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RESTAURANT ROUNDUP

BUSINESS OF LIFE

This is a sampling of stories from the Business Journal’s weekly Restaurant Roundup email. Subscribe at wilmingtonbiz.com.

Walk-On’s bistreaux holds grand opening celebration

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based restaurant chain co-owned by Brandon Landry, former walk-on basketball player at LSU, and former NFL quarterback Drew Brees, celebrated its grand opening July 5.

“We’re thrilled to bring WalkOn’s to Wilmington,” said franchisee Jason Sadowski in a news release. “There’s nothing like our authentic Cajun cuisine in the area, so I’m confident that Walk-On’s will be a hit.”

Sadowski also operates a location in Myrtle Beach and is expected to open his third Walk-On’s, in Charlotte, this fall.

The newly constructed 7,500-square-foot restaurant in Wilmington, in front of Independence Mall, features more than 70 TVs, a large patio, a full bar and 45 beers on tap.

The restaurant specializes in American and Cajun cuisine, such as hand-pattied burgers and buffalo chicken sandwiches, blackened redfish tacos, crawfish etouffee, duck and andouille gumbo and blackened gator and catfish.

Area establishments announce some closings

The owners of at least three area establishments announced recently that they have made the difficult decision to close, citing staffing issues among their reasons.

A recent Port City Java email announced that Port City Java at Barclay Commons, which opened at 2512 Independence Blvd.in 1997, was expected to close July 2.

The email was sent to patrons of the coffee shop June 18 explaining the situation and providing a $10 credit good at any PCJ location, excluding the Barclay Commons location and university locations, through July 31.

The email stated, “We have loved serving this area and are extremely proud of the coffee community you have helped us build here over the years. This was not a decision made lightly. As our lease expires we have been reflecting on the past year and planning for the future. In addition to our lease end, the inevitable effects of COVID-19, and resulting staffing challenges, we felt it was wise to reassess our resources and find new ways to serve our community during this difficult time which so many businesses are experiencing.”

In a message posted to Facebook on June 25, Eternal Sunshine Cafe announced that its Leland location at 117-G Village Road NE, which opened in August 2019, would be closing June 26 for staffing reasons..

Earlier this month, the owner of Niche Kitchen and Bar at 5954 Carolina Beach Road announced that it would be closing, saying in a message, “After 11 years and with much regret, Niche Kitchen and Bar has closed its doors. To all our loyal customers we thank you for supporting our restaurant over the years.”

Brick-and-mortar spot planned for Point Break

Chef Ryan Trotter and local business owner and radio personality Jason “Foz” Fosdick plan to soon expand upon their Point Break meal delivery service by opening a brickand-mortar location at 7134 Market St. in Ogden.

While Trotter, who has more than a decade of experience in the restaurant scene locally, had originally planned to open a brick-and-mortar location, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused him to rethink his business plan.

Given the circumstances, the partners decided to go for a meal subscription service and delivery model, working out of a ghost kitchen to prepare their meals designed for freshness, flavor and convenience.

“I wanted to provide healthier takeout options,” Trotter told the GWBJ last fall.

Point Break started out by offering family bundles as well as breakfast and lunchtime delivery services to area businesses. Now that they have built a customer base and the pandemic is waning, Trotter and Fosdick are ready to take their concept to the next level with a fast-casual model serving up their signature grilled chicken wings, salads and wraps.

The new Ogden location, in front of Publix, will seat about 52 people inside, with another 12 to 16 seats outside.

Cosmetic renovations are underway and a late summer opening is expected. – Jessica Maurer

| BUSINESS OF LIFE |

New space reflects a new shade of Blue Surf

BY LAURA MOORE

When the owners of Blue Surf Café decided to expand to another location, they wanted it to reflect an evolution into a more full-service restaurant and an elevated experience.

The result of those efforts – Blue Surf Arboretum West – envelops guests from the moment they open the door.

Coastal comfort and relaxing ease are the obvious modus operandi of the restaurant. The cool blues and soothing whites provide an elegance to the space, but the atmosphere calls guests to take a deep breath and relax into the soothing feel.

Colleen Kochanek and her business partner, Stephanie Norris, have owned Blue Surf Café on Racine Drive since 2013 and have enjoyed the “super casual and comfy space with a great vibe” but knew that they could have a greater reach for those who may want more than just counter service.

Originally looking at building a new place downtown, Kochanek said that once Arboretum West developers Tribute Properties showed them the plans for the space, they decided to make it happen there.

“It feels like a whole different world than Racine,” Kochanek said about the new location off Military Cutoff Road north of Mayfaire Town Center. “We’re so happy we did it. There are not very many places along here.”

Officially opened July 6, the new restaurant is like the cool, more sophisticated older sibling to Blue Surf’s more informal college hangout near the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

“We wanted a full bar and table service. We just wanted a more elevated experience from the cafe,” Kochanek said. “We wanted a bigger outdoor area since we love sitting outside.”

The outdoors is the focal point of the restaurant. Inside seating for 85 guests easily connects to the large outdoor space, nearly 2,400 square feet, anchored by a behemoth fireplace to keep diners warm in the coldest months

Using spaces in big cities like New York as inspiration, Kochanek channeled “the ingenious ways to make space bigger, and we wanted to do something like that.”

“Garage door” windows roll up to connect the indoor and outdoor bars and make the space flow seamlessly. Outside planters on casters allow for fluid changes of spaces for groups and meetings.

The large scale of the fireplace centerpiece changed the necessary selections of televisions and furniture sizes to fit the space appropriately.

Kochanek expects to serve regulars from their neighbors at the Arboretum West apartments and Arboretum Village townhomes, as well as guests from nearby Landfall and Middle Sound areas.

“It’s going to be a fun crowd,” Kochanek said.

Local artisans were employed as often as possible in the restaurant’s design. White concrete bar and tabletops with flecks of sea glass were crafted by a local designer, giving it both an urban and coastal vibe. Metalwork around the bar, including a hanging “cage” for liquor storage, continues that vibe. At night, the light catches the bottles through the metal meshwork above to create a spectrum of colors across the bar.

“Wilmington is a tight community, in a way, and I want to support local business if I can because I am a local business,” Kochanek said.

Blue Surf Café’s longtime chef, Jon Webb, took the helm at Arboretum West. Webb has had his “core team from the cafe and a strong succession plan” to establish the new kitchen and allow the existing location to continue to run smoothly. The new menu includes a few cafe favorites, as well as some new selections that will continue to be finalized.

“We’re still a work in progress,” Kochanek explained. “We have a great menu, but we may keep it on paper for a while to make sure we don’t have a dud on there and allow us to play with it a little bit.”

The bar is set with Wes Miles as the head bartender who uses his N.C. State University chemistry degree and seven years’ experience in Los Angeles to create refreshing concoctions using fresh juices and syrups.

Kochanek also was adamant that the new restaurant have a pastry chef, and her nameis Katie George.

“I love dessert. I wanted to have a chocolate cake and not just any basic chocolate cake, and Katie made it happen,” Kochanek said.

The process of opening a new restaurant during a pandemic has been challenging, especially in regard to supply issues and delays, as well as staffing availability.

“We have had staffing issues just like everybody else. We are in better shape with our servers and bartenders, but we need more kitchen help, so for now, we are going to dinner only for a week or so, and then hopefully, we’ll add lunch,” Kochanek said before the restaurant’s launch. “We need support staff around them [kitchen staff]. They work so hard and put so much effort in all the time, and then it’s tough when you can’t find people to relieve them.”

Kitchen equipment and construction supplies were often difficult to obtain, making completing the restaurant challenging.

Despite setbacks and delays, Kochanek is excited to share Blue Surf Arboretum West with Wilmington residents who crave a place to sit back, relax and have a good meal.

“I think we found that sweet spot. It is a casual, coastal feel but a step up. It is hard to marry the two,” Kochanek said. “The price point is good; don’t expect $100 meals, but you can expect to have a really good meal and just have a really nice evening.” RESTAURANT ROUNDUP

PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLINE SPENCER Soothing and savory: Colleen Kochanek, one of the owners of Blue Surf, said a new Blue Surf location at Arboretum West makes outdoor seating a focal point.