Rickie Houston

Work is shown above at Wilmington International Airport’s temporary curb-front area. Expansion projects are focused on the airport’s outside portion, including parking and drop-off areas. (Photo by Emma Dill)

Wilmington-based boat dealer Off the Hook Yachts participated in the Palm Beach International Boat Show. (Photo c/o Jason Ruegg)

Riko’s Pizza, a Connecticut-based pizza parlor, has opened a new Carolina Beach location this month. This makes it the first Riko’s Pizza in North Carolina.The Carolina Beach location will function as a full-service restaurant and bar, and it will offer both indoor seating and bar access and outdoor seating and bar access. The new building – which is within walking distance from the beach – is located at Proximity Carolina Beach, 1000 N. Lake Park Blvd.The business offers tavern-style pizzas, oven-roasted wings, salads, shareables, desserts, cocktails, beer, wine and more. Plus, the restaurant will have a takeout and delivery service area. And as for its size, the new space is 5,000 square feet.The restaurant opened this week.The franchise-style business’s new location is under the leadership of owner and manager Jay Greco. And according to Greco, one of the things that inspired him to choose Carolina Beach for the new location was his love for the area.“I’ve been coming down to Carolina Beach now for 15 years on vacation, and I’ve always wanted to move here,” he said. “I fell in love with Riko’s Pizza, and it was something that’s very different than what’s here, so I wanted to bring it down here, and that’s what got me going.”He added that he felt welcomed by the community and shared that he wants to do as much as he can for it. This time of the year, he noted, is special because it will allow him to focus on that community since the summer months have ended.Greco said he’d like to build relationships with the locals before getting ready for the influx of customers in summer 2026.But in addition to his love for the area, other factors that led to his decision to select Carolina Beach over other locations in the city were his comfort and familiarity with it.“When I saw the Proximity building this, I thought that this was the right time to get in here,” he said. “But I just also think that people will appreciate our product.”He explained that what makes this Riko’s Pizza location unique is the fact that it’s situated in a beach town. This location is the first that’s ever been planted in such an area.Greco added that its thin crust pizza is one of the things that distinguishes Riko’s Pizza from other pizzerias. He noted that the dough, the cheese and the sauce are of high quality, and he shared that the restaurant’s signature hot oil pizza is a unique thin-crust pizza topped with spicy olive oil.The pizzas, he said, are also personal-size pies, so they’re just enough for customers to eat in one sitting without feeling like they need to take back large amounts of uneaten pizza.He additionally offered thoughts about his goals for the restaurant in the coming months and years.“What we’d like to do is we’d really like to establish ourselves on the island,” he said. “If we establish ourselves on the island, and we see that the people here appreciate everything, and we can give back to them, I’ll tell you the God-honest truth: I’d like to open up another place (in) maybe downtown Wilmington, maybe Topsail.”But overall, Greco said that he felt like Carolina Beach was the perfect place to start. Plus, he provided insight into charitable plans.He said that Riko’s Pizza had already donated to the Carolina Beach Police Department’s annual bike rodeo. He also revealed plans to donate to football and children’s baseball leagues and more.But even before the Carolina Beach location had come to fruition, Riko’s Pizza had been involved in providing philanthropic support to nonprofits and other groups. For instance, in 2024, Riko’s Pizza raised more than $25,000 for the Breast Cancer Alliance.But as for the new restaurant, Greco said he wants to work with the surrounding stores in the area, and he said that he wants Riko’s Pizza to participate in both the upcoming Pleasure Island Restaurant Week and Christmas parade.He said he wants customers to feel comfortable when they come into the restaurant. He said, “I want them to be greeted with a smile.”

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Atiba Johnson, one of the owners of Front Street Market & Produce in Wilmington, said the store has increased its food and beverage services in response to customer feedback. (Photo by Madeline Gray)

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