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February 5 - 18, 2021
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Greater Wilmington Business Journal
wilmingtonbiz.com
RESTAURANT ROUNDUP
BUSINESS OF LIFE
This is a sampling of stories from the Business Journal’s weekly Restaurant Roundup email. Subscribe at wilmingtonbiz.com.
Bottle shop, bar opens in downtown Wilmington The Hop Yard, a Raleigh-based bottle shop and bar, has opened a second location, at 108 Grace St. in Wilmington in the space previously occupied by Bombers Beverage Co. Owners Susan Barnes and her husband, Christian Stoner, along with partner Lance Rogers, opened their first location in North Raleigh about six years ago. Barnes and Stoner own property in Wilmington and have been contemplating opening a location here for some time. When Bombers became available last year, despite concerns over opening a new business during a global pandemic, the team decided to move forward with a second shop. Barnes said she and her partners are trusting in the fact that they have a strong business model and the consistent growth and development Wilmington has experienced over the past several years. The Hop Yard features 24 taps, with four reserved for wine. It currently has over 200 beers available in bottles and cans, and expects that to double in the coming weeks. Barnes said she and her partners plan to have a wide range of styles available and to promote small, lesser-known breweries. They also plan to bring in beer from breweries they have worked with in the Triangle and Rocky Mount areas, as well as local Wilmington breweries. There will be alcoholic kombucha, ciders and wine by the bottle, as well as non-alcoholic selections.
Seafood eatery brings a taste of Louisiana Carolina Crab House opened its third location, at 341 South College Road in Wilmington in the University Commons Shopping Center. Jerri Allen, director of operations, said the opening, which took place Dec. 31, had been delayed by about five months because of setbacks in construction and other issues stemming from the pandemic. The group, which specializes
in Cajun-style boiled seafood, opened their first location in North Charleston, South Carolina, in 2017 and, according to Allen, has experienced tremendous growth over the past three years. A fourth location opened recently in Summerville, South Carolina, and a Fayetteville location is expected to open by the end of the year. The menu consists of a wide range of fried and boiled seafood available in baskets and as combo platters. There are 10 Juicy Seafood Signature Combos served with corn and potatoes, as well as an option to create your own combo with a choice of one half pound of seafood, a piece of corn and potatoes. Each of the boils comes with a choice of sauce: garlic butter, lemon pepper or Cajun, or for the adventurous, the house sauce, which is a combination of all three. Guests can also choose their desired level of spice.
Pine Valley Market expands its prepared food Pine Valley Market has been in the prepared foods and catering business for nearly 20 years, and co-owner Christi Ferretti reports that in 2020, the market’s prepared foods department saw a greater than 20% increase in sales. Much of that can be attributed to the market’s regular frozen casseroles, but also an expanded menu that has included quiche, sausage gravy, cobblers and other comfort foods. “Our frozen prepared meals are quality, scratch-made dishes that freeze well and can be baked from frozen or thawed for faster heating,” Ferretti said. After a short break at the start of the new year for some remodeling and to strategize for 2021, Ferretti and her team are excited to begin offering a revolving list of fresh meals each day. A portion of the meals that normally go straight to the freezer each day will be packaged for the heat-and-eat case. “This increases our daily selection and offers less time between the ride home and dinner on the table,” Ferretti said. “To make casseroles at home costs more money and also takes time, which is priceless to many.” -Jessica Maurer
