WILMINGTON — A tunnel that once welcomed cars for a clean wash has been transformed for a different mode of transportation. Concorde Espresso Bar, best known for its first location downtown in the Front Street Inn bed and breakfast and centered on aviation, is now open at 8121 Market St.
The opening weekend served roughly 1,200 people, according to owner Jamie Alfalla, who purchased the property with her partners from Alfalla Hospitality Group for $1.8-million last year. They’ve been working on transforming the space into a high-end bar that offers a private jet cabin for 40 diners, an outdoor area with fire pits, plus an upstairs lounge in the 2,500-square-foot space on a 1.3-acre lot.
“It’s continuing with the jet theme,” Alfalla said, speaking to the travel mien the group has embraced of the original downtown Concorde — named after the supersonic jet.
READ MORE: Taking flight: Concorde Espresso Bar opening in downtown boutique hotel
However, the Porters Neck location is more “immersive.”
The group hired Creative Media Group, which works with media technologies for businesses, including the NBA’s jumbotrons, to help with screen installation.
In the renovation, the car wash’s former conveyor becomes a tubular cabin with “windows.” Images of trees and a lake at takeoff or clouds among a pink-and-orange sky in the air slowly move on the oblong-shaped screens as if the passengers — i.e. diners — are flying.
“It’s an in-flight immersion,” Alfalla said of the simulation, “and gives visitors across the space, no matter where you’re ‘sitting in the plane’ — if you are in the back or the front — you’re watching the same video as it reaches your screen.”
Alfalla said the group originally were looking at the Wrightsville Beach area to launch a second Concorde. However, when the Porters Neck space became available — situated between the Walmart shopping center and nearby medical offices — the group were drawn to its design, particularly the arches of the tunnel.
“It’s exactly what we needed,” Alfalla said, also pinpointing its large parking lot, unlike downtown’s venue which shares parking with the B&B, but also has to rely on on-street parking for most customers.
The outdoor courtyard is fenced off and consists of couch lounge areas, as well as various four-top tables. Most have fire pits to enjoy s’mores.
The menu consists of both coffee and cocktails from around the world: Thai iced tea, Vietnamese coffee, and a latte fleur for coffee. For cocktail, there is a Singapore Sling, Passion Fruit Martini — the latter better known as a Porn Star Martini in the UK — and Brazilian cherry mojito all can be found.
Each weekend, C2 is departing from Wilmington to a different location — Tokyo, Paris, but this weekend to London.
“So we have special drinks revolving around these ‘flights,’” Alfalla said.
And one doesn’t have to leave the confines of the Port City to enjoy. Being situated in north Wilmington, Alfalla said they hope to appeal to younger families and professionals looking for cool vibes and a carefully concocted drink.
“They also don’t have to drive downtown to enjoy a night out,” she said, noting there is a whole demographic in this region of Wilmington ready to be tapped and suitable to Concorde.
While the coffee shop doesn’t have a drive-through, there is call-ahead ordering for customers who want to order their caffeinated drinks for a 7:30 a.m. pickup on the way to work.
The Alfalla Hospitality Group — also behind Oklahoma Burgers!, Sugo Italian Steak House and Graystone Inn (which caught fire for the second time last year and is likely two years away from reopening) — is also thinking ahead to C3. Alfalla surmises it will land in larger metropolises, like Charleston or Raleigh.
Concorde Espresso Bar is open on Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. All ages are allowed until 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and then the bar serves 21 and up only. It’s closed Monday and Tuesday.
The private jet lounge only seats 40 people and is available by reservation, with times filling quickly.
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