Page 22
March 19 - April 2, 2021
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.
New restaurant on way from Indochine owner T E L E H E A LT H USE SURGED
7,000
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BECAUSE WE MADE ACCESS EASY. For more than 20 years, our members could count on telehealth. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the coverage we had in place helped virtual visits to soar by more than 7,000%. By always working to make health care simpler and more affordable, we’re there when our members and communities need us most.
BlueCrossNC.com/Transform
WE RESOLVE. TO TRANSFORM HEALTH CARE. 1 Internal Data January 2021 ® Marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. U37678C, 3/2021
Solange “Niki” Thompson, owner of Indochine and Indochine Express, has announced plans for a new Asian-fusion concept, Café Chinois. The Wilmington restaurant will be located in the space formerly occupied by Southern Thai at Fulton Station off South 17th Street. Thompson said that late last year, several Southern Thai employees came to work for her at Indochine Express because Southern Thai was not open for lunch, and they were looking for lunchtime work. After several of them made a permanent move to working for Thompson full time, the owners of Southern Thai asked if she was interested in purchasing the restaurant. “It was a win-win situation for everyone,” Thompson said. “The staff is happy, I’m happy and I’m always excited to bring something new to Wilmington.” Thompson said the restaurant will feature dishes from Thailand, Vietnam, Korea and China. While she would not describe it as upscale, she said it will be simple and elegant, featuring dishes such as Chinese roast duck and fried fish with ginger sauce, Bahn Xeo (Vietnamese crepes) and several popular Korean dishes. Thompson said she has consulted her feng shui calendar, and the best day for opening looks to be either March 29 or 31, so she is hopeful that she will be able to open on one of those dates. Café Chinois will be located at 3715 Patriot Way.
Tapas bar in the works for South Front district Bobby Zimmerman, owner of True Blue Butcher & Table, announced recently that he and his team plan to open Mariposa Tapas Bar in Wilmington’s South Front District this spring. Located at 1502 S. Third St., in the building formerly occupied by Love, Lydia Bakery & Cafe, Mariposa is designed to create an authentic Spanish dining experience, serving traditional tapas and carefully selected wines.
Chef Zimmerman selected the name “Mariposa,” which means “butterfly” in Spanish, because he views this building as the gatekeeper to the South Front District. Mariposa will feature vibrant colors designed to welcome visitors to the neighborhood. Because the interior of the building is small, Zimmerman expects most of the activity will take place on the wraparound porch and in the courtyard, where there will be a fire pit and lounge area. Zimmerman said that following discussions over the past few years with Mark Maynard Sr. and Mark Maynard Jr. from Tribute Properties and Steve Hall from Wilmington-based commercial real estate firm Maus, Warwick, Matthews & Co., the time was finally right to be a part of the continued development of the South Front District.
Italian ice shop opens in downtown Wilmington Sunset Slush joins a growing number of new businesses popping up along Castle Street in downtown Wilmington. Cassandra and William Kelley said they have been seeking the right location for their Italian ice shop for some time now, and when they came upon 906 Castle St., they knew they had found their spot. Having grown up in New England, the Kelleys have always had an affinity for Italian ice. Several years ago they were introduced to Sunset Slush at a festival in Sunset Beach, where they met the company’s founders, Stephen and Catherine Saia. The Saias’ operation began in Sunset Beach with a simple push cart in 2003, and has grown to include over 100 independently owned locations throughout the Midwest and Southeast. “We were drawn to Sunset Slush because of the quality of the product,” Cassandra Kelley said. “And also because the Saias were so handson in helping us to develop a business plan. This is a family-oriented business, and as the parents of young twins, that was a huge draw for us.” Sunset Slush offers 33 flavors of Italian ice, including a range of fruit flavors, as well as chocolate, coconut cream, bubble gum and cotton candy. Sunset Slush also offers gelati, which is Italian ice layered with chocolate or vanilla ice cream. - Jessica Maurer
