Following several years of planning, sisters Barbara and Terry Karter opened the doors to Happy Hippies Java Hut in Kure Beach this summer. As they enter their first off-season, they are eager to meet locals who might not yet know of the café, located in a former T-shirt shop just steps away from the Kure Beach Pier. The Karters' dream of owning ...

The former Osteria Cicchetti in Monkey Junction is now open as a new concept called Junction 421, an American bar and grill at 5104 S. College Road. "The location has great potential," said Lyn Rader, general manager of Circa Restaurant Group, in an email before the restaurant's opening. "We feel strongly that Junction 421 will be successful." ...

When Jodie Hawthorne took over Great Harvest Bread Co. in the fall of 2017, she was still trying to get a handle on running a bakery when the holidays were upon her. She had no idea what to expect and found herself running to the store constantly to restock her kitchen.  “We managed to get all our orders out on time, but it was crazy,” Hawthorne said. & ...

Officials with Blaze Pizza have announced that the eatery will open its first Wilmington location Dec. 20 at 915 Military Cutoff Road in the Earth Fare grocery store-anchored retail complex called Renaissance Market.  The following day, a grand opening for Blaze is scheduled with offers of free pizzas from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. to anyone who follows Blaze on Facebook, ...

An internationally renowned chef who recently dedicated his time to relief efforts in the Port City has been nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.   Chef and humanitarian José Andrés, founder of ThinkFoodGroup and World Central Kitchen (WCK), was nominated for the award last week by Rep. John Delaney (D-MD).   If he were to win, André ...

Coach’s Neighborhood Grill is now in its second week of business at 29 Van Campen Blvd., in the space formerly occupied by Pasofino.   Coach’s operates seven corporately owned restaurants throughout central North Carolina, with the Wilmington location being the first franchise unit.   Franchisee Jimmy Spader, an Air Force veteran, was looking to o ...

Mary Guevara, owner of South Mini Market at South Square Plaza on Carolina Beach Road, has opened a restaurant in the same shopping center, in the space formerly occupied by Tokyo Deli.   La Esquina Latin Grill opened quietly at the end of October but is seeing a steady uptick in business, according to Guevara’s daughter, manager Grey Bonilla.   “ ...

Cape Fear Seafood Company (CFSC), a locally owned restaurant specializing in fresh seafood and hand-cut steaks, has announced it will open a fourth location in Raleigh next spring. CFSC currently operates two company-owned Wilmington locations and one in Leland. This will be CFSC’s first franchise location. Owner and franchisor Evans Trawick said he has a busin ...

Doug and Susan Zucker bring 30 years of experience in food and wine to their newly opened retail shop and wine bar, Bridgewater Wines, at Ocean Gate Plaza in Leland.  The Zuckers relocated to Brunswick County from New York, where Doug worked for 30 years with Stew Leonard’s gourmet markets and Susan was a culinary professor. During his time as director of ...

Following a five-month closure for renovations necessitated by water damage, Black Sea Grill has reopened in downtown Wilmington.  Cem and Kristin Aktas, who operate the restaurant with Kristin’s parents, John and Monica Murrisky, were forced to close in mid-June when a pipe in an upper level condo ruptured, causing significant damage to the restaurant. It ...