The Gourmet Market reopens in a larger downtown Wilmington location

Editor's Note: This story is based on reporting originally published by Greater Wilmington Business Journal and has been reformatted for readability.

Downtown Wilmington's longtime Gourmet Market has officially reopened, and with twice the space, there's room for much more than before.

After operating for nearly two decades at 27 N. Front St., the neighborhood market has moved about a block north to 143 N. Front St., giving customers a larger selection of groceries, household essentials and specialty products.

Key takeaways

• The bigger picture: The Gourmet Market has reopened in a new, larger location in downtown Wilmington.
• The details: The expanded space allows for more groceries, fresh produce, frozen meats, international foods and household products.
• Why this matters: The new location gives the longtime downtown business room to better serve residents, students and visitors.
• The more you know: Future plans include additional seating, an espresso machine, raffles and an official ribbon-cutting celebration.

A bigger space in the heart of downtown

The Gourmet Market officially reopened Tuesday at 143 N. Front St., the former home of Chef Joy's Grocerant and, before that, Better Basket.

The move comes after nearly 20 years at its previous location on Front Street.

According to general manager Donna Stamm, the relocation was prompted in part by renovations taking place at the market's former building, which is owned by downtown developer James Goodnight.

"It's double the space," Stamm said. "We had to add more shelving units, and so we had to get more groceries, basically."

What's new?

With additional square footage comes a much larger selection of products.

New additions include:

• Expanded fresh produce
• A larger walk-in cooler
• More grocery items
• Frozen meats from a Castle Hayne farm
• International grocery products
• Additional household essentials

The larger footprint has allowed the market to stock items that simply weren't possible in the previous location.

Stocked with downtown residents in mind

Stamm said the expanded inventory reflects the needs of the people who spend time downtown every day.

That includes:

• Cape Fear Community College students
• Downtown residents
• Apartment renters
• Visitors
• Wedding guests

To better serve those customers, the market has expanded its selection of:

• School supplies
• Stationery
• Automotive products
• Hardware essentials
• Bartender's pantry items
• Baking supplies

"We didn't have cake batter, icing, brownie mix and cake mix," Stamm said. "We've got those now because we have more shelving space."

Local favorites are staying

While the store has expanded, longtime customers will still find many familiar favorites.

The Gourmet Market will continue offering:

• Locally made muffins
• Cakes
• Fudge
• Signature ice cream
• The store's specialty medicinal tea blend

Those longtime staples remain an important part of the business even as its inventory grows.

Looking ahead

The Gourmet Market isn't finished making improvements.

Stamm said plans for the coming months include:

• Additional front seating
• An espresso machine
• Customer raffles
• An official ribbon-cutting celebration

As the business settles into its new home, the goal is to continue serving downtown Wilmington while giving customers more products, more convenience and more reasons to stop in.

Plan your visit

• Address: 143 N. Front St., Wilmington
• Hours: Visit The Gourmet Market's social media pages for current hours.
• Phone: (910) 251-8485