NEW HANOVER COUNTY — After three years building a devoted clientele near the Brooklyn Arts District, a sandwich shop will be operating its ‘other half’ in a former Subway shop on the way to Wrightsville Beach.
READ MORE: Sandwiches get new life on the Northside
Business partners Andrew Dennison, Carl Cross and Dean Moore opened The Half on Red Cross Street in 2023 and by this fall they’re launching store number two. Plus, they brought in another partner, Charles Fogg.
“He was the fourth person that we started with,” Dennison said, noting Fogg helps oversee the sandwich creations. “He was our brain behind the menu.”
In January, the group decided an expansion would be the next business move, with the goal to do so by 2026. However, when they learned 7110 Wrightsville Ave. was available, their plans were fast-tracked. In Crosspoint Plaza, near Brent’s Bistro, the store is along the route to the beach, which means maximizing reach with heavy traffic coming through.
“It just seems like a right fit for us,” Dennison said, “in combination with what we provide in terms of sandwiches, to-go items, and our whole general vibe downtown.”
Dennison said around 30% of The Half’s business downtown supports to-go for area offices and the like, primarily because of having limited seating. He expects to-go to be a heavy-hitter at the second shop as people flock to the beach particularly during the warm seasons.
The new 1,100-square-foot space will be around the same footprint as downtown, though there will be no outdoor area. It will seat roughly 26 people and will be completely overhauled.
“It won’t resemble Subway,” Dennison assured, noting the group is working with an interior designer, Caroline Walkup, who also has helped with Drift Coffee + Kitchen.
Wrightsville Beach’s The Half will feature a warm color palette and lean into the coastal vibe. The store will feature original, local artwork monthly, have natural light from the large windows and “everyone’s favorite trinkets throughout the building.”
The Half has built its business model on offering one-of-a-kind sandwiches, including vegan options, often topped with handmade sauces and pickled veggies, punctuating global flavors. The store also has a large, varied craft beer selection, both locally and regionally brewed.
Dennison, Cross and Moore previously worked together at Flying Machine Brewing Co. when conceptualizing the business. Dennison said the sandwich shop has grown by double digits year over year, exceeding their expectations.
“That neighborhood and the businesses downtown have been really good to us,” he said. “We weren’t sure, going into this, what to expect. Like what do people want, in terms of more of a build-your-own or order straight off the menu?”
The partners learned The Half’s chef creations were favored. The Wrightsville Beach menu will include its most popular items like the Caprese (fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil pesto, balsamic on ciabatta), Tucker (turkey, lettuce, cucumber, provolone, balsamic, romesco on ciabatta) and Italian Parts Unknown (ham, Genoa salami, capicola, provolone, shredduce, tomato, onion, giardiniera, red wine vinaigrette, spice mix on Italian roll).
Sandwiches on the menu are mostly static, except for minor differences between seasons. For instance, on the Caprese fresh tomatoes in the summer become sundried tomato pesto in the winter, and on the Italian fresh vegetables become roasted red peppers, with capicola replaced by mortadella.
The Wrightsville Beach location also will have some one-off specialties, though early ideas are still in the works.
Aside from the sandwiches, the group will lean into stocking more grab-and-go items. The Half’s potato and cucumber-and-onion salads are already revered, but they could also potentially bring in more cold items like chicken salad and pimento cheese.
“And we’ll have more four packs and cases of beer stocked for people to bring with them to take to the beach,” he said, adding there also will be three taps at the counter service, rotating beers for those who dine in.
Wrightsville Beach hours will reflect downtown. The group recently adjusted hours to be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. They’re also open Tuesday, wherein they used to be closed.
“We would love to open by September,” Dennison said, “but can’t guarantee that, obviously, depending on how everything goes.”
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