durham inc.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PONYSAURUS
selection as an he said, naming two energetic city that of the few established has a population breweries at the time. year-round that can “And now, I don’t even support a successful know how many there restaurant,” she said. are. I get called all the Dram & Draught time to borrow a piece founder and coof equipment, a bag of owner Kevin Barrett malt, some hops when said opening a bar in somebody’s run out, or Wilmington was not whatever. It’s not like originally part of his big beer; you know, larger business plan, we’re all craft breweries, mentioning how the and craft breweries pandemic “threw are less about fighting everything off.” against one another The first Dram and more about trying The Ponysaurus Brewing Co. in Wilmington & Draught opened to establish a space for was an adaptive reuse project that converted in Raleigh in 2016, our products broadly in a downtown law office into a two-floor restaurant followed two years the bigger beer market. and outdoor beer garden. later by one in We work together as Greensboro. “We much as we compete, if were expanding at we’re doing it well.” SHARED IMPACT a pretty steady, even pace at Johnson said the Johnson said that Durham that point, then the pandemic 5,200-square-foot Wilmington will attract further potential happened,” Barrett said. Ponysaurus opened in January economic development, with “Durham is a big, beautiful with a larger kitchen than corporations like Google and location, and it was almost its Durham location for full Apple wanting to be part of completely done, minus the restaurant service, a two-floor the Triangle (though the latter furniture, and we just couldn’t indoor space that seats 400 and recently pressed pause on the open it. So, it ended up being a spacious outdoor beer garden. development of its Research over a year later [in 2021 The location, which has about Triangle Park campus). before] we actually opened.” 40 employees, will offer live “Those are a lot of very highThen, an irresistible music and events by the end of paying jobs,” he said. “When opportunity presented itself summer, he said. The hospitality you live [in Durham] and you downtown, one block from group, which also owns The think about going to the beach, the Cape Fear River. “I used to Cookery, The Rickhouse you go to Wilmington. I think live in Wilmington, so I have and Dashi in Durham, recently Wilmington is going to see a a deep attachment to that expanded Ponysaurus again, this city,” Barrett said. “We had a time to Raleigh, opening April 1 at lot of secondary growth. It’s happening. That was part of why wonderful location pop up, so Raleigh Iron Works. we thought it was good. There is it ended up being our fourth “It’s a terrifying, huge a good future going forward.” one.” The Wilmington space investment,” Johnson said. “They’ve done a lot of work is smaller than Durham’s, but “Without my unwavering in Wilmington to expand it features an upstairs lounge optimism, we would never their convention center and that aligns with the casual, have started in Durham, so I to do more things that are laid-back vibe of the city. just carry that optimism on to programmatic beyond being a Barrett said the current believe that it can be done in summer getaway place,” said plan is to grow their clientele Wilmington, too. Susan Amey, president and CEO at all seven locations of Dram “It’s an awesome city. It’s got of Discover Durham. “I think they & Draught, including Winstonan amazing island culture, beach have some of that [Durham] vibe Salem, Charlotte and at culture, [even] though it’s not of being a creative place that is Fenton in Cary. “After five bars directly at the beach. One of attractive to younger generations in a year and a half, we’re not [Cast Iron’s] directors, [Sarah and people who are creative ready to expand anywhere Voran, director of marketing types and entrepreneurs.” anytime soon,” Barrett said. and strategic development] is Amey pointed out that many “Coming out of the pandemic from Wilmington. She took us people living in the Triangle was a difficult period for us, down there and showed us regularly visit Wilmington but we got through it. We around as we were looking at because of the relatively short have all our bars, and now various cities, and it’s got a lot two-hour drive from the Bull we’re just letting the dust of similar things to Durham. It’s City. “I’m thinking that, for a settle a little bit before we got a cool downtown with cool restaurateur in Durham who decide to go anywhere else. building stock and a vibrant wants to expand toward the east, After 2020, I’m confident we food and beverage scene in the Wilmington would be a natural can survive anything.” downtown area.”
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HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY FORECAST
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ore restaurants are hiring and the demand for quality dining options is expected to rise. The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association launched “Serving Careers,” a campaign to help improve statewide labor shortages within the hospitality industry, last year in response to this outlook. “Restaurants and lodging establishments are driving forces in North Carolina’s economy,” Christine Mackey, NCRLA chief strategy and communications officer. “They provide jobs and build careers for thousands of people and play a vital role in local communities throughout the state.” Mackey said that, combined, restaurant and lodging establishments provide 453,050 jobs, equal to 9% of the state’s workforce, and generate approximately $34.9 billion in sales annually. Statewide, there are 20,300 more leisure and hospitality jobs in May this year compared to the same month in 2023 for seasonally adjusted employment data, according to a NC Department of Commerce report released in June. The U.S. restaurant industry workforce is projected to grow by 200,000 jobs on top of the 15.7 million employees projected by the end of this year, according to the National Restaurant Association. Kevin Barrett, co-owner and founder of Dram & Draught, said he feels optimistic about growing his business and expanding his clientele. “We’ve always probably done better than our industry with staffing,” Barrett said. “We have great retention. We have ongoing staff training. I think our managers do a good job of making everybody feel included. Our cocktail menus are a group effort.”