The owners of small local businesses situated around the intersection of Kerr and Wrightsville avenues in Wilmington have embarked on an effort to draw more attention to their portion of town.

Within the area that the group has dubbed the Midtown Artisan Kerridor (pronounced “corridor"), several merchants emphasize craftsmanship by hand, creativity and artisanal goods, according to a recent news release on the endeavor.

“It’s a fun name. We thought about it for a while and we thought, ‘Quite a few people do things with their hands’ – building bikes from scratch, creating beautiful designs, artisanal coffee . . . We thought we could organize all together and advertise together,” said Manol Georgieff, who opened Cafe Zola, a specialty and artisanal coffee shop and tea room, earlier this year inside Pomegranate Books at 4418 Park Avenue.

Georgieff, a former graphic design and photography teacher, is creating a map of the “Kerridor,” one of the first projects the group is working on in its effort to draw more shoppers and attention. He said the map is expected to include descriptions of the businesses and to be distributed throughout the city.

“We would like to have the same feel as Castle Street where people feel comfortable coming here and walking" from business to business, Georgieff said.

The map will help Mitzy Jonkheer, owner of Jonkheer Jewelry Art Studio who is part of the group, when she's referring customers to other stores and restaurants nearby that she also frequents.

"I think this is a little area that people go through a lot of times that kind of gets overlooked," Jonkheer said. "I’m excited that Manol has taken the initiative. It’s such a neat little area. I send people to his coffee shop every day." 

Along with the map, the group also hopes to organize a festival at the beginning of spring that highlights the stores, Georgieff said.

“I think people tend to focus on downtown and on the beach, and there isn’t an identity for this midtown area, but it’s just so vibrant and convenient that it needs to have an identity,” said Kathleen Jewell, owner of Pomegranate Books. “I think that participating with fellow merchants is just an easier way to get the word out.”

She said shoppers these days like to group their errands and by advertising together, the businesses can let them know “you’re coming to a locale that has a lot of interesting things, and it’s not out of your way; it’s really on your way.”

Georgieff said the group has contacted Lanier Property Group, which is collaborating with businesses in a separate effort to define and draw awareness to the larger, overall Midtown District of Wilmington.

"We would like to be part of that as well, but still stand on our own as the artisanal-craft corridor," Georgieff said.

Participants in the Midtown Artisan Kerridor effort, in addition to Cafe Zola, Pomegranate Books and Jonkheer Jewelry Art Studio, include Two Wheeler Dealer bicycle shop, Sealevel City Gourmet restaurant, McAllister and Solomon Used and Rare Books, Smoke Rings, Hey! Beer Bottle Shop, Mystic Elements, B & S Beauty Salon, Brandon Parrow Cabinetmaker, Flea Body’s Vintage and Home Decor, The Trading Post, and Southeastern Camera.