SURF CITY — Topsail Island’s one-stop shop has opened an upstairs restaurant to complement its local market and bakery, with plans to eventually throw in a seafood and meat market into the mix.
Manager Kevin Ferguson said the business was started by a group that owns Dockside Restaurant in Wilmington. They first opened the bakery shortly before Thanksgiving, using it to supply Dockside with all of its buns, bread, and dessert items.
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For the owners, he said it was a chance to expand business to a town that was growing quickly — and in a building, one block north of the new roundabout on Roland Avenue, that’s been in the family for years.
“They saw that the area was starting to grow — all the new housing developments,” Ferguson said. “And that a lot of people in Wilmington have started to push up this way. They just thought it was time to get back.”
Next came the produce market next door, which sells vegetables and fruits from Xanadu Farm, located on Spicer Bay near Stump Sound in Holly Ridge. A spacious layout also includes local arts and goods like wall prints, canned craft beer made in Wilmington and throughout the state, kombucha from Wilmington’s Panacea Brewing Company, wine, honey, and jewelry.
In July a new restaurant and tavern opened on the building’s second floor, serving starters like Spanky’s Blue Crab Dip, salads, and sandwiches like Jerk Mahi and Fried Oyster, Fried Shrimp, and Crab Cake — all using fresh ingredients from the farm and fish supplied from seafood markets down the street.
Prices range between $6 and $20 (click on the picture to view the current menu).
Their next plan is to open a seafood and meat market with its own butcher, Ferguson said.
Amy Koebler from New Jersey was in the Xanadu Market check-out on Thursday morning ready to buy a container of locally made buffalo chicken dip. She visits Surf City most summers and said she has seen many businesses change hands or close down over the years.
She was excited Xanadu had opened both a local market and bakery, especially one that made fresh bread and breakfast sandwiches. She said the new business was also a testament to the town’s recovery since Florence hit the island last September.
“It’s nice to come back and see that business is booming again,” Koebler said. “They cleaned it up very well.”
Hours and Location
- Location: 404 Roland Avenue, Surf City
- Xanadu Grill: Monday through Thursday (5-9:30 p.m.) and Friday through Saturday (12-9:30 p.m.)
- Xanadu Bakery: Monday through Saturday (7-5 p.m.) and Sunday (7-2 p.m.)
- Xanadu Market: Monday through Saturday (9-5 p.m.) and Sunday (7-2 p.m.)
Mark Darrough can be reached at Mark@Localvoicemedia.com or (970) 413-3815
