New Businesses 2016

New businesses are popping up all over Leland, offering residents a greater range of services and products than ever.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Megan Deitz

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Leland. Recognizing the continuous growth of North Brunswick County, many entrepreneurs have chosen this area as the perfect place to build a new business or expand an established one. We asked the owners of nine new Leland businesses about their decisions to open here in 2016 and about what they are offering to the community. These owners have made an investment in Leland and are excited about the future of their businesses, and we think you’ll be interested to learn about what they have to offer.

Hawthorne at Leland Apartment Homes
Christy Loyd, community manager

Why was 2016 the right time to open your business?
With a shortage of apartment homes in Brunswick County, it was the right time based on the demand for not only rental apartments, but also luxury apartment homes with high-end interiors.

What made Leland the ideal location for you?
This town is perfectly situated between the city life of Wilmington and the pristine beaches of Brunswick County. So our residents will be close to all that the area has to offer — shopping, golf, restaurants, beaches and historic landmarks. It’s the perfect mixture of relaxation, work and play.

What services or products do you offer?
We are excited to announce that we are smoke free in our apartment buildings, porches and at our amenities. There will be designated smoking areas available throughout the community. This luxurious community will offer only the best in amenities, including a 24-hour cyber café and Starbucks coffee bar, a full swing golf simulator, an expansive sun deck, resort-style swimming pool, outdoor kitchen and picnic pavilion; pet-friendly amenities including a bark park with agility equipment and pet spa bathing station; elevators in four of the 10 buildings; some garages available for rent; professional management and maintenance; and planned resident events and social activities

What separates you from the competition?
Our high-end finishes and amenities, including beautiful quartz counter tops, subway tile backsplashes, 9-foot ceilings, silver GE appliances, designer cabinetry, open floor plans and much more. Also, we really want to be a part of the community and give back to the community. We have already donated to and contributed as volunteers to four local charity golf tournaments and other events. Most importantly, Hawthorne Residential Partners offers the best in resident customer service with our Live It! Philosophy, in which we strive to be resident focused with resident activities and onsite management and 24-hour maintenance.

What has been your leading success so far?
We are members of the North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce as well as the Southport-Oak Island Chamber of Commerce. This has been invaluable to marketing to other chamber members and beginning to create relationships with everyone. We have been so thankful and pleasantly surprised at just how welcoming and receptive everyone has been in this community!

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
Hawthorne Residential Partners is new to Leland, so we want to let people know that Hawthorne at Leland is here and pre-leasing apartment homes. Hawthorne at Leland will offer high-end interiors and amenities that Leland has not seen before, while offering the services and extra touches that make an apartment a home. Since we are under construction and have not had an apartment to show, it’s hard for people to visualize just how beautiful and luxurious our apartment homes and amenities will be. We will be able to give sneak peeks in December, and some of the apartment homes will be ready in January.

What can we anticipate from you in the future?
We will provide an excellent living experience for our residents, with resident activities, resort-style amenities, luxurious interiors and a caring, attentive staff. We look forward to continuing to be a part of chamber and local activities and really be a part of the Leland community and surrounding areas.

436 Hawthorne Loop Road (off Ploof Road), Leland
(910) 371-5313
hlelandapts@hrpliving.com
hawthorneatleland.com

Swell Vision Center
Dr. Craig Scibal, optometrist and owner

Why was 2016 the right time to open your business?
I knew that I wanted to open an independent optometry office as soon as I got out of school. The way the pieces fell it just so happened to be in 2016. And after looking at the population trend of Brunswick County over the past several years, I’m glad it was in 2016. I’m excited at the opportunity to grow with the community.

What made Leland the ideal location for you?
Being born and raised in Morehead City, N.C., I knew that I was interested in opening somewhere on the eastern coast of North Carolina. My brother went to school at UNCW and had heard nothing but good things about the area. Also, after looking at the growth rate of Brunswick County, I was certain that the area was underserved in the eye-care industry. I love eastern North Carolina so it just made perfect sense to open up in Brunswick Forest.

What services or products do you offer?
We offer comprehensive glasses and contact lens eye examinations, medical eye care (i.e., macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, etc.), emergency eye examinations, a full-service optical boutique and an awesome eye-exam experience! We have all of the latest technology in the industry to diagnose, monitor and treat a wide range of eye diseases, including macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy. We take great pride in becoming an integral part of not just eye health, but also overall systemic health.

Our optical boutique features a beautiful showroom that showcases more than 400 different pieces from all over the world. Every single frame has been hand selected for Swell Vision Center by our team. We also offer the latest designs in ophthalmic lenses, including digitally surfaced single vision and progressive lenses.

What separates you from the competition?
The experience. From the time you walk in, we aim to create a unique, comfortable, fun and informative eye-exam experience! Every single frame, piece of furniture, candle, etc. has been hand selected to promote a unique and memorable experience. At Swell we actually spend time with you and thoroughly explain what we are doing and why we are doing it. Our goal is to absolutely wow you with our personalized customer service and overall experience. Oh, and we are dog-friendly, serve complimentary craft beer/wine and you get to select your own music to listen to while in the office.

What has been your leading success so far?
We’ve had some great feedback so far on people’s experiences! I feel like a lot of people appreciate the extra effort and time that goes into their visit. It’s not just an in-and-out type visit that most come to expect. Oftentimes, people leave so excited and eager to tell their friends/family and that is the greatest compliment that can be given to us!

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge so far is how to let people know about us. As a brand-new, independent practice, it’s tough spreading the word. Thankfully so far we’ve had some amazing patients who have recommended our services to their friends and family and we can’t thank them enough. We are exploring some different marketing techniques and look forward to growing.

What can we anticipate from you in the future?
Much more of the same. We hope to continue to grow as the Brunswick County area grows as well. We will continue to provide exceptional, personalized customer service and be active in the community. We are always adding new frame lines and equipment so feel free to stop in and meet the team.

1174 Turlington Avenue, Suite 104, Leland
(910) 408-1116
info@swellvisioncenter.com
swellvisioncenter.com

Waterford Wellness
Dr. Nathan Christie, owner

 Why was 2016 the right time to open your business?
All the stars lined up just right. Leland is growing and maturing into a fantastic town, and we anticipate that it will become one of the top towns in the state in a few short years. We wanted to get in on the ground floor to help it develop into just that.

What made Leland the ideal location for you?
We love Leland because it is up-and-coming. It is booming with new construction and attracting more people and businesses. It is also convenient to everything, from Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington to Southport and all of the beaches. Everyone has to drive right past us to go into Wilmington, so why not stop here first?

What services or products do you offer?
We are a medical spa and wellness clinic. We offer medical aesthetics, including Botox, dermal fillers, chemical peels, facials and medical-grade skin care. Additionally, we offer laser hair removal, photo rejuvenation, and VanquishMe™ body sculpting. As part of the wellness aspect, we offer medical weight loss, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, acupuncture, and concierge pain and addiction management.

What separates you from the competition?
We are the first and only medical spa in Leland. Our skin-care line is very highly rated. Our VanquishMe™ Body Sculpting is showing better results in belly, back and thigh fat reduction than its main competitor, CoolSculpt, and we are the only clinic in the greater Wilmington area trained and certified in Vanquish treatment. We also are maintaining a 100% success rate with our weight-loss program!

What has been your leading success so far?
Definitely the VanquishMe™ body sculpting and our medical weight-loss program, especially in combination. With the results we’ve been seeing, Vanquish will likely become a household term within the next few years as more people learn about it!

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
Getting the word out to the community that we’re here and we’re excited to be a part of a warm, welcoming and growing community. We offer services and modalities that you can’t get anywhere else, not even in Wilmington. It saddens us when we learn people are going into Wilmington and receiving services that are older and less effective (especially with weight loss, hormones and body sculpting) because they didn’t know about us!

What can we anticipate from you in the future?
Watch for us to host fun and exciting special events and work to support the people and businesses in Leland to build it into a healthy, safe and inviting town. Our aim is to be the best medical spa and wellness clinic in the county and greater Wilmington area. Everyone gets a 5-star experience.

1003 Olde Waterford Way, Suite 1-C, Leland
(910) 376-8118
askme@waterford-wellness.com
waterford-wellness.com

Jondough
Tucker Connette, general manager

Why was 2016 the right time to open your business?
It just felt right. We wanted to be a part of the new Leland and the re-igniting of the doughnut craze.

What made Leland the ideal location for you?
With the improvements on the roadways, the growth of the area and the lack of a doughnut/coffee shop that serves fresh products, we knew Leland would be right for us.

What services or products do you offer?
We offer a drive-thru window and delivery for our doughnuts, coffee, specialty coffee drinks, bagels, smoothies and muffins. In addition to our staple items, we also have a couple signature items, such as our foot-long doughnut and our Stuff-in-muffin. The Stuff-in-muffin is a triple chocolate delicacy infused with a double shot of our special espresso blend. This muffin is in huge demand. One of our most popular drinks is Jondough Nitro Brew. This drink is produced by our cold-steeping process, using an exotic blend of coffees that were selected for their unique attributes. The nectar is steeped for approximately 16 hours and has added nitrogen, creating a creamy, smooth, decadent beverage.

What separates you from the competition?
All of the above. We here at Jondough are on the cutting edge of a doughnut shop renaissance. There’s nothing like it. Our dough comes fresh from a mixing bowl, not a freezer like most of the big corporate competition. Plus we’re going to be delivering doughnuts. Who else does that?

What has been your leading success so far?
Local demand. There’s nothing that offers anything close to what we bring to the Town of Leland.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
Converting a building that was previously a bank and dry cleaner into an operational bakery. The biggest hurdles came from going through a change of use in the structure, the new International Building Code and new zoning requirements.

What can we anticipate from you in the future?
Rapid growth and popularity.

113 Village Road, Leland
(910) 769-8650
jondoughllc@gmail.com

Fat Tony’s Italian Pub at Waterford
Dustin Wilcox, director of operations

Why was 2016 the right time to open your business?
Opportunity played a large part in 2016 being the year we pulled the trigger on our second location. We had been tweaking our menu and concept for the previous two years and were really happy and excited about the reaction from our guests and our staff. We felt like we had really honed our craft and solidified an already great concept and had begun the process of feeling out new locations. Then the Waterford location presented itself and the rest is history.

What made Leland the ideal location for you?
Leland seems like an up-and-coming market. We felt we could move in and fill a void in the community. It just seemed like the right time and place for us to bring our concept of craft beer and craft pizza to a burgeoning area in southeastern North Carolina.

What services or products do you offer?
We offer a large and varied menu, specializing in craft beer, craft pizza and Italian-American foods. Our menu is a nice mixture of pizza, pastas and pub food, served in a family-friendly pub-style atmosphere.

What separates you from the competition?
Mainly, I’d have to say the quality of ingredients we use. We’re very particular about what goes into our pizza. We often special order ingredients, and we use a lot of locally sourced produce. The other large factor is our emphasis on craft beer, especially North Carolina–brewed craft beer. We offer more than 50 beer options with a large part of them brewed in state, and our six draft lines are entirely dedicated to N.C. brews and rotate regularly.

What has been your leading success so far?
I think we’ve really knocked it out of the park with our staff. Guests have really responded to our menu and welcomed it with open arms, but I have noticed that our staff gets a lot of praise. Our staff is very new and we all hit the ground running at 110 mph, but our kitchen and waitstaff have really gelled as team and risen to the occasion. They have turned into a family-style unit, which is very gratifying to see, as that has been important to Fat Tony’s since day one.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
The single biggest challenge we’ve had to face would most definitely be trying to shake the expectations that we would be the same restaurant as the previous tenants. A lot of longtime residents had grown accustomed to a certain style of restaurant. And while that may have worked for them, for a while anyway, that is not who we are or who we want to be.

What can we anticipate from you in the future?
We are in the beginning stages of a lot of fun things right now. We’re currently starting to incorporate more beer into our menu items. We love beer here, that’s for sure. So we’re going to start cooking with it more and working with local breweries from Wilmington to Southport to make it happen. We’re also starting to plan out a delivery program and also looking to start a Sunday brunch program as well.

503 Olde Waterford Way, Suite 100, Leland
(910) 399-1022
manager@fattonysitalianpub.com

Carolina Shores Car Wash
Scott Baker & Jane Baker, owner

Why was 2016 the right time to open your business?
Leland needed a good car wash, and we knew if we waited someone else would’ve beat us to it. When we found the right spot, we knew it was the right time.

What made Leland the ideal location for you?
I’m happy to call Leland home, and I quickly noticed this service was needed shortly after moving here a few years ago.

What services or products do you offer?
The best car washing experience available, with a quick and convenient three-minute wash, free vacuums with the purchase of any wash, microfiber towels and glass cleaner provided and high-pressure air guns, which no other car wash in the area offers.

What separates you from the competition?
Our staff is amazing, the tunnel is state-of-the-art, and we have great prices, unlimited monthly wash plans and a beautiful facility.

What has been your leading success so far?
Hiring great people and putting the wash in the right location.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
Getting the word out to people that we are now open for business.

What can we anticipate from you in the future?
We will continue to improve our equipment, facility and services to meet the needs of our community.

2040 Olde Regent Way, Leland
(910) 769-0796
info@CarolinaShoresCarWash.com

The Joyce Irish Pub & Grill
Laura Richardson, general manager

Why was 2016 the right time to open your business?
We looked at opening a restaurant in a Leland location a few years ago, but 2016 seemed to be the right time because of the continued interest in the area for new homeowners and businesses.

What made Leland the ideal location for you?
Brunswick Forest specifically seemed to be the best fit for what we wanted; the commercial area has seen tremendous growth over the past year, and the future growth plans are amazing.

What services or products do you offer?
The Joyce is an Irish pub with an authentic menu, 26 beers on tap and the largest variety of whiskey in the Leland area. During the warmer weather months, we have a large patio that features an outside bar, TVs and live music every Friday night. The Joyce is a great place to watch your favorite sport on TV with your friends or even to come enjoy a quick lunch or dinner. We will debut a new menu in January as well as a rapid lunch menu that will appeal to people on their lunch breaks.

What separates you from the competition?
There are no other restaurants like ours at the moment, which allows us to create and customize your dining experience. As we continue to grow, we are finding that we can fine-tune our business to appeal to everyone.

What has been your leading success so far?
Our outdoor patio has been a fantastic success; with the large seating area and outside bar, it offers something that isn’t currently available anywhere else in Leland. On Friday nights, we have live music that changes weekly to bring a little bit of every genre musically from the oldies to cover bands. We have also had success with some of our signature and traditional dishes. The owner is from England, and he personally tested every menu item to make sure it was as close as if you were across the pond yourself.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
Irish food tends to be much heartier, and our menu includes those things such as our shepherd’s pie and steak and Guinness Pie that are traditional staples but tend to do better in colder months. We want to keep an Irish feel to our menus, while appealing to everyday eating with lighter options.

What can we anticipate from you in the future?
We are always looking forward to the future. We believe we have something special here with our restaurant and we want to make it a destination for all to enjoy. With The Joyce we are trying to give customers the perfect pub atmosphere.

1174 Turlington Avenue, Leland
(910) 408-1400
thejoyceirishpub.com

Flights Wine, Craft Beer & Food
Laura Richardson, general manager

Why was 2016 the right time to open your business?
A great mix of people call Leland home, from younger college kids to retired individuals who have moved here because of everything that the area has to offer. We feel our restaurant concept appeals to all of these people.

What made Leland the ideal location for you?
With the continuous growth that Leland has seen in the past few years, it made sense to open Flights, which brings a new dining and drinking concept to the area.

What services or products do you offer?
Flights features craft beer, wine and a full menu that changes seasonally. It is a lovely space to hold small meetings or dinner parties, and we offer a customized menu to make your experience unique. We are currently working on putting together wine and beer clubs that will offer tastings, specials and dinners. We will also feature specialty menus for holidays.

What separates you from the competition?
The Flights menu is much different than any other restaurant in Leland. Even if you have specific dietary preferences or consider yourself a “picky” eater, we have something on our menu that you will enjoy. We have a vegetarian dish on every menu because we know the importance of having something for everyone.

What has been your leading success so far?
Variety. Flights has a unique menu with an upscale feel, and we have a large variety of wines by the glass and bottle as well as six craft beers on draft and a cooler with a variety of craft bottles. Customers also like our featured wine tastings with vendors that can not only educate, but also help you to understand the process of wine making.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge we have so far for Flights has been letting people know that we are a casual dining environment that is welcoming to any and all kinds of eaters.

What can we anticipate from you in the future?
We believe we have something special here with our two restaurants and we want to make them destination places for all to enjoy. With Flights we are trying to give Leland a casual dining experience unlike any other on this side of the bridge. We will continue to specialize in wonderful food choices, excellent wine selections and outstanding beers.

1174 Turlington Avenue, Leland
(910) 408-1402
flightswinebar.com

Legacy Homes by Bill Clark Design Center
Annah Norris, director of sales and marketing

Why was 2016 the right time to open your business?
The Legacy Homes by Bill Clark Design Center was a labor of love for me. After years of growing our custom business, 2016 was the perfect year to make our Design Center a reality. Now customers are greeted with an inviting, functional space to meet with our design consultants, who guide them through the selection process. The end result is that our customers’ home meets their desired vision and budget.

What made Leland the ideal location for you?
We’re so thankful to call southeastern N.C. home. Leland provides a central location to many of the communities we build in, making it the most convenient location for both our offices and our Design Center.

What services/products do you offer?
A division of award-winning regional homebuilder Bill Clark Homes, Legacy Homes by Bill Clark is focused on building quality homes with each customer’s lifestyle in mind. Exceptional craftsmanship and thoughtful design blend with highly individualized service to make the building process enjoyable for Legacy customers.

What separates you from the competition?
We are customer centered and do everything possible to achieve our customers’ visions. Our dedicated team of sales executives, project coordinators and designers guide our customers toward creating the home that’s right for them. Legacy Homes by Bill Clark sets itself apart by offering our customers many choices: move directly into a completed home; choosing from a portfolio of home plans; customizing one of our many home plans; or designing a truly custom home.

What has been your leading success so far?
The new Legacy Homes by Bill Clark Design Center has been a successful addition to our building process. The center was created to spark our customers’ imaginations! The comfortable space allows customers to enjoy the home-selection process, and by working with skilled Design Consultants, the end result is a tailored home plan that blends personal design touches for a unique and special home.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
Keeping up with the demand. We’ve seen such positive growth already in the last few years.  However, we sometimes end up with several appointments at once. The energy and excitement of the selection process is often heightened by this fad. We always try to keep it fun.

What can we anticipate from you in the future?
We’re looking forward to continued growth and expansion in many additional communities in southeastern North Carolina. We are also excited about the debut of our Ideal Living Idea Home in Compass Pointe this spring.

1174 Turlington Avenue, Suite 203
(910) 363-1682
mylegacy@billclarkhomes.com
legacyhomesbybillclark.com