sell their craft, art or merchandise that represent their local small business.”
 
The open-market idea hits close to home for Walker.
 
“I chose the Cargo District because of the unique structures and how many other small businesses were starting up there,” she said. “When I attended my first Cargo District market, I knew then I had to be a part of this amazing community.”