Hot. Fresh. Glazed croissants. Sounds amazing right? Stop into Burney’s Sweets & More in Mayfaire on Thursday, September 30, 9 am – 11 am for a FREE croissant compliments of Intracoastal Realty! This one-of-a-kind sweet shop offers more than just delicious croissants; they have a variety of made from scratch treats from donuts to cakes.

We caught up with Burney’s Sweets & More owner Anthony West to learn more about how this location got started and what makes this tasty shop stand out.

What is your background?

Anthony West:  For the past 24 years my background has been in the cosmetic arts field. I was a hair stylist for close to 17 years and a Salon Consultant for 7 years.

What inspired you to open a Burney’s Sweets & More?

Anthony West: What inspired me to open my own bakery was one of our clients who used to bring me a dozen croissants every time she came to the salon. Then I found myself driving 45 minutes one way to buy them for my family and friends. Cooking has always been something I’ve enjoyed and a great stress reliever.

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What makes Burney’s Sweets & More so unique?

Anthony West: We are unique because we have our own recipes that are exclusive to the Burney’s franchise from our famous croissants to our 15 layer chocolate and caramel cakes. We also make 90% of our items in house and fresh daily such as donuts, cream horns, apple fritters, sticky buns, and cinnamon rolls. We also have New York inspired sweets like Lobster tails, crumb cake, and black and white cookies.

What croissant would you recommend for anyone new to Burney’s Sweets & More?

Anthony West: I would have to say try the Smores filled with chocolate fudge and topped with marshmallow fluff and graham crackers.

What’s your favorite sweet you sell?

Anthony West: Aside from our famous croissants, I would have to say the cream cheese cinnamon rolls would have to be what I lean toward the most.

Favorite Beach: I’m blessed to have two great beaches! Wrightsville Beach and Carolina beach.

Must Do: God’s work is on full display at Mason Inlet. The tropical-like water during the day and the sunset in the afternoon are absolutely gorgeous.

Favorite Restaurant: True Blue Butcher and Table hands down.

Shine On Local Event Details

Join us at Burney’s Sweets & More located at 6800-100 Parker Farm Dr. Wilmington, NC 28405 from 9 am – 11 am on Thursday, September 30 for a FREE croissant complimentary of Intracoastal Realty. Make sure to follow @intracoastalrealty and @burneysofwilmington on Instagram and use the hashtag #ShineOnLocal when you visit! Let’s see which flavor croissant you choose.

Wine down with us on Wednesday, August 25, 5 pm – 7 pm at the new Bridgewater Wines + Dines in Leland! Attendees will receive a complimentary glass of wine courtesy of Intracoastal Realty. This unique wine shop offers wines from around the world, a range of food to savor from small plates to main courses all in an inviting atmosphere.

We spoke with Bridgewater Wines + Dines owner Susan Zucker to learn how she and her husband Doug Zucker came to open their two wine shops and what brought them to beautiful Southeastern NC.

What is Doug’s and your background?

Doug and I are the perfect pairing, Doug is the “wines” and I am the “dines.” Doug left the world famous food and wine emporium Stew Leonard’s after 31 years where he was the Director of Operations, opening and running all nine wine shops in New York and Connecticut. I taught culinary classes at the university and high school level for years in New York. 

What inspired you both to open Bridgewater Wines + Dines?

We were looking to get out of the north and focused on the Southeast coast of NC where we could bring both of our extensive skill sets and passions. We were able to open a retail wine shop and a wine bar blending both of our expertise. 

What makes your wine shop stand out?

There are quite a few things that make the wine shop and wine bar stand out from others. First and foremost, is the relationship that we build with each and every guest. People walk in as guests and leave as family, not just with Doug and I, but the team members as well. 

The wine knowledge is incomparable. During Doug’s tenure at Stew Leonard’s, he was fortunate to travel internationally and personally build relationships with wine makers from around the world. We continue to travel and have relationships with most of the wine producers in our shop. 

We offer a full menu, but are known for our beautiful, handcrafted charcuterie boards. A lot of our cheeses are local North Carolina cheeses. We also carry local beer! We have eight Wilmington beers on tap and even more North Carolina beers on the shelf. We have a wine club with more than 500 “wine explorers” and we also do custom gift baskets.

What wine would you recommend for anyone new to Bridgewater Wines + Dines?

We have so many great wines from around the world at all price points. Our slogan is, “Explore the World, One Wine at a Time!” We love helping guests discover new hidden gems and introducing them to what would become new favorites. We recommend that anyone new to Bridgewater Wines+ Dines come into any of our FREE tastings to sample wines to learn what they like, they are offered three days a week. We have our monthly 15 under $15 wines. These wines are great hidden gems that chief wine explorer Doug has discovered, and I approved! These wines drink more like a $30-$40 bottle. 

You are both new to the area, any advice for those looking to move to Southeastern NC?

Just do it! We should have made the move years ago. We absolutely love living in Southeastern, NC. There’s so much to do and we can be outside year-round. It’s a much better quality of life, almost like a permanent vacation. And the BEST part, no more snow!

Favorite Beach: This is a tough one, the beaches on the NC coast are all beautifully different. Our closest beach is Oak Island, but we love trying new beaches whenever we can. We are partial to Bald Head Island. Even a day trip to Bald Head Island is like being on vacation, beautiful and remote. It’s a must visit if you haven’t already!

Favorite Restaurant: There are many favorite restaurants that come to our foodie minds, but Circa 1922 stands out. We are fortunate to live by Wilmington with a great food and wine scene and so many great restaurants to choose from.

Shine On Local Event Details

Join us at Bridgewater Wines + Dines located at 1132 New Pointe Blvd. #5 Leland, NC 28451 from 5 pm – 7 pm on Wednesday, August 25 for a complimentary glass of wine. Make sure to follow @intracoastalrealty and @bridgewaterwines on Instagram and use the hashtag #ShineOnLocal when you visit!

*Must be 21 or older to receive item

If you’ve been to the Cargo District in downtown Wilmington, you probably noticed an eye-catching shop called The Plant Outpost. Owner Sarah Mertz started her plant business as a pop-up shop to now a booming store front and community favorite.

When did The Plant Outpost open? Tell us a little history about the shop:

Sarah Mertz: The Plant Outpost started as a curated plant pop-up under the name “Mother Plants Co.” I didn’t have long term plans at this point, I was just having fun doing something I loved on top of my full-time job. When Covid started I lost my job and childcare for my daughter so I switched from pop-ups to free local plant delivery. I never expected it to take off the way that it did, but I was making over 30 deliveries on the weekends with my daughter! One of my friends was joining the Cargo District as it was getting started and I randomly said “how cool would a shipping container plant shop be?!” again not really thinking much would come of it but ended up looking at a few spaces for fun. The biggest issue was light so I suggested having a container but with all glass windows if that was possible and a few weeks later they found the most perfect container. So I decided to take a leap of faith and sign a lease to a 20ft shipping container.

Sarah Mertz: I knew nothing about owning a business or what the future held, I just knew I would regret the opportunity if I passed it up. From there I rebranded to “The Plant Outpost.” Designing the space inside of the 20 ft. shipping container was so tough but so rewarding. I was always having to readjust and make the tiny space work for the volume of plants that were being sold. I knew I needed more space, I just didn’t want to leave the Cargo District because of the community that was created there. After 10 months in the container I landed my new store front right across the street! We opened the doors there in March and have almost 4x the space I had before. I am so thankful for the growth! 

What’s your background?

Sarah Mertz: I grew up mostly in Florida but my step-dad is in the military so I ended up moving around a bit, but landed here in Wilmington. I have the coolest five year old daughter who you probably see running around the shop or helping at the counter. I never imagined myself as an entrepreneur or business owner so it feels kind of wild to be here. I always worked in administration and human resource rolls or when I got lucky to land a marketing position as a creative outlet, but didn’t think my love for houseplants would carry over into something I genuinely love doing every day. I have had to teach myself a lot and reach out to other business owners to learn the ropes. 

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Any unique facts most people wouldn’t know about the store or what makes you all standout?

Sarah Mertz: I think the most special thing about The Plant Outpost is the community that has formed around myself and the shop since opening. I have made so many genuinely good connections and met some of my now best friends. I love the support that we all give each other. I like to think that my shop is a safe space for people to come in and be themselves. I want everyone to feel welcomed, seen, appreciated, and valued. 

When visiting The Plant Outpost make sure you check out:

Sarah Mertz: All of the rad businesses in the area! The Cargo District is really growing and it’s a lot of fun to just roam around. 

Some items and plants you’ll find at the store:

Sarah Mertz: The store is full of houseplants. Ranging from low-light, cacti, rare plants, so a little something for everyone. We also carry a selection of curated goods. You’ll find local pottery, candles, plant care, soil, stickers and more. 

Follow The Plant Outpost on Social

Here’s the scoop on our latest #ShineOnLocal event. We’re heading to Southport to local favorite, Flava’s Ice Cream Shop. Join us on Wednesday, July 28, 4 pm – 6 pm for a FREE scoop of ice cream! They offer an assortment of diverse and unusual flavors. While some flavors are staples like chocolate or vanilla, they also have more adventurous options like Death by Chocolate or Nutty Coconut.  

We spoke with Flava’s Ice Cream Shop Manager, Maryah Smith to learn more about how this special sweet shop got started and what to do while you’re in the charming town of Southport.

What inspired the owners Maria and Paul to open Flava’s Ice Cream Shop?

Maryah Smith: Maria and Paul Swenson have 40 years of experience in the hospitality business before opening Flava’s Ice Cream Shop. Flava’s (originally called The Corner Store) was created to complement the recently opened restaurant across the street called Provision Company. The name “Flava“ was the nickname of one of the first managers of The Corner Store. After a year or so The Corner Store label was dropped and Flava’s became the go-to name.

What makes Flava’s Ice Cream Shop so unique?

Maryah Smith: Flava’s is unique because we have some great options beyond just a scoop of ice cream! We offer brownie sundaes (brownies made by scratch from our family recipe), strawberry shortcake sundaes, ice cream floats, and fresh baked cookies for our homemade ice cream sandwiches. You can choose from chocolate chip, peanut butter, or oatmeal raisin with any flavor of ice cream; they are huge and delicious!

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What would you recommend for someone’s first time visiting Flava’s Ice Cream Shop?

Maryah Smith: For someone visiting for the first time, check out our t-shirt room! We carry some top quality t-shirts in addition to just serving ice cream. We sell all the gear for Provision Company and Simply Southport clothing lines…we also have hats, tanks, and sweatshirts.

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor you serve?

Maryah Smith: There are so many flavors to choose from but Death by Chocolate is our favorite! It’s a dark chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips, brownie chunks, and sliced almonds…make sure to get it in one of our homemade waffle cones!

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What’s your favorite part about living in the Southport area?

Maryah Smith: Our favorite part of living in Southport is our small town feel! Southport has become a staple for people to come and visit, so we have a lot of influx of tourism but Southport has never lost its “small fishing town” feel. We love the saying, “Don’t change Southport, let Southport change you.”

Those new to Southport, what’s something they must do?

Maryah Smith: If you are new to Southport make sure you catch a lunch or dinner at Provision Company across the street from Flava’s. They are known for their peel and eat shrimp, yellowfin tuna, amazing cheeseburgers, and bottles of beer (self serve on the honor system) and the prettiest views of the Intracoastal Waterway in town! Also catch a tour across the street with Southport Boat Tours, they have a great sunset cruise and you may even catch some dolphins out playing!

Shine On Local Event Details

Stop by Flava’s Ice Cream Shop located at 318 W Bay Street Southport, NC 28461 from 4 pm – 6 pm on Wednesday, July 28 for a FREE scoop of ice cream compliments of Intracoastal Realty. Make sure to follow @intracoastalrealty and @flavasicecream on Instagram and use the hashtag #ShineOnLocal when you visit.

*Limited to one free scoop of ice cream per person

Rise and shine with a FREE small hot or iced drip coffee at Bespoke Coffee & Dry Goods on Friday, June 25, 9 am – 11 am. Bespoke Coffee & Dry Goods is a cozy coffee spot in downtown Wilmington. Not only do they serve Counter Culture Coffee based out of Durham, NC they also sell a variety of beers, wines, and tasty bites to compliment your beverage of choice.

We got to catch up with Bespoke Assistant Manager and Events Coordinator Julia Rothenberger to learn how this unique coffee spot got started and hear some of her recommendations when you get the chance to pop in for a fresh brew.

What is the owners/founders of Bespoke background?

Julia Rothenberger: Bespoke Coffee & Dry Goods was founded by Chris Batten who was born and raised in Wilmington. From an early age, Chris was working for local surf shops where he was able to learn about management and merchandising while receiving mentorship. Later he ventured out to open his first restaurant downtown with his brother but eventually returned to the surf industry some years later. Chris conceptualized and ran his own surf shop called Annex Surf Supply which featured a small coffee and pour over bar. The Annex really showcased brand storytelling in a unique way and was distinguished in its field being voted one of the top 25 surf boutiques in the country. When he stepped down from there, he went back towards downtown Wilmington to open Bespoke in 2015!

What inspired Chris to open Bepsoke Coffee & Dry Goods?

Julia Rothenberger: Bespoke really started out as a branding experiment in visuals and vibe that the owner Chris mashed together through incorporating his own personal style with his years of travel. The mission within opening a coffee shop downtown was always to serve that community and provide a space where anyone could feel welcomed. The customer foundation is evidently strong from the past 6 years of organic growth. Apart from Bespoke, Chris is also the Creative Director for one of the largest vertical cannabis brands on the east coast and is in the process of opening a new healthy grab-n-go grocery concept at Wrightsville Beach that will be heavily anchored in branding and marketing visuals as well.

What makes Bespoke Coffee & Dry Goods so unique?

Julia Rothenberger: The definition of Bespoke is a custom-made craft good. We not only strive to deliver a product that is unique and enjoyable, but also to create a distinct and memorable environment. Bespoke is unique because of the people that fill it! We focus on allowing our customers to feel accepted as they are.

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What drink would you recommend for anyone new to Bespoke Coffee & Dry Goods?

Julia Rothenberger: I would recommend one of our seasonal lattes (we serve Counter Culture beans) or one of our Reshi teas! We have an excellent tea menu (hot or iced) and have really enjoyed working alongside Reshi to pick out some unique blends. 

What’s your favorite drink?

Julia Rothenberger: One of my favorite drinks that we offer is an Orange and Vanilla Espresso Tonic! Using Fever Tree tonic water is the key… if you are a fan of sparkling water- give it a try! I also love a good Honey and Oat milk iced Latte on a summer afternoon.

What’s one of the wildest drinks you’ve seen ordered?

Julia Rothenberger: We get some crazy requests….but the wildest might have to be an orange juice with espresso in it.

What’s your favorite part about living in the Wilmington area?

Julia Rothenberger: One of my favorite parts about being in Wilmington would be the community. I’ve heard someone say before that Wilmington feels like a really big small town!

Those new to Wilmington, what’s something they must do or try?

Julia Rothenberger: I’d recommend walking along the Riverwalk downtown to discover new shops/restaurants or to walk down 2nd or 3rd street to view some beautiful historic homes and gardens!

Shine On Local Event Details:

Pop into Bespoke Coffee & Dry Goods located at 202 Princess Street Wilmington, NC 28401 from 9 am – 11 am on Friday, June 25 for a FREE small hot or iced drip coffee compliments of Intracoastal Realty. Make sure to follow @intracoastalrealty and @bespokecoffeenc on Instagram and use the hashtag #ShineOnLocal when you visit.

*Limited to one free small coffee per person

If you live in Southeastern NC you know beach season starts a little earlier for us! Our upcoming #ShineOnLocal event will be at Sunset Slush in Ocean Isle Beach. Treat yourself to a beach day and a FREE small Italian ice compliments of Intracoastal Realty on Thursday, May 27, 4 pm – 6 pm.

Get ready for the perfect beach treat! Sunset Slush is known for it’s unique flavors and texture. This smooth tasty treat is available in over 25 flavors or opt to make a custom creation combining all your favorites! Not only does Sunset Slush have multiple locations, you might spot their cart on the beach, or you can even book them for your next special event.

How did Sunset Slush get started?

Devin Sellers: Stephen and Catherine Saia started Sunset Slush as a pushcart vending operation in 2003 and opened their Ocean Isle retail location in 2008. Sunset Slush was the first vendor on Ocean Isle Beach.

What Inspired you to open Sunset Slush?

Devin Sellers: As one of the owners of the Ocean Isle location, I pushed the cart as a high school summer job. My brother Drew graduated college in 2008 when the job market was at its lowest, so my brother and I presented the idea to my parents in December 2009. Our family took a big risk and opened our first Sunset Slush on April 1, 2010 in Holden Beach. Now we own Sunset Slush on every Brunswick County beach and one in Calabash, North Carolina.

What flavor Italian ice would you recommend to anyone new to Sunset Slush?

Devin Sellers: Mango or Strawberry Lemonade

What’s your favorite Italian ice flavor?

Devin Sellers: Everyone’s favorite flavor is different because there simply isn’t a bad flavor on the menu, but mine is the “The Pirate” a combination of mango and black cherry swirled. It’s purple and gold in honor of ECU of where I graduated. Drew’s is Sonic a combination of Cherry and lemon-lime. Susie’s is a creamsicle. 

What’s one of the craziest Italian ice flavor combinations you’ve ever seen?

Devin Sellers: One of our most popular among all ages is our zombie flavor it’s a combination of 10 different fruit flavors blended together.

What’s your favorite part about living in the Ocean Isle area?

Devin Sellers: The beauty of God‘s creation everywhere you look. Small-town community and friendliness even with so many people from so many different places living here. For us it’s home, it’s where we grew up…It’s family, it’s our childhood, it’s where we are raising our children! It’s paradise.

Those new to Ocean Isle, what’s something they must do or try while they are here?

Devin Sellers: Simply take in the magic of driving across the bridge enjoy the breathtaking views, smell the ocean air, listen to the sounds of the ocean, the wildlife, and of course put your feet in the sand with Sunset Slush in your hand from our push cart on the beautiful strand!