OUT OF THIS
WORLD I n January, RACHEL MCGHINNIS and her husband, JASON, set out to purchase their first investment property. With no specific property or business in mind, they searched the local ads for leads, which is when they stumbled upon a confidential restaurant listing.
“It sounded really interesting, and we are huge foodies,” Rachel McGhinnis says. “We always go out to eat everywhere.” When they contacted the listing agent, the couple was told the restaurant had been established in Wilmington for the past seventeen years. So, they did what any rational person would do, and they Googled which restaurants in Wilmington had been open that long.
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WILMA
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GETTING TO KNOW LITTLE DIPPER’S NEW OWNERS by SAMANTHA KUPIAINEN photos by MEGAN DEITZ
“We found it and were like, ‘Oh my gosh, if it’s Little Dipper, we definitely want it because that’s exactly up our alley of the kind of things we find interesting and fun to do,’” Rachel McGhinnis says. “It’s a place that we really like.” The restaurant was indeed Little Dipper, a fan-favorite fondue restaurant at 138 South Front Street that boasts a menu of assorted cheeses, salads, proteins, and dipping sauces. The original owners had opened the place in 2005 but decided to sell so they could spend more time with their kids. After starting their property hunt in January, the McGhinnises had their first day at Little Dipper on May 23 and have been hitting the ground running since. “It’s been chaos and fun and exciting and scary and all the things,” Rachel McGhinnis says.
One of their first tasks as new owners has been redesigning the interior. Rachel and Jason McGhinnis intend to really lean into the Little Dipper theme and make the vicinity more celestial and galaxy like. Additionally, the new owners intend to add new menu items, such as exploring more cocktails and adding charcuterie
