After opening in September with more than 20 menu items, Olivero founder and owner Sunny Gerhart and co-executive chef Lauren Krall Ivey could have sat back and let the “soon-to-be-favorite-pasta joint” fulfill its destiny in the minds and stomachs of its guests.  But in recent months, the team at Olivero has swapped out a slew of menu items — wit ...

Wilmington-based Tama Tea recently announced it's reached a distribution milestone through a partnership with Coastal Beverage, one of Eastern North Carolina’s leading beverage distribution companies.   Representatives from the company said this strategic alliance marks a significant leap forward in Tama Tea’s mission to provide natural energy ...

The Second Glass, a fixture on the South Front District dining scene since 2018, has been sold.   Terry Espy, president of MoMentum Companies, represented both Celeste Glass, the seller of The Second Glass, and the buyer, Mark Zecher, in the transaction.  Zecher is a chef by trade and has owned and operated a diverse range of concepts across the country ove ...

Lauren Wright and Keala Yu plan to close a culinary gap in downtown Wilmington once their wholesale bakery, Pie Slayer, opens its storefront on Princess Street at the end of May.  Their spunky take on traditional pies will be available for walk-in purchases within weeks, Wright said. The bake shop will be open late, putting a spin on the conventional bakery model. ...

After 18 years, the owners of downtown Wilmington's The Husk and YoSake sold the restaurants on April 30 to local business group C&C BizVentures.   The three-story venue initially opened in the historic Roudabush building at 33 S. Front St. in 2006 as Roudabush Café, YoSake, and The Balcony on Dock. Roudabush became The Husk in 2011 and the thir ...

Wilmington-based Bitty & Beau’s Coffee expanded its brand with a weekly talk show on YouTube, aptly named The Bitty & Beau’s Coffee Show, that launched at the end of March. The show is an exploration of the Bitty & Beau’s brand ethos, “a human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop.” Founders Amy and Ben Wright, accompanied ...

Coffee shop by day, bar by night. Blurring the lines between coffee and cocktails is a growing trend, including at Wilmington establishments.  Baristas are incorporating craft cocktail techniques into show-stopping coffee drinks, and bartenders are mixing espresso and coffee liqueur beyond the traditional cocktail blends. The trend is capturing a wider variety of p ...

Wilmington’s own Dean Neff, head chef and owner of Seabird, reached a new milestone in his career Wednesday after he was named a James Beard Foundation finalist for Outstanding Chef.   Neff was named a semifinalist both in 2019 and earlier this year. This is the first time Neff has made it to the final round of the national award. Other contenders for Outstand ...

After leasing for more than a year, the owners of Bowstring Burgers & Brewyard have purchased the building they've occupied at 1002 Princess St. in Wilmington's Soda Pop District for $2.8 million. BowString Real Estate Holdings Co LLC, which is associated with Bowstring co-owners Matt Golden, Ben Yannessa and Brad Bowles, bought the property this week from A ...

After eight years, Bespoke Coffee & Dry Goods owner Chris Batten is selling the popular downtown Wilmington coffee shop. The sale to bar and restaurant owner Robby Dow was announced in a news release issued Monday afternoon. Dow created the beverage program at Olivero with Sunny Gerhart and Lauren Krall Ivey after a four-year career as the beverage director of a coc ...