SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — Justin Smith has been in the bar and restaurant game for more than two decades in Wilmington. Now, he and his wife, Bekah, along with three partners, are planning a new concept in one of the area’s most contemporary commercial districts.
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If all goes according to plan, The Rift, located at 2144 Wrightsville Ave., will open by spring 2025 in the former Ruff Draft location located in Cargo District East.
Ruff Draft opened in 2022 from Sam Steger of the popular burger joint Mess Hall. Steger didn’t respond to PCD’s request for comment on why he wanted to shutter the facility.
Smith said he and his wife were on the same page upon entering the building once learning it was up for grabs: “We loved it. It’s a blank canvas and needs very little work — just cosmetic.”
Living close by, the two have watched with interest as The Cargo District has expanded from one block on Queen Street a few short years ago, down to Castle and 15th streets and upward to Castle and Wrightsville Avenue. The Rift is located near Delgado Square, with Mess Hall to the right and to the left the newly opened Asian restaurant, Banh Sai. The coffee shop Brighter Days is located behind it on Moss Street.
“A lot of great developments are happening that way,” Smith said — “not unlike back when we first started doing business downtown. And we think we found a business model that could possibly be different and would be a good fit there.”
The Smiths have had partnerships with various folks throughout the years including in The Little Dipper, YoSake, Dram and Morsel, Husk and Anne Bonny’s.
They sold YoSake, Dram and Morsel, and Husk earlier this year, leaving only Anne Bonny’s and the year-old German biergarten, Prost, in their portfolio. The Smiths are partnering with two silent investors and woodwork artist Corey James Kovach in The Rift. He designed furnishings for the Smiths’ other businesses; for The Rift, Smith said they found inspiration in the idea of portals, so patrons can expect something more creatively surreal.
“They may enter into what looks like a dormitory or an apartment but open a refrigerator door to find a bar,” Smith explained. “As you get in there, you realize: ‘Wait a minute, I can come here and watch my sports game?’ So it’s a little bit of a different place and there will be art installations all over.”
He said Kovach built LED hexagons — upward of 50 — currently being positioned throughout the space.
Little upfit needs to happen in the 2,000-square-foot building; the bar will remain in the same place, though an extension may be added to give the illusion it is neverending. Smith detailed it could wrap upward onto the ceiling, with bottles affixed to it upside-down.
“The goal is it will be a traditional bar but hopefully won’t look like anything else you’ve been to,” Smith said.
The vast land utilized for Ruff Draft’s outside dog park was a draw to the space as well, according to Smith. It consists of 11,000 square feet, which once welcomed dogs to run around, jump through tires, and fetch balls. While The Rift will be dog-friendly, the outdoor area will be utilized more for events.
Smith — a local actor most recently seen on the big screen in “Saturday Night” as stage manager Joe Dicso and in season three of “Outer Banks” as Barracuda Mike — was an artistic director for local theater companies like Opera House and City Stage for years. He said he immediately envisioned the lawn space a perfect fit for outdoor theater.
“It could fit a couple hundred people,” he estimated, noting he and his partners plan to have picnic tables and some seating, but for larger events will encourage patrons to bring blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy the entertainment.
“We may even have some lawn chairs available hanging on the walls to take outside,” Smith said.
Music, arts markets, even Pride events can be expected, though details are in early planning stages and nothing is set in stone. Smith said one of the happenings he misses most about owning YoSake, Husk and Dram and Morsel — the latter now a piano bar called Tempo 33 — were the Pride celebrations held in Husk’s courtyard and into Dock Street every June.
“This could double the size,” Smith said.
The crew is renovating the bar to fit their vision but also are looking at what “could be” as The Rift grows. A garage area is attached to the building, formerly an HVAC business before Ruff Draft opened. It’s been used as storage, but down the road the group will assess the ins and outs of turning it into a kitchen and maybe add a pizzeria.
First things first: opening the bar. The goal is for March 1.
“We’re hoping the neighborhood claims it as their own,” Smith said.
The work won’t stop with The Rift either. Smith said looking ahead to 2025, he already has other concepts coming down the pipe with investors. He and his wife are approached often about new ventures, Smith admitted.
“We say no more than yes,” he said. “We want to put our energy into ideas and people we believe in.”
Mum on details on what other two ventures he is evaluating, Smith revealed one would be located in a nearby beach town.
“But more on that later,” he said.
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