You searched for broughton - Page 14 of 16

York Security Guard Saves Cameron Village

Published on January 13, 2017 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

ShopITB.com

Cameron Village is back to normal after a wild night that included a visit from police and SWAT teams. We are all safe thanks to the heroism of a York Security Guard who will be awarded the ITB Medal of Honor for his bravery. Around 7:45 pm on Thursday evening, some Twitter users began to report hearing police sirens in Cameron Village and on Wade Avenue. I was on my way to the Chick-fil-A and confirmed that cops were flying down Oberlin, assuming something was happening downtown. It turns out that an attempted robbery was taking place at the Cheshire Cat Gallery, an antique store that sells some of the finest ITB heirlooms, and Chris Brunner’s “A Beautiful Experience” photography book. Fortunately, I was informed of a witness, Daniel Nolan (@DannyNolls), who was live streaming the events while sitting in his car in the parking lot.

I joined others as Daniel watched and narrated the action from the literal front row for almost an hour, providing us with #ITBNN coverage that was better than any of our competitors. That’s coverage you can ITBelieve in. I pulled out the most important parts of the video to bring you one of the best interviews I have ever seen.

We learned so much from this man. For the past week, someone has been trying to rob the Cheshire Cat Gallery. Last night was the fourth night that the store has been broken in to this week. The store manager said that the crime lord had previously tried to use drills to get in through the back doors, but was unsuccessful. The savage crime lord then started tearing holes into the wall as a way to enter the store. Earlier in the week he was able to steal some precious ITB jewelry and Samurai swords (that’s not a joke).

According to our hero, he noticed a hole in the wall in the Cheshire Cat Gallery and called the police. When they arrived, our hero let an officer into the building, who immediately called for backup. Police cars came from everywhere and were soon joined by SWAT teams. The crime lord tried to make his escape through the roof of the old ABC store location, which is where the police and SWAT team caught him. A member of the SWAT team said the reason they had so many responders is because the Cheshire Cat sells antique guns.

Since I’m a media empire, I obviously used Daniel’s live stream as a chance to plug my wonderful lawyers and sponsors, Miller Law Firm and 80Fresh, because that’s just good leverage.

Everyone owes Daniel Nolan a beer for his service to ITB last night. I’m going to start working on plans to erect a statue for the York Security Guard.

Full broadcast:

Swat at Cameron village guns drawn. https://t.co/S5zzDqUHyZ

— dannynolls (@DannyNolls) January 13, 2017

We’ve received some additional reports from people on Facebook that I’ll update as the story develops:

“Talked to Cameron Village Bar & Grill crew. One of their cooks was also held at gunpoint by an individual during this whole thing.”

Mordecai Outraged Over Rumored Buyers of Iconic Property

Published on January 12, 2017 in Humor/ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

ShopITB.com

Residents Fear Dave & Buster’s and Other Rumored Buyers

Raleigh’s most iconic motor lodge is officially for sale, and Mordecai residents are terrified. Our new investigative reporter, James Borden, brought this story to my attention in his first Development Beat earlier this week. The 19-bedroom, 14-bathroom Gables Motor Lodge property is listed for $1.5 million and is located in the Mordecai neighborhood, right outside of downtown Raleigh. Most importantly, it’s in the Broughton school district. Rumors are already circulating about prospective buyers, including:

La Quinta Inns & Suites, who would continue to operate the facility, but would bring the current 4-star rating down to a 1-star.

Dave & Buster’s, who are looking to expand into the Raleigh market after seeing success in Cary.

Mark Wahlberg, who plans to open a Wahlburgers Food Hall to complement the Wahlburgers restaurant coming to downtown Raleigh.

Big Lots, who plans to to build a “Mini-Big Lots” concept, similar to the new mini-Target coming to Hillsborough Street.

Apple, who is considering moving an iPhone manufacturing facility to North Carolina if HB2 is repealed.

Since my media empire is expanding, I considered buying the property to use as an office. Like any good real estate mogul, I figured I would need to win the residents over. So last night I attended an emergency Mordecai neighborhood meeting to discuss the rumored buyers. The level of outrage ranged from “ugh, the wait at Capital Club 16 brunch is 10 minutes” to “OMG a chain restaurant is coming to Fayetteville Street!”.

“This just doesn’t sit well with me. My chakras feel out of balance,” said Cassandra Winston, a Trustafarian who owns Pastallations, an Etsy store that sells hand-made vegan pasta in the shapes of astrological signs.

“What if they put something modern there?! My cousin dealt with this same problem over in Oakwood, and it did NOT end well,” screamed Jill Wiesner, a Mordecai resident.

“What the hell is a Wahlburger?!? Is this fake news? What would that even pair with?” asked Jason Shaw, a local craft brewer who uses fresh soil instead of hops to create unique flavors of beer at Oak & Walter’s, a new micro-brewery coming to City Market.

While most residents expressed their fears, a few did offer solutions.

“I would approve of an Ashley Christensen restaurant that offered 19 different concepts on mac and cheese, one in each room,” said Jessica Sanders, a food blogger who only reviews mac and cheese dishes across the region.

“I’m a minimalist, so I’d really like to see the space used by designers of local micro-projects that will be consumed by less than 100 people. Once a project gets too popular it loses its integrity and authenticity,” said a resident who only goes by “Fitz” and describes himself as a local nano-influencer with a purposefully small Instagram following of 27 people.

An example of a micro-project by a nano-influencer.

I left the meeting dumbfounded. There was no way I was going to win these people over. I had my development reporter research what I could do with the property if I decided to buy it. Borden informed me that there are no specific protections in place preventing the future owners from tearing down and dividing the lots to build Cary McMansions.

At first we thought that since the Lodge is considered a “contributing resource” in Raleigh’s Mordecai Place Historic District that any changes would have to be approved by the Raleigh Historic Development Commission. OldPrivy on Twitter informed us that Mordecai is a National Register district, not a local historic district. That means that any changes to the property won’t have to be approved by anyone. We’ll be keeping a close eye on who buys the property.

More on the Gables Motor Lodge

From Borden: The two-story, gable-roofed Tudor revival style home was built by William and Ella Johnson as a boarding house/motel to cash in on the tourist traffic from Route 1. Mrs. Johnson ran the place until the 1940s, and eventually sold it to Charlie Griffin in 1965. Known as “Uncle Charlie”, Griffin continued operating the Gables Motor Lodge until he passed away in August of 2016. His great-nephew recently decided to list the property for sale.

ShopITB.com

The Development Beat

Published on January 10, 2017 in Development/ITBNN by James B.

ShopITB.com

Welcome to a new chapter in ITB Insider™ history. Today, we expand our media empire to cover the world of real estate development in Raleigh. More than 60 people move to Raleigh every day, and I want to know where they’re living and what they’re doing here. That’s where my new investigative journalist, James B., comes in. While at the Raleigh Public Record, James has covered everything from the Dix Park controversy to breaking the epic story about the North Raleigh party mansion. (Seriously, go read the party mansion story.) James is first to a lot of stories because he’s an actual journalist that digs through records and finds facts instead of just tweeting all day about La Croix. He’ll be contributing a weekly article focused on development to ITB Insider™ and will keep me informed on a variety of issues going on in Raleigh. James announced the move last week and people seemed pretty excited about it.

We may tinker with the content and format, so let us know what you think. Now that we’re the number one place for development news, we’re also open to sponsorship deals from real estate brokers and developers (e-mail me at wnfiv@itbinsider.com if interested). Without further ado, I present James B.’s first Development Beat for ITB Insider™.
-WNFIV

Brought to you by Rufty-Peedin Design Builders

Week of January 9, 2017

Since William Needham Finley IV has the attention span of a White Memorial pre-schooler, I’ll hit the highlights before digging into the details:

Dix Park gets first tenant

Real Estate Report: 19 Bedroom ITB house goes on the market

Two new Mexican restaurants coming to Glenwood

Progress on the new restaurant from the Pho Nomenal Dumplings duo

Updates on Tower IV at North Hills

News on a downtown Raleigh hotel

Welcome…to Dorothea Dix Park
The first new tenant for downtown Raleigh’s premier destination park was approved by City Council last week through a memorandum granting a nine-year lease to the nonprofit Dix Park Conservancy.

The Conservancy, which has a public-private partnership with the City to help develop the Dix Park Master Plan, will most likely occupy the early-20th century Flower Cottage at 2105 Umstead Drive for the staggering cost of $1/year. In addition to leasing the property, The Conservancy has agreed to contribute $2 million for the development of the Master Plan, and may add another $1 million for other planning costs.

Built in 1910, the 1,200 square foot cottage was initially used as a residence but currently sits dilapidated and unused. The Conservancy will be responsible for all renovations and improvements, of which we imagine there will be plenty. On the upside, the organization will also have access to the adjacent 2.75 acres of open space, which can be used for “public and/or private events.”

Rumor has it that an early screening of William Needham Finley’s long-in-the-works “Dix Park” film will be held here. As long as it’s not organized by the Junior League of Raleigh, we’re sure it’ll be a smashing success.

Real Estate Report

Every week, we plan to highlight an interesting Raleigh property that’s currently on the market, be it commercial, industrial or residential. In the future, we’ll leverage local realtors to get their properties listed here. E-mail wnfiv@itbinsider.com if you’re interested in featuring a listing here. Credit where it’s due: the one and only Triangle Explorer brought this one to our attention over the weekend.

The Gables Motor Lodge Property in Mordecai
*Note* As it happens, my new editor was so excited about this property that he demanded additional research so he could write his own separate post, which contains answers to some of the questions we’ve seen asked on social media in the last few days.

The Gables Motor Lodge is now for sale. Listed for a cool $1.5 million we imagine this 19-bedroom, 14-bathroom property could sell for well above asking price. The three-lot property is located at 1217, 1219, and 1221 Wake Forest Road in the historic Mordecai neighborhood.

The 8,000 square-foot Victorian motor lodge was first built in the 1920s and is located on a .51 acre lot just outside of downtown Raleigh. This is truly one of Raleigh’s most iconic properties, and no matter what happens to it, we hope the buyer leaves the old signage in place.

With Your Permit-ssion

On December 30, permits were issued for the latest iteration of the long-suffering Helios Cafe at 413 Glenwood Avenue. The issued permit is for “The Cortez Restaurant,” a new concept from the brothers Ibarra (Hector and Charlie) and their chef, Oscar Diaz from Jose and Sons. This was first announced in early December, and LLC filings indicate plans have been in the works since at least June of 2016. Hutchins Construction will handle the $28,000 worth of renovations.

Jose and Sons was recognized by City Council in September as part of Hispanic Heritage Month

Also coming to Glenwood South is the new La Santa Cantina Mexican restaurant, which received permits January 4. The $12,000 project by Morris Construction will renovate the space formerly occupied by the Tobacco Road Sports Cafe at 222 Glenwood Avenue. Like most local Mexican joints, it appears the walls will be adorned with enchanting artwork. Tobacco Road itself just reopened this past weekend in the former home of Natty Greene’s at 505 West Jones Street.

La Santa restaurant shared some of their future artwork from Alexa Paint and Design on their Facebook page

Work on the recently announced Mofu Shoppe restaurant from for the award-winning folks behind the insanely popular Pho Nomenal Dumplings food truck also received its final permits on December 30. For those of you in the dark: Raleigh’s most famous food truck was the 2015 winner of the Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race. Also, the slogan on their webpage is “Two Girls, One Truck.” That’s pho-cking funny. And a little bit gross, to be honest. Integrated Commercial will be handling the $89,000 worth of renovations at 321 South Blount Street in City Market.

Speaking of first time storefront locations, Sweetheart Treats, a local purveyor of delectable desserts such as cupcakes, cake push pops, Rice Krispy treats, brownies and more, will soon be opening its doors in suite 105 at the Falls River Shopping Center on 10930 Raven Ridge Road. Owner Mary Hinton, who previously operated Sweetheart Treats out of her home, told us they hope to open by the end of the month. Hinton said in addition to the standard dessert fare, the shop will also be offering a Cupcake Bar with alcohol-infused cupcakes.

Ma’am, have you been drinking tonight?
No, but I had about four cupcakes…

Rounding out our restaurant news for the week, permits for the first Raleigh location of the award-winning national BBQ chain City Barbeque were issued December 30 for a spot at the new Olive Park shopping Center, where work is also underway for Raleigh’s second Bad Daddy’s burger joint. The fit-out of suite 108 will be handled by Wimco Corp for $375,000.

Speaking of Olive Park: the center also received permits on December 30 for Happy Smiles Dental, which will be built out by Old Fields Construction for $250,852.

Other recent permits of note:

A $105,785 interior alteration for an RPD training center at 4205 Spring Forest Road to be handled by Diamond Contracting
A trio of automotive shops including 1-800 Radiator, Lucho-Lube (heh) and Bryan’s Auto Repair at 2407 Paula Street, all of which will be done by Greensboro’s Bar Construction
$25,000 “stair and platform” addition at Finley’s favorite club Still Life at 401 N. West Street. That work will be handled by JBK Construction.

Site Unseen

A wave of site plan reviews were filed in the final weeks of 2016, an appropriate finale to a year that’s seen tremendous growth within the City of Oaks. Amanda Hoyle over at the Triangle Business Journal did the hard work of actually talking to the relevant parties for most of these projects, so we’ll just link to her articles when we can.

SR 1-17: The first site plan of 2017 was for a proposed Alamo Drafthouse cinema/eatery in the Longview Shopping Center at 2000 New Bern Avenue in East Raleigh. According to Hoyle, no deal has been inked with the owners of Alamo Drafthouse, which operates 25 locations around the country but none in North Carolina. Raleigh already has, of course, Raleighwood, and there’s the CineBistro over at Waverly Place, plus a number of other chains that serve beer or liquor, which we believe is one of the main appeals of the Drafthouse chain. If built, the site plan notes the new theater would clock in at around 58,000 square feet.

The Longview Shopping Center could eventually be home to North Carolina’s first Alamo Drafthouse

SR 103-16: Local developer and hero of the historic preservation movement James A. Goodnight filed site plans proposing to turn an existing gas station at 502 W. Lenoir Street into a brand new restaurant. Our friend James Willamor brought this one up on Twitter a few weeks ago, where we also heard the rumor that the new joint will be titled “Raise Up.” No such information is contained on the site plans, which only indicate that Goodnight plans to turn it into a restaurant/bar, and reduce the size from 5,084 square feet to 4,583 square feet. Built in 1948 and most recently home to Dusty’s Service Center, Goodnight has owned the property since 2014.

SR 101-16: More mixed-use for North Hills, new plans for the long-in-development Tower IV. We’re glad Hoyle wrote about this one, because the informational pages on the project found on the North Hills and Kane Realty websites contradict each other, and the site plan drawings only add to that confusion. It turns out Tower IV is actually *two* towers: a 20-story office tower and a 31-story residential tower. They’re also planning to cram a hotel and some retail use in there somewhere. The site plans indicate the towers will come in at a whopping 735,665 SF, with, 1,046 parking spaces, 35,199 SF of open space, 300 residential units and 198 hotel rooms. We cannot confirm nor deny whether WNFIV will be given the penthouse suite based on the “IV” at the end of his name.

A rendering of the proposed Tower IV at North Hills

SR 102-16: There’s been a lot of fear mongering in recent years, especially by those lunatics over at the Raleigh Public Record about an alleged lack of downtown hotel rooms, so hopefully this site plan will shut them up for a little while. This site plan describes a 13-story (bad omen), 259-room, 260,890 gross square-foot hotel that will be a “dual brand” Hilton Garden Inn & Homewood Suites developed by CN Hotels. I think “dual brand” means they charge you twice for the same room, but I could be mistaken. The hotel will be located at 200 West Davie near the intersection with South McDowell. The site plan also notes a proposed 14th-story terrace and differs from a 2015 proposal calling for a Hilton Garden Inn at the same location. This project was first brought to our attention by the ever-dutiful James Willamor on Twitter last month.

A rendering of the hotel proposed for the site in 2015

SR 108-16: Greystar, the apartment developer behind a number of Raleigh multifamily projects including The Gramercy, The Devon Four25, the Devon Seven12 (yes, those are the real names), 927 West Morgan and more, is now planning to expand outside the downtown core. Greystar plans to develop the Overture Centennial apartments on Western Boulevard across from Pullen Park. The site plans describe the Overture as a 182,720 SF, three-story 180 unit complex that will include 235 parking spaces. As of now, the plans call for 108 one-bedroom units and 72 two-bedrooms. Given Greystar’s track record, we imagine this will be another upscale complex catering to wealthy Raleigh urbanites who want to live in proximity to both Pullen and Dix Parks.

The proposed location for the new Overture apartments

A Zest for Zoning

While rezoning cases are a lot rarer in the era of the Unified Development Ordinance than they were in days past, there were a pair worth looking at filed in the month of December.

Z-45-16: A minor request to remove a restriction on a property — it would remain zoned commercial mixed use — for some acreage out by Triangle Town Center at the intersection of Triangle Town Center Road and Old Wake Forest — filed by apartment developer Faison Inc. In 2008, Faison submitted plans for the Triangle Place Promenade Apartments, and it looks like they’re still hoping to build some multifamily with limited retail out on the site.

Some new apartments could be built near Triangle Town Center

Z-47-16: Most rezoning cases are filed by developers seeking to increase the allowed use on a given parcel of land; this one caught our eye because it was put together by residents of the ITB Country Club Hills neighborhood off Glenwood Avenue and a little south of Woman’s Club Drive in an effort to reduce the overall zoning from R-4 to R-2. According to the applicants, this would “preserve the existing character” of the area and “discourage teardowns and the construction of houses that are not harmonious with existing neighborhood development.” Normally one of the only ways residents can fight encroaching development is to purchase surrounding lots; we like this more realistic — and legalistic — approach a lot better!

Residents of this Glenwood neighborhood want to preserve its character

Lawyer Up: Miller Law Group to Serve as Legal Counsel for ITB Insider

Published on January 3, 2017 in ITBNN/Sponsored by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

ShopITB.com

One of the most important parts of running a startup media empire is having great lawyers. That’s why we are excited to announce that Miller Law Group has agreed to serve as legal counsel for ITB Insider in 2017. As many readers know, I routinely threaten to sue people and call my Dad’s lawyers whenever I’m the slightest bit offended by something going on in Raleigh. Since Dad has told his lawyers to stop taking my calls, I’m thrilled to have Miller Law Group on board to guide ITB Insider through its legal endeavors.

Owned by Stacy Miller II, a first ballot ITB Hall of Famer, Miller Law Group, PLLC specializes in personal injury, workers’ compensation, business litigation cases, and more. When I heard they had achieved several multimillion-dollar results for their clients I knew I had to retain them for my media empire. For example, Stacy could have helped all of us in a class action suit against Apple over that battery fiasco in December.

Here’s a picture of what would be Raleigh’s Christmas tree being lit. I am beyond livid with Apple right now. I just left a meeting downtown for my startup empire and noticed the tree lighting was going on. I stopped by to get some great Christmas content. As I was about to capture the perfect video of the tree being lit my phone died despite saying the battery was at 67%. The tree was lit and I now have no evidence to post to Instagram. We all know if it isn’t on Instagram it didn’t happen. I now need two things. 1.) my favorite lawyer, Stacy Miller, needs to sue Apple for ruining my brand. 2) my favorite mayor/City Council people, Nancy McFarlane, Bonner Gaylord and Mary-Ann Baldwin, to put wireless charging stations all around downtown so that this never happens again. I’m going to go listen to Finley’s Fire Christmas playlist now to try to calm down but I am beyond livid with Apple for ruining Christmas.

A photo posted by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Dec 8, 2016 at 4:16pm PST

I can already see the headlines now, ‘Raleigh Rejoices as Miller Law Group and ITB Insider Win Millions from Apple In iPhone Battery Lawsuit’.

It doesn’t matter how big or small your case is, Miller Law Group takes the same approach to every case they see so that they can get fair settlements before going to trial. And if they do go to trial, it’s basically like Tom Cruise in ‘A Few Good Men’. (SPOILER ALERT: he wins.)

Aside from running his firm, Stacy is a former quarterback at Broughton, defensive back at Wake Forest University, former Raleigh City Councilman, and long-time Raleigh resident. He’s also got some great stories from Raleigh and the courtroom that we’ll share over the next year. Sort of like “The Most Interesting Man in ITB” meets “Law and Order: ITB SUV” (that’s not a typo, he also handles SUV and car accidents).

We’re super excited to be working with Stacy and his team. If you’re in need of legal services, Stacy can be reached at 919-348-4362. Miller Law Group, PLLC is located in downtown Raleigh, right on Fayetteville Street at 555 Fayetteville Street, Suite 201, Raleigh, NC 27601.

Follow Miller Law Firm
Twitter: @MillerLawNC
Facebook: Miller Law Group
LinkedIn: W. Stacy Miller II

If you’re interested in partnering with the only growing media empire in Raleigh, contact wnfiv@itbinsider.com.

Twas the Night before Christmas Inside the Beltline

Published on December 22, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

Use this link or enter the code “ITB” to save 30% on your first order.

Twas the night before Christmas, when inside the beltline,
Not a creature was stirring, thanks to double magnum bottles of wine.

The stockings were hung by the gas-fired chimneys with care,
There was no doubting St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
Out like a light after taking Mom’s sleeping meds.

And Moms wearing lululemon, and Dads chugging another nightcap,
All that time spent with in-laws resulted in a much needed nap.

When out on their group texts there arose such a clatter,
They sprang to their iPhones to see what was the matter.

“There’s a book about Santa,” the group texts said,
“And the title is the most offensive thing you’ve ever read.”

Away to their timelines they flew like a flash,
Refreshing Insta, Facebook, and Twitter, they came upon this trash.

Santa Claus is real, "Raleigh-Durham" isn't. @BonnerGaylord add this to the banned book list. Pic by @McLeodSkinner pic.twitter.com/fJkO3nFCgB

— William N. Finley IV (@WNFIV) December 23, 2015

.@BonnerGaylord @McLeodSkinner it gets worse pic.twitter.com/WVZgaw9SVs

— William N. Finley IV (@WNFIV) December 23, 2015

The pictures they saw were as clear as new-fallen snow,
A book titled “Santa is coming to Raleigh-Durham”, who would stoop so low?

With an absurd title, so incorrect and dumb,
They knew in a moment where the author was from.

Not Raleigh, nor Durham, or anywhere near,
This was the work of an outsider, that much was clear.

More rapid than eagles the likes and comments they came,
Everyone agreed that “Raleigh-Durham” isn’t a name.

Those from Raleigh and Durham, or anyone with a clue,
Are sick and tired of outsiders and Forbes combining the two.

We all know those folks are just trying to make a quick buck,
And get tons of pageviews for their websites that suck.

We’d even prefer DrunkTown, although that’s a myth,
Hatem’s gonna hate, just because we like our drinks stiff.

But our biggest fear was that Santa wouldn’t come to a place,
That’s not on a map or anywhere in time and space.

I had to act quickly, there was no time to be aloof,
So I grabbed Dad’s signal flares and went up to the roof.

Before I could light them I heard the sound of a sleigh,
Which didn’t make sense, because it still felt like May.

The sleigh landed on our roof, somewhat lively and quick,
My Insta outrage had been answered, this was the real St. Nick.

I pulled out my iPhone 7 and showed him the pics,
“I thought you’d never find us, because of books like this.”

“Ho, ho, ho, have no fear,” he said with a smile on his face,
“I’m smart enough to know that Raleigh-Durham isn’t a place.”

Those were the words that I had longed to hear,
And from one of my heroes, I almost shed a tear.

“I’d never forget Raleigh, especially ITB,”
But your list was quite long, and a bit greedy.”

“I know I asked for a lot, but I wasn’t trying to be funny,
I need more advertisers for my media empire, it’s how I make money.”

“Very thoughtful indeed, but I’m concerned about page 84,
Where you asked that I “send the Trolley Pubs back to hell, forevermore.”

“Well I need your help there, since Bonner’s hands are tied,
He said he couldn’t ban them and that was even after I cried.”

“I also can’t “protect ITB” with a wall or a moat,
You sound like Trump begging for the xenophobic vote.”

“Well if there’s one thing I want it’s to relive the past,
Please reopen Crowley’s, and this time make it last.”

“I’ll see what I can do, but you’re on thin ice,
You’ve spent most of this year not being very nice.”

“It’s just that these changes in Raleigh are hard to endure,
I’ll try to be better next year, that’s for sure.”

“I believe that you’ll try,” he said as he picked up his sack,
“Just do more for others and I’ll be back.”

I knew this was true as he drove out of sight,
Shouting, “Merry Christmas to ITB, and to Raleigh a good night!”

Here are some ITB charities you can donate to so that Santa comes back next year.

The Raleigh/Wake Partnership to End and Prevent Homelessness
Team Chris Combs to Strikeout ALS
InterAct of Wake County
Me Fine Foundation
YMCA of the Triangle
Inter-Faith Food Shuttle

Finley’s Favorite Things: An ITB Holiday Gift Guide

Published on December 14, 2016 in Sponsored by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

Shopping for holiday gifts is hard, especially when you have to buy those gifts for other people. As a service to our readers, I’ve thoroughly searched through the finest companies Raleigh has to offer to find the best gifts for this holiday season. I proudly present to you, Finley’s Favorite Things: An ITB Holiday Gift Guide.

Tradition Scarves

Tradition Scarves, a Raleigh company founded by Broughton alumni Blaine Smith and Will Roach, offers scarves, beanies, banditos, and more. With products featuring more than 70 schools, Tradition Scarves surely has a gift for someone you know.

Banditos are the hottest new apparel item inside the beltline. Made from 100% polyester, with sweat absorbing and SPF 30 treatment, these are perfect gifts for those with active lifestyles or if you just want to look cool in general. They also look good on dogs of ITB.

A great man once said, “Tradition scarves uniform a crowd.” That great man was Will Roach. So educate a friend or loved one’s wardrobe this Christmas with a gift from Tradition Scarves.

Pricing: products range from $12 to $22

Where to buy: online at Traditionscarves.com. Use coupon code “WNFIV” for $10 off an order of $30 or more.

Follow Tradition Scarves: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Olly Oxen

Located on Hillsborough Street, Olly Oxen is a family-owned Raleigh company started by NC State alumna, Charlotte Guice. They offer classic, collegiate, apparel and accessories made in the USA. Olly Oxen has great gift options for men, women, and children, with a wide variety of schools to choose from.

They’ll be doing a holiday pop-up shop this Sunday the 18th from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm at Vita Vite in downtown Raleigh. They’ll even wrap the gifts for you.

Still looking for that perfect gift? Come by VV this Sunday from 1-5pm for our Holiday Pop-Up Shop with @baldheadblues and @olly_oxen! We'll take away all the stress by wrapping your gifts for you right there. And isn't shopping always better with 🍷, 🍺, or 🍾 in hand?!

A photo posted by Vita Vite (@vitaviteraleigh) on Dec 12, 2016 at 8:31am PST

They’re running some great deals for the holidays, including:

$10 off orders of $50 or more
$25 off orders of $100 or more
$40 off orders of $150 or more
Free shipping on all orders over $75

Pricing: products range from $22 to $195

Where to buy: online at Ollyoxen.com

In person at the following locations: The Red & White Shop, NOFO, Alumni Hall, and Wolfpack Outfitters (NC State Bookstore).

Follow Olly Oxen: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest

H-Street Kitchen

hstreet-front

Located in what was once the Varsity Theater, H-Street Kitchen is the hottest new restaurant on Hillsborough Street, and one of the hottest additions to Raleigh in some time. Designed by New City Design, the finest architects inside the beltline, H-Street does a great job of honoring the past while celebrating the new Hillsborough Street. You’ve probably seen some of my Instagram posts that awarded their food 5 out of 5 beltlines. The food is better than anything else on Hillsborough Street and the atmosphere and service can’t be beat either.

H-Street Kitchen review: great burger, awesome atmosphere. They have wine on tap. 5 out of 5 beltlines. #itbfoodcritic #burgers #wine @hstreetkitchen

A photo posted by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Aug 31, 2016 at 4:27pm PDT

An H-Street gift card would be perfect for friends and family who haven’t dined there yet. ITB Tip: Be sure to make your friends or family pick up your tab with the gift card you bought them.

Hours: Sunday – Thursday 11am – 10pm, Friday – Saturday 11am – midnight

Where to buy: Swing by H-Street to pick up a gift card at 2420 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, NC 27607

Follow H-Street: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

PBX® – Pilates Barre Extreme

Let’s be honest, you’re going to put on some holiday weight, if you haven’t already. You’re going to need to get rid of that holiday weight between now and swimsuit season, or if you’re lucky enough to attend the Fyre Festival. There’s no better way to do so than by taking fitness classes at PBX®. A combination of modern pilates, yoga, barre, and weight training, experience the PBX® method at their Raleigh studio.

PBX® was founded by Broughton alumna, Libby Bradley Burton. Using her background in dance, gymnastics, and pole vaulting, Libby combined the best of pilates, barre, and yoga to create a new method for working out, PBX® pilates barre extreme. This method provides a whole body workout that’s easy on the joints, but with the same results of high impact exercise.

While the workouts are intense, PBX® is for everyone. They offer a variety of classes that fit all fitness levels. From “I eat an anxiety pizza and frozen custard every Sunday night” to “I’m training for my 7th marathon….this month” they have a class that will fit your fitness level.

They offer private classes, group glasses, health counseling, cleanse options, high-end activewear and more. The best part is the printable gift cards so you don’t even have to leave the house to go shopping.

For the holidays they’re offering new clients 4 classes for $50, and the 6 month unlimited package is available for $225 per month, instead of $300 per month.

If you’re lucky, you’ll even see Pickle, a dog of ITB, at your class.

🐶 Pickle is helping check out all our shoppers! #shopsmall Come see us! ☺️ We are here till 5:00! So many cute workout clothes on sale! And a few BOGO classes left! 👯🍾

A photo posted by PBX Pilates Barre Extreme (@pbxpilatesbarreextreme) on Nov 26, 2016 at 11:33am PST

Pricing: classes start at $25, high performance activewear ranges from grips socks ($12-$20) to leggings and crops ($60 to $100).

Where to buy: Shop online for classes and memberships here. Shop online for gift cards here.

In person at the following location:
11211 Galleria Ave.
#106
Raleigh, NC 27614

Follow PBX: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

Humdinger Juice

Humdinger Juice offers fresh, raw and 100% organically grown, cold-pressed juice that keeps Raleigh residents alive. Seriously. While they can’t make claims like that because of the FDA or whatever, I can say anything I want. This juice is legit.

They’re a family run company started by the brother and sister team of Colin Fickes and Mary Holt Collins (Broughton grads, obvi). They’re also Raleigh’s first organic raw cold-pressed juice delivery company. Humdinger offers a full line of single juices, juice cleanses, and weekly subscriptions.

Humdinger has great gift options available for a variety of uses. Cleanse between the holidays, use their juices as mixers for holiday cocktails, set up a weekly recurring order for January, or grab a bottle to calm your nerves when fighting the gridlock of the Harris Teeter parking lot.

During the holidays, buy $50+ in gift certificate(s) and receive a free t-shirt.

Pricing: products range from $4 to $50+ for cleanse packages

Where to buy: Shop for juice online here. Shop for gift cards online here.

In person at the following locations:
Humdinger Juice – Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 3pm and Friday: 11am-2pm
5024 Departure Drive, Unit H
Raleigh NC 27616
Bottega Hair Salon
The Farmery
The Morning Times
NOFO @ The Pig
Ladfingers Caterers
Open Door Yoga
Hungry Leaf
fab’rik
Evolve Movement

Follow Humdinger Juice: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

Quail Ridge Books

Quail Ridge Books is an independent shop with a friendly, knowledgeable staff that provides the best in customer service. Founded in 1984 by Nancy Olson, Quail Ridge offers a wide variety of carefully selected books, events, book clubs, and town hall meetings. Owner Lisa Poole bought the store in 2013 and is dedicated to keeping it local.

Housed in their new location in North Hills (annexed to ITB by Bonner Gaylord), their spacious yet cozy store carries exclusive autographed books, CDs, Vinyl, Cards, Gifts, Calendars, and more. There’s nothing more ITB than getting your Mom a book and telling her you spent hours picking it out, when you really grabbed the first thing you saw on the “Employee Favorites” shelf.

books-2

Quail Ridge is running a great holiday sale through 12/31. Get $10 off your purchase of $25 or more and free shipping on all online orders over $35. Just print or show them this coupon on your phone or tablet at checkout.

Pricing: products range from $5 to $150

Where to buy: online at Quailridgebooks.com.

In person at:
4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road
Raleigh, NC 27609

Hours: Monday – Saturday: 9am – 9 pm; Sunday: 10am – 6pm

Phone: 919-828-1588

Follow Quail Ridge Books: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

Thompson Buick GMC Cadillac

Last but not least, the finest car dealership inside the beltline. In fact, they were inside the beltline before there was a beltline. Thompson is one of the largest Buick GMC & Cadillac dealers in the Southeast. Check out Thompson to find the perfect stocking stuffer, a key to a 2017 Cadillac Escalade.

thompson-escalade

They’ll be running a Christmas BOGO (buy one get one free) special* if you tell them I sent you. Seriously, go tell them that you’re buying a car because you saw them featured in Finley’s Favorite Things: An ITB Holiday Gift Guide. I want someone to say those words in public. There’s a lot riding on this.

Head down to Thompson, but watch out, they employ the classic “you can’t say no to a cute toddler” sales technique.

Pricing: used models starting at $6,700. Escalade pictured above listed at $72,740.

*BOGO deal not actually valid, but it would still be great if you asked them about it.

Where to buy: Thompson is located at
2600 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, NC 27609

Website: http://www.thompsoncars.net/

Phone: 919-926-7680

Follow Thompson Cars: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

This concludes the 2016 Finley’s Favorite Things holiday gift guide. I’ve basically done all your holiday shopping for you, so you’re welcome.

All of these wonderful companies were kind enough to sponsor this post, which supports another local business, ITB Insider™. Contact raleighitb@gmail.com for sponsorship information for 2017.

Holderness Family Signs Puppy to Multi-Year Deal

Published on December 13, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

Use this link or enter the code “ITB” to save 30% on your first order.

The Holderness Family, a globally known internet phenomenon based in Raleigh, made a huge announcement this week. In an effort to expand their media empire, the Holderni signed a multi-year deal with a puppy named Ruby.

Known for viral video hits like “Xmas Jammies”, the husband and wife team of Penn and Kim, along with their children Lola and Penn Charles, have spent the last few years covering family-friendly topics through parody music videos and a morning show on their YouTube channel. The family also has a Food Network Christmas special, airing December 17th at 4:00 pm, and have even developed a board game to capture the emerging “no screen” trend.

So far the family has found success, attracting over 760,000 likes on their Facebook page and over 200,000 subscribers to their YouTube channel. Despite this success, they recently realized they needed to make a change to their business model.

“Dogs are a hot market right now. We really wanted to diversify our content and branch out into dogs. When we saw the success of the Dogs of ITB Instagram account we knew we had to move fast,” said Penn Charles, 6, Creative Director of the family.

Lola, Director of Strategy, added, “A puppy will lighten our workload as well. We spend a lot of time coming up with ways to be cute kids. I can’t tell you how many sugar cookies we had to eat last week while filming a cooking video. Now all we’ll have to do is turn the camera on and point it at the dog. Literally.”

Once they agreed to venture into the canine vertical, the family began searching for a dog to adopt, which resulted in the following:

The trip by Penn and Kim didn’t go over well at first. “They went to pick out the dog without consulting us, which totally goes against protocol. We’re supposed to make business decisions as a family. My main concern was that they would spend $3,000 on a purebred English Cream Golden Retriever, which wouldn’t fit our target demo at all,” said Penn Charles.

Lola quickly added, “Can you imagine the backlash from the social justice warriors on the internet? I can see the clickbait headlines, ‘Whitest family alive gets whiter by buying white purebred dog’. We just don’t have time to deal with that kind of backlash.”

Penn Charles continued, “I’m glad we got a rescue but I still think we’re missing an opportunity by not naming her ‘Rescue’. Now we’re going to have to start every conversation with, ‘This is Ruby. Yeah, she’s a rescue.’ and that’s going to get old REAL fast. This is why it’s hard to work with Kim and Penn sometimes. But at the end of the day I’m sure other family media empires are facing similar challenges. Plus, if I push back too hard during meetings they’ll make me go to bed at 8:00 pm with no dessert.”

image1-copy

The Holderni signed Ruby to a multi-year deal to produce puppy, and, eventually, dog related content. The terms of the deal are still unclear. Insiders have said Ruby was a tough negotiator, oftentimes turning her nose up at an offer before peeing on the carpet and then scampering away.

“Yeah, negotiations were tough,” admitted Penn. “We were just going to sign the dog to a 2 year deal (14 years in dog years) because internet trends are hard to predict. What if dogs go out of style in two years?”

“I mean, we’d obviously keep the dog and love it like family, but if dog content starts to get stale we’d keep the dog off camera like our other child, Jake Holderness,” added Kim, while spraying Resolve on the carpet and blotting up a stain. Note: Jake Holderness, 13, could not be reached for comment.

Expect more dog content from the Holderni, including videos such as, “I Just Wanna Train My Dog Tonight” set to the tune of “Your Love” by The Outfield. Ruby’s first appearance in an official Holderni video can be seen below.

image1-3

Inside the Beer: New Belgium and Ben & Jerry’s Newest Creation

Published on December 7, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

Use this link or enter the code “ITB” to save 30% on your first order.

Review of a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ale

Details on “A Cooler World with Craft Beer, Chocolate, and Ice Cream” at Trophy on Maywood this Saturday

Part of being a growing media empire means that I will occasionally cover stories about brands in exchange for goods or money. This is called “influencer marketing” because ad agencies need a name for what they’re doing and they can’t tell their clients “we’re throwing spaghetti at a wall and seeing what sticks”. Since my media empire is booming (over 18,000 pageviews on ITBinsider.com in November, 3,120+ Instagram followers between @wnfiv and @dogsofitb, 4,900+ Twitter followers, and 1,400+ likes on Facebook) I’m often presented with opportunities to try out products that I enjoy.

I enjoy ice cream. I also enjoy beer. Fortunately, New Belgium and Ben & Jerry’s have come together to combine the two by creating a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ale. Using their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes for inspiration, New Belgium then “whipped hefty doses of chocolate, brown sugar and vanilla into a dough-hued blonde ale base”. According to their site, the result is “a full-bodied beer that seduces with a perfect balance of vanilla and chocolate, and finishes with just the right amount of sweetness”.

I don’t really know what any of that means, I just know that it sounds good. Despite my inability to articulate how beer tastes, New Belgium provided me with a sneak preview of this special release back in September. I finally got around to reviewing it just in time for their event at Trophy this Saturday, which I’ll get to after my review.

Inside the Beer

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ale came in a 6-pack, which was finely constructed using high quality cardboard and visually appealing graphics. The cow wearing ski googles, a toboggan, and a scarf was a nice touch. Perhaps that subconsciously led me to get Chick-fil-A for dinner while trying this beer. Note: my Chick-fil-A was cold by the time I was done taking the perfect picture for Instagram.
images-copy

Anyway, the bottles were well constructed, made of exceptional glass that fit snugly in my hand, and topped with the finest bottle caps known to man. After taking a ton of pictures of the beer, I finally opened the first bottle, expecting a heavy, thick, and sugary experience. Reaffirming my lack of beer knowledge, I realized I was wrong after the first sip. The beer tasted much lighter than I expected, and had a sweet aftertaste. That’s all I’ve got. Sorry beer fans, I don’t even know the words I’m supposed to use while reviewing beer. Hops? Mouthfeel? Head retention? Aroma? All I can say is that I liked the beer.

Verdict: Overall, this beer tasted good and deserves 4 out of 5 beltlines. Note: the only beer to receive 5 out of 5 beltlines is a Coors Light in a Crowley’s pint glass being consumed on the Nelson’s Dance Floor.

beeritb-1

New Belgium, Ben & Jerry’s, and Trophy Walk Into A Bar

To celebrate this collaboration, New Belgium and Ben & Jerry’s are teaming up with Protect Our Winters to hold events around the country focused on fighting climate change, eating ice cream, and drinking beer. I’ve had the luxury of living under the Raleigh weather dome for years, so I don’t know that much about climate change. Apparently, it’s a serious threat outside the beltline.

The next event “A Cooler World with Craft Beer, Chocolate, and Ice Cream” will be held from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm this Saturday, December 10th, at Trophy on Maywood. New Belgium’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ale and Trophy Brewing’s “This ISH is Bananas” Banana Pudding Ale will be paired with Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and chocolate from Videri, located in Raleigh.

Environment NC and North Face are involved as well. You can donate your old clothes and shoes to earn gear with North Face’s “clothes the loop” program at the event. Hopefully, North Face and Videri will realize the power of my media empire and sign me to some sweet endorsement deals as an influencer.

Tab-One, also known as Taylor from Kooley High, and Napoleon Wright II will be performing live along with DJ Rootboi. I’m still trying to convince event organizers to amplify my curated audio project, Finley’s Fire Christmas Playlist, in order to maximize Christmas spirit. They haven’t returned my e-mails for some reason. Check out @newbelgium_rdu on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the event.

Editor’s note: this post was not sponsored by New Belgium. They just gave me free beer. To sponsor ITB Insider™, contact wnfiv@itbinsider.com.

Finley’s Fire Christmas Playlist 2016

Published on December 1, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

It’s December 1st and that means one thing, it is now socially acceptable to listen to Christmas music constantly. Personally, I start listening to Christmas music on November 1st, but I am aware some would consider that extreme. Now that the season is upon us I want to ensure your holidays are accompanied by the finest Christmas songs available on Spotify. Hours were spent carefully curating “Finley’s Fire Christmas Playlist 2016” to provide you with the ultimate soundtrack to the next month of your life. (Mom, many up and coming musicians record “mix tapes” that they describe as “fire” or “straight fire” to indicate that said mix tape is “hot” or popular. That’s why I’m calling this my “Fire Christmas Playlist”. It has nothing to do with actual fires.)

This is a comprehensive list, so don’t be confused when you hear multiple versions of “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. You may not like a few of the more rare tracks, but I can assure you by the 20th listen you’ll love them all. This fire playlist contains over 70 songs and nearly four hours of music, and will continue to be curated throughout the holiday season. Please let me know if I’ve overlooked any classics. This is just one of many new media projects that I’m tirelessly devoting myself to in order to benefit my fellow residents and also score bonus points with Santa. The list is embedded below and, if you have Spotify, you can also follow it through this link.

Additionally, I have determined the top 10 Christmas songs of all time. I created this list in order to stir up a spirited debate so that this post would stay relevant on Facebook for days. Feel free to offer your opinion, but remember, your opinion doesn’t matter if it doesn’t align with mine.

Top 10 Christmas songs of all time

1.) The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
2.) All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
3.) Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
4.) It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams
5.) Sleigh Ride – The Ronettes
6.) Feliz Navidad – José Feliciano
7.) Mele Kalikimaka – Bing Crosby
8.) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – James Taylor
9.) The entire “A Charlie Brown Christmas” album – Vince Guaraldi Trio
10.) Last Christmas – Wham!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Follow Finley’s Fire Christmas Playlist 2016 on Spotify.

Since the theme from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is no longer available on Spotify, I’ve provided the video below.

Google Timelapse Shows Raleigh Over 32 Years

Published on December 1, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

Today’s post is brought to you by Walk West, a full-service digital marketing agency in Raleigh that provides web design, development, and strategy that meets the needs of their clients.

Apparently, Google Timelapse is a thing. I think I had heard of this before but never paid much attention to it. Google Timelapse is a global, zoomable video that lets you see how the Earth has changed over the past 32 years. They combined “over 5 million satellite images over the past three decades from 5 different satellites” to bring us this amazing view. Today, Google released an update adding tons of new data and four more years of imagery that results in the sharpest view of Earth, and more importantly Raleigh, than ever before.

When hearing about this amazing technology, my first thought was “how can I get some pageviews out of this to help my growing media empire?”. The obvious answer is to curate three Timelapse views of Raleigh (embedded below) for your viewing pleasure. I can’t wait to watch this in the next 32 years when we can see the development of the Downtown Raleigh Canal, Dix Jurassic Park, the completion of the weather dome, the Five Points roundabout apartment complex, and many more projects our citizens deserve.

Note: before viewing, you may want to change the setting in the bottom left corner from “Fast” to “Slow” so you can truly take in the horror of watching new apartments being built inside the beltline.

ITB Up Close

ITB and JOTB

OTB

Check out Google Earth Engine for more.

Use this link or enter the code “ITB” to save 30% on your first order.

The Alley’s Final Frame

Published on November 23, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

Use this link or enter the code “ITB” to save 30% on your first order.

Standing behind a counter full of bowling shoes, Chris Poole answered the phone, “This is The Alley, how can I help you?” He paused, “We’re actually closing for good on Sunday.” He paused again, “That’s okay. Gotta make room for a Target.” He didn’t sound mad, or even sad. It was as if he were saying something as simple as, “Yeah, we’ll be closed on Christmas.” He hung up the phone and turned to me, “Someone selling security cameras. Don’t need ‘em.”

With less than a week left in their Hillsborough Street location, security cameras are probably the last thing The Alley needs. By next week, they will have moved everything out to make way for a new Target that will soon be moving in. The Alley will move to a new location in Durham, opening some time in 2017. As Chris prepares for the transition, he took some time to sit down and reflect on the last eight years of running and co-owning a place that Raleigh residents will remember fondly.

While the original bowling alley opened in 1961, the story of The Alley begins in 2008. That’s when Chris’s older brother Jimmy, who was in commercial real estate at the time, was looking to buy the property next to the bowling alley. While working on that deal, Jimmy would walk by and notice how run down the bowling alley was, but was still interested in the space. During the buying process he and Chris thought that it might be fun to take over the business.

“We loved the space and thought ‘It can’t be THAT hard’ even though we knew nothing about bowling. Like, nothing at all,” explains Chris, who was managing his father’s doctor’s office of 100 employees at the time. “I thought this could be a fun opportunity. I basically just said, ‘Let’s give it a shot’.”

Not knowing much about the business, the Poole brothers wisely kept the employees in place while they learned the ropes. “We removed the carpet and added the TVs and the music, which was huge. This place would be dead silent right now, it’d be so awkward,” says Chris. They didn’t want to manage the kitchen, and were fortunate to hire some great employees when next door neighbor Melvin’s Burgers was shut down. The Pooles also added an indoor deck area and bar to create a more inviting space for big groups. And the big groups came.

“One night it just blew up and all of the sudden we had our first hour long wait list,” Chris recalls. “It was absolutely slammed, with what seemed like 8 people on every lane. One guy even pulled out a $100 bill to try to jump the list. I remember making eye contact with Jimmy in the middle of the craziness and I think we both realized we had finally turned the corner.”

lanes

The Pooles kept the alley’s relationship with NC State intact, letting the school continue to teach its bowling course that had been held there for decades. NC State will be cancelling the class temporarily until they can find a solution. “We’ve loved working with NC State and having their students as customers. The Hillsborough Hike nights were always so memorable,” says Chris, referring to the NC State end of semester tradition that turns Hillsborough Street into a bar crawl. “We’d be at capacity for four hours, one in one out. We knew it was kind of getting out of hand when people were running down lanes and literally bowling themselves. At that point we thought ‘Alright, shut it down. What are we doing here’.”

After a few years of success, the brothers decided to expand to a new location in Charleston. “The Alley was like the Little Engine That Could. This business was doing so bad when we took over that it made Jimmy and I get in here and work every single shift from open to close, just to cover payroll. But in doing that you learn how to fix a pin jam, handle all types of customers, patch roof leaks, reset the HVAC, serve food, and do all of that in the same shift. We did absolutely everything. We knew that if we could run this place under these circumstances, there’d be no telling what we could do with new equipment and a blank slate. The Charleston location was just an empty warehouse that we got to build from scratch, which is what I can’t wait to do in Durham.”

end-of-lane-color-2

As we were talking, Chris noticed an older couple approaching the front door from outside. “This is what we’ve seen a ton recently. People want to come in and just see it before it closes. They walk in, come to the top of the steps, look around, and walk out. It’s neat to see.”

The couple entered the building, looked at a picture on the first floor, and then left. Chris laughed, “Hah! They didn’t even make it to the top of the stairs! A kid came in yesterday and says he’s new to the area and wants to check things out. I told him we were actually closing up this location and making room for a Target. He looks at me and says, “Target?!” drops an F-bomb, and just walks off. That was it, haha. When we started posting that Target was coming people said, ‘Oh I thought that was a joke’.”

To be clear, Chris isn’t upset about being replaced by a Target. He knows it’s just business, but knows that the community was fond of this piece of history.

“Honestly, people are genuinely sad about this place shutting down. Growing up I came here every once in awhile for a birthday party or something, but a lot of people came here regularly. One guy walked in last week, pointed at a picture and said, “The first time I was here we went to Brothers Pizza and then came here to bowl.” They’re going to miss this place. It really is an institution.”

Chris and I grabbed a beer and chatted about the time I got a cease and desist letter from The Masters (more on that some other day). As we leaned on the bar that would soon be a checkout lane or shelves full of pumpkin spice Cheerios, two girls walked in wanting to order burgers. Chris thought they were out of burgers, but checked with an employee in the kitchen to make sure. The employee reported back that they had two left. Smiling, Chris turned to the customers and said, “Well then, you two get the last burgers ever.”

The Alley is leaving Hillsborough Street, but has a bright future ahead in Durham. The new spot will be a slightly different concept with more of a focus on the food and bar, and a completely different menu. It won’t be called “The Alley” but it will certainly be a product of everything they’ve learned in Raleigh and Charleston.

“You see these machines?” he asks, as we walked behind the lanes. “These things are ancient, but fascinating. They are so mechanical with so many moving parts. The new machines we’ll have in Durham are what every newer house uses. They’re so much easier to maintain. The maintenance here can be out of control. It’s like dealing with an old house.”

behind-the-lane-20

In addition to the new equipment, he’s excited about the 8 new lanes. “What’s most frustrating is that we were never able to give the serious bowlers a perfect experience. The only complaints we ever had were that the lanes could have been better and I totally get that. To me, it’s like the difference between playing basketball at the PNC arena and an outdoor court.”

Having grown up in Raleigh, attended Broughton, and lived in Raleigh since graduating from Clemson in 2007, the choice of relocating to Durham may seem odd to some. “We thought about downtown Raleigh and looked at some spots there but we couldn’t find anywhere that we were comfortable with. Durham’s got a good feel to it right now. We’re excited.”

In the meantime, The Alley needs to get rid of as much as possible. That’s why they’ll be holding a silent auction from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Sunday, November 27th. 25% of the proceeds will be donated to Team Chris Combs to Strike Out ALS. They’ll be saving some materials to repurpose in the Durham location and will store anything they don’t auction off. “Everything must go. Pins, bowling balls, benches, even the lanes. We can cut sections out to almost any dimension. It’d make a great coffee table,” says Chris.

removing-lane-10

I returned to The Alley the next night to check out a band featuring some of our classmates from Broughton. The place was pretty crowded when I walked in around 10:00 pm. Chris was helping a group of customers and when the crowd cleared for a brief moment I went to say hello and get $10 in quarters to play Hoops Fever, an arcade basketball game that Chris has mastered over the years. Chris saw me and let out a deep breath, “I don’t know if it’s because of the band or what, but three lanes just started having motor problems so I’m working on fixing those.” I asked if there was anything I could help with. He looked at me like I was crazy, “Absolutely not, go grab a beer. We’ll be fine.”

Throughout the rest of the night customers came and went in waves. I watched as he fixed lanes, helped customers, managed the music, talked with people who wanted to reminisce, and more. Even though they’ll be moving from the historic spot on Hillsborough Street, I could tell that Chris was right. With eight years and two locations under their belt, they’ll be just fine.

chris-counter-2

wolfpack-1

lanes-removed

end-of-lane-black-and-white-1

Trolley Pub Almost Ruins Raleigh Christmas Parade

Published on November 21, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

Use this link or enter the code “ITB” to save 30% on your first order.

The events in this story are 100% accurate. This is not a joke. Post updated to include a response from the Trolley Pub owner.

The Raleigh Christmas Parade was almost derailed by a rogue Trolley Pub on Saturday. As you know, the Raleigh Christmas Parade, presented by Shop Local Raleigh, features a variety of groups and organizations from our community that we all know and love. For some reason, the Trolley Pub is allowed to participate, despite the fact that it has nothing to do with Christmas and brings joy to no one. While it is worth noting that the Trolley Pub partners with the American Diabetes Association for the parade, I still loathe 95% of their customers. This year, four Trolley Pubs were scheduled to ride in the parade, yet only three of them ended up participating.

When I posted this Zapruder-like film of the Trolley Pub being extremely loud and obnoxious at 9:30 am I had no idea that I was capturing the moments immediately before this rogue agent would be leaving the Christmas parade.

I thought being woken up by a marathon a few weeks ago was bad. Then this happened. The Trolley Pub in the Christmas parade. Is nothing sacred anymore? Be sure to turn the sound on to hear the guy yelling "REVERSE! REVERSE!"

A post shared by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Nov 19, 2016 at 6:44am PST

After seeing the video, sources reached out to inform me that this particular Trolley Pub was kicked out of the parade because they were being too loud, drunk, and obnoxious. Apparently, the riders had rented the buzzkill on wheels for a 30th birthday party and were told by the company that they would be able to ride in the Christmas parade. A chance to get drunk AND be the center of attention is what these people dream of.

According to two separate sources, the riders began drinking in the early hours of the morning. A parade official approached the group and informed them that alcohol was not allowed in the parade, to which one rider replied, “What?! But the point of this is to get DRUNK.” The parade official clarified that while getting “DRUNK” may be the point of the Trolley Pub, the point of the Christmas parade was to provide family entertainment for the people of all ages in attendance. The riders countered, “But we already paid for this, we’re riding in the parade whether you like it or not.” The parade official warned them that the Raleigh Police Department would have the right to cite them for having open containers in public. They resisted again, gave the official the one finger salute, at which point the parade official gave up to go check on Santa Claus. (Apparently, Santa’s tour rider demands check ins every 15 minutes) The Raleigh Police Department approached the Trolley Pub riders, determined that they were too intoxicated and obnoxious to be in public, and pulled them from the parade. One down, three to go.

A response from the Trolley Pub owner shed more light on the matter:

“This year I was out of town and apparently a tour asked/or was invited to join but were not informed of the rules. Our mistake. When one of the parade officials came up one of the customers got upset but quickly settled down. Management found out and we decided it was best for that group to exit the parade at a convenient point, and the tour agreed. That Trolley was cleared to enter the parade and participated for part of it but left early. So no Trolley Pub was “kicked out”.”

The parade began and crowds looked on in disgust as the remaining unholy trinity of Trolley Pubs slowly chugged down Hillsborough Street.

Uh, @WNFIV? We need to have a conversation about this. pic.twitter.com/LtQHlkmA3J

— Brian LeBlanc (@bdleblanc) November 19, 2016

Trolley Pubs in the parade? Someone alert @WNFIV

— Jay Deadbolt (@JayDeadbolt) November 19, 2016

Where's @WNFIV when you need him?? pic.twitter.com/Ek6g3PhryJ

— Mark Weldon (@tunehunter) November 19, 2016

Some of the best things in Wake County are featured in the parade. Trolley Pub is also in the parade. @WNFIV's favorite! pic.twitter.com/7enUMBvG8A

— Annie Sheffield (@DrywallAnchor) November 19, 2016

Most parents shielded their children from the horror. Some used it as a teaching experience on what not to do in life.

@WNFIV There were three of them. I covered my kids' eyes, then vomited. Outrageous.

— Gene Chianelli (@TheRealEWC) November 19, 2016

@WNFIV My four-year-olds: "What's that, Daddy?" Me: "The apocalypse." True story.

— Gene Chianelli (@TheRealEWC) November 20, 2016

After the Trolley trio had terrorized everyone and almost ruined the entire parade, a miracle happened. The sweet sounds so familiar to many of us could be heard coming down the street. It was the Broughton marching band, bringing the joy of Christmas to all. Once again Broughton saved the day, and no one even had to buy a mattress from them. (I still don’t understand why Broughton moved from selling fruit to selling mattresses to raise money for the marching band.)

@WNFIV will video of @BroughtonHSBand suffice for now? pic.twitter.com/hJllqsqmYp

— Brian Shrader (@wralbrian) November 19, 2016

Well done #Broughton band! pic.twitter.com/jwSuWzfh53

— WNCN (@WNCN) November 19, 2016

Overall, the parade was a huge success and enjoyed by all in attendance. I do have a few minor suggestions for next year:

Parade Improvements

1.) Ban all Trolley Pubs

2.) Add a Dogs of ITB float

3.) Include more Tahoes

4.) Hoverboards – not those fake ones that people break their legs on, the real ones from Back to the Future II. That movie already predicted the Cubs winning the World Series and the rise of Trump (Biff Tannen). Hoverboards can’t be that far off.

5.) More giant inflatable balloons. A Lemon La Croix can, for example.

6.) Famous live performers on floats, including: The Connells, a hologram Michael Jackson, and a hologram Nat King Cole.

7.) A Rise Biscuits float with a biscuit/donut canon that shoots biscuits and donuts out to the crowd.

8.) Felson’s Dance Floor Float – no explanation necessary

While it was good to see one less Trolley Pub in the parade, that’s not enough. I’ll be speaking with parade officials in the coming weeks to determine how to remove the Trolley Pub from the Raleigh Christmas Parade entirely. Stay tuned. And Merry Christmas!

Massive Wine Shortage Caused by Snow at Cameron Village Holiday Open House

Published on November 18, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

Use this link or enter the code “ITB” to save 30% on your first order.

Raleigh is under a state of wine emergency. Sources are reporting a massive shortage of wine after a drastic spike in demand on Thursday night. Wine and global warming experts agree that snow from the Cameron Village Holiday Open House created a panic that caused residents to purchase significantly more wine than normal.

What started as a fun-filled family outing to kick off the holiday season turned into a wine-nightmare. As reports of snow at Village Deli spread throughout the beltline, parents dropped everything to rush to the Cameron Village Harris Teeter to purchase almond milk, cage-free eggs, bread, and as much wine as they could fit into their shopping carts.

“When I heard the word “snow”, I ran out of my barre class and texted the sitter to keep my 2.5 kids for an extra hour. I sped to the store, bought as much wine as I could, loaded up the Suburban, and headed home before the gridlock,” said one ITB mother, decked out in lululemon and chugging a Pamplemousse La Croix from her Swell bottle to rehydrate.

Other mothers dropped their kids off at Parlor Blow Dry Bar to be entertained by Elsa from Frozen before proceeding to raid the Harris Teeter shelves for Chardonnay and Merlot.

Stop ✋🏼 what you're doing and go up to @parlorblowdrybar. Elsa is here. #elsa #CVopenhouse

A post shared by Cameron Village (@shopcameronvillage) on Nov 17, 2016 at 4:11pm PST

Some of the children were even left at Parlor overnight, to be picked up by mothers the following morning after attending their flywheel class.

Unable to take their children to see Elsa, some parents were forced to let their children ride the holiday ferris wheel, located in the parking lot next to the Fresh Market.

Cameron Village Holiday Open House so lit right now.

A post shared by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Nov 17, 2016 at 3:19pm PST

“We figured this was safer than taking our kids to the State Fair. We trust York to put on an event that doesn’t put our kids in danger,” said one parent, holding a half-empty bottle of wine.

At first it appeared that Cameron Village was simply attempting to put on a nice holiday event for residents. But after further investigation, it seems that they carefully orchestrated the entire event in order to drive up wine sales. They knew that the mere mention of snow would send residents into a frenzy. And what could be better for business than a bunch of wine drunk parents packing the sidewalks of the upscale speciality retail destination center? We discovered exclusive video evidence of Cameron Village preparing to manipulate the weather, and in broad daylight!

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas over here…are you ready for Open House? 5pm. Snow sled, Ferris Wheel, SANTA and more. #cvopenhouse

A post shared by Cameron Village (@shopcameronvillage) on Nov 17, 2016 at 1:03pm PST

The silver lining in this wine-ageddon is that it’s almost Christmas. If this video doesn’t get you jacked up for the holiday season, I don’t know what will.

Coffee and caroling @beneluxcoffee #CVopenhouse

A post shared by Cameron Village (@shopcameronvillage) on Nov 17, 2016 at 3:53pm PST

A Beautiful Experience Launches in Raleigh

Published on November 16, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

Use this link or enter the code “ITB” to save 30% on your first order.

Chris Brunner looked sharp. Wearing a dark blazer, dress shirt, khaki slacks, and loafers, he stood by a table in downtown Raleigh’s Vita Vite ready for his big launch. On the table next to him were dozens of copies of his new book, A Beautiful Experience. He had worked for months to self-publish and promote the book, which features a selection of his pictures taken over the past few years.

Chris has always enjoyed taking photographs, especially of Raleigh and especially of sunsets. He began sharing these photos on his personal Instagram account, @brunner_chris. After receiving a ton of positive feedback he decided to launch his own venture, CLB Images, with an accompanying Instagram account, @CLB.images. In just over a year, the account has amassed over 1,300 followers from all over the country, including fans in Raleigh, New York, Denver and more. (I’ve included a few of my favorite CLB images at the end of this post.)

To capitalize on this popularity and growing following, Chris obtained a booth in the Cheshire Cat Gallery to sell prints of his photos. He also set out on creating a photography book that would feature some of his favorite images. After months of work he finally had a finished product. Chris began building anticipation for the book, offering giveaways from local businesses leading up to the launch party at Vita Vite.

Celebration still continues for my photography book A Beautiful Experience! Like this post and your name will be entered into a drawing for a 25.00 gift card to H Street Kitchen! The winner will be announced on Tuesday morning! Once again thanks so much everyone for all the support! @clb.images #supportlocalbusiness #shoplocal

A post shared by Clb Images (@clb.images) on Nov 6, 2016 at 3:15pm PST

The crowd inside Vita Vite grew larger as the night went on, filling with friends from Broughton and Raleigh, all eager to purchase A Beautiful Experience. Attendees sipped rosé and snacked on charcuterie plates while entering contests to win prizes from the likes of Bald Head Blues, Gena Chandler, Tradition Scarves, and more. In between taking group pictures and selling copies of his book, Chris took time to speak with friends and thank everyone for attending. “Turning my love of photography into this new venture has truly been a life changing and amazing experience for me! I’m looking forward to many exciting things ahead. Thanks to everyone for all the support!,” said Brunner. Obviously, the evening would not be complete without a photograph.

What awesome/special night celebrating my new photography book A Beautiful Experience! @zackrobbins @dsartorio @katherinemccullen @carrmclamb @willrroach22 @lindsaylrice @sjfabulous @jomo_risin @brunner_chris @clb.images

A post shared by Clb Images (@clb.images) on Nov 11, 2016 at 7:21pm PST

By the end of the night, Chris had lost his voice from talking with each and every guest. When asked how everything went, he raised the roof, gave two thumbs up, and hoarsely said, “This was fantastic.” It was a beautiful experience, indeed.

A Beautiful Experience is now available for $18 in the heart of ITB at The Cheshire Cat Gallery, located in Cameron Village.

Courtesy of CLB Images

Rainbow sunset in The City Of Oaks on a crisp Wednesday evening, a much needed reminder of the beauty of nature that surrounds us! @clb.images #raleigh #sunset #rainbow #fall #northcarolina

A post shared by Clb Images (@clb.images) on Nov 9, 2016 at 2:27pm PST

A crisp fall Election Day eve in Downtown Raleigh. @clb.images #raleigh #downtownraleigh #nightphotography #electiondayeve #fall #northcarolina

A post shared by Clb Images (@clb.images) on Nov 7, 2016 at 4:33pm PST

Fall at the NC Museum Of Art Park. A beautiful weekend this past weekend to take some awesome pictures. One of my favorite spots in Raleigh to relax! @clb.images #raleigh #fall #ncmuseumofart #visitnc #reflections #northcarolina

A post shared by Clb Images (@clb.images) on Nov 1, 2016 at 5:17am PDT

2016 NC State Fair. @clb.images #raleigh #ncstatefair #sunset #northcarolina #onlythreemoredays

A post shared by Clb Images (@clb.images) on Oct 10, 2016 at 3:58pm PDT

What a awesome sunset/sky to end this Monday in Raleigh! Loved photographing this sunset tonight! @clb.images #raleigh #sunset #sky #fall #northcarolina

A post shared by Clb Images (@clb.images) on Oct 3, 2016 at 5:18pm PDT

Memorial Day in Downtown Raleigh along Fayetteville St. @clb.images #raleigh #downtownraleigh #memorialday #clouds #sky #fayettevillestraleigh

A post shared by Clb Images (@clb.images) on May 30, 2016 at 10:37am PDT

First signs of spring in Downtown Raleigh. @clb.images #downtownraleigh #spring

A post shared by Clb Images (@clb.images) on Mar 4, 2016 at 5:51pm PST

Downtown Raleigh Warehouse District this past weekend. @clb.images #downtownraleigh

A post shared by Clb Images (@clb.images) on Jan 11, 2016 at 7:02am PST

Today is #nationalphotographyday. This photo, one of my favorites from earlier this year that I captured in Sullivans Island SC. Photography is truly something I love and has given me a much need perspective and point of view on life! Feeling thankful! @clb.images #sullivansisland #southcarolina #sunset #sun #sky #ocean #thankful

A post shared by Clb Images (@clb.images) on Aug 19, 2016 at 8:56am PDT

Thinking back to a beautiful sunset at Atlantic Beach this summer! One of my favorite beaches to go to and to unwind/relax! This image will also be on a postcard in the coming weeks! @clb.images #atlanticbeach #sunsets

A post shared by Clb Images (@clb.images) on Oct 2, 2015 at 6:04pm PDT

Why I Skipped Sunday Brunch

Published on November 15, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

80 Fresh Today’s post is brought to you by 80Fresh, a local company that delivers balanced, home cooked meals to your door. Use this link and enter code “ITB” to receive 30% off of your first order.

The Sunday Supper Raised Over $100,000 for Hurricane Matthew Relief

It takes a lot for me to miss Sunday brunch. It takes even more to alter my current Sunday routine of waking up, reading social media for an hour, going to brunch, napping, watching football, napping, eating an anxiety pizza and/or Goodberry’s for dinner, and then watching whatever hit show is on HBO (Westworld). While many enjoy spending their Sunday afternoons at food truck rodeos, “Sunday Fundays”, and being outdoors, I much prefer my routine. If Saturdays are for the boys, then Sundays are for me.

This week, I decided to make an exception to my routine after hearing about The Sunday Supper, a community fundraiser put on by Eckel & Vaughan and Kohn Associates to support those impacted by Hurricane Matthew. From The Sunday Supper site:

“Early estimates suggest Hurricane Matthew had a devastating impact of over $1.5 billion for eastern North Carolina with more than 100,000 structures and countless farm operations impacted by historic flooding. Our friends, our families, and our farmers are hurting – and will be for years to come. The Sunday Supper is an opportunity for North Carolinians to unite, support each other, and help our neighbors recover and rebuild.”

Obviously this was for a great cause, but what intrigued me the most was that The Sunday Supper would be held in the middle of Fayetteville Street on a Sunday afternoon. To my knowledge, this had never been done before. And with only 1,000 tickets available, I was assured this would be an exclusive ITB event. So on Sunday, I joined over 1,000 people at two long tables stretching from Morgan Street to Martin Street to dine on barbeque, Brunswick stew, and more, all to help raise funds for Hurricane Matthew relief.

A stage was set up near the capitol where Mayor McFarlane and others talked about the importance of continuing to help the rest of our state. The supper also included performances by Big Fat Gap, the Shaw University Gospel Choir, Meredith Jones & The Dreammakers, and ITB’s own LowBröw.

LowBröw, one of ITB’s finest, playing at The Sunday Supper. 5 out of 5 beltlines. #ITBmusiccritic @sundaysuppernc

A photo posted by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Nov 13, 2016 at 5:04pm PST

Event organizers estimate that over $100,000 was raised by selling tickets and from many Raleigh businesses (listed below) who donated 10% of their Sunday proceeds to the event. You can still donate here.

In addition to raising money for charity, shutting down the streets made it impossible for Trolley Pubs to ruin the beautiful weather and Sunday afternoon. Plus, this Instagram got over 225 likes, which validates my self-worth.

Fantastic event in downtown Raleigh today. Over 1,000 people attended The Sunday Supper to raise money for Hurricane Matthew relief. Huge thanks to all the folks who helped put the event together. @sundaysuppernc @shoplocalraleigh @raleighgov

A photo posted by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Nov 13, 2016 at 1:25pm PST

While it was totally out of character for me to attend The Sunday Supper, it was totally worth it. I look forward to seeing how our community can come together in the coming months to help those impacted by Hurricane Matthew. Maybe next time they’ll serve French toast from Capital Club 16. Verdict: 5 out of 5 beltlines

america-2

Businesses that donated 10% of their Sunday proceeds.

businesses

Special thanks to those who helped put on the event.
partners-1 partners-2

Don’t Vote for William Finley IV

Published on November 8, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

80 Fresh Today’s post is brought to you by 80Fresh, a local company that delivers balanced, home cooked meals to your door. Use this link and enter code “ITB” to receive 30% off of your first order.

Whatever you do, DO NOT write in “William Finley IV” for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor. I know I asked for your vote less than 24 hours ago, but let me explain. I know a ton about water, specifically La Croix. I even designed a special can for inside the beltline a few months ago.

Introducing ITB flavored La Croix. Tastes like greatness. Note: I’m partially colorblind so if this design isn’t visually appealing to you elitists with normal vision, sorry I’m not sorry. #lacroix @lacroixwater

A photo posted by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Sep 14, 2016 at 3:11pm PDT

I drink three cans of La Croix each day and I’m pretty sure it’s why I have indigestion. It was this dedication to water that compelled me to run for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor the day before the election. I’ve run for office in the past with varying degrees of success.

In 2014

Yes!!! Thank you for your vote! I won't let our ITB soil or water down. RT @NCRadicalEd: Enjoy your new post @WNFIV pic.twitter.com/0CQSJSkqw8

— William N. Finley IV (@WNFIV) November 4, 2014

In 2015, (I don’t recall what I ran for in this election. City Council maybe?)

.@RaleighReporter @WNFIV At-Large: William N Finley IV: 1 vote, William Needham Finley IV: 1 vote

— greg flynn (@gregflynn) October 14, 2015

The 2015 election taught me a valuable lesson. I needed to rally my base around a single name. So last night I asked everyone to write in “William Finley IV” if they wanted to support my dream of being Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor. I came up with campaign slogans, made a campaign commercial, touted my experience, and developed my platform.

Campaign Slogans
A case of La Croix in every refrigerator and an SUV in every garage.

Read my lips, no new La Croix flavors.

Are you better off than you were whenever we last voted on the Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor?

It’s soil and water, stupid.

Campaign Commercial
My PAC spent $60,000 dollars making this commercial.

My Experience
2007 – Founded ITB Insider™ (originally nelsonsbroughtonitb.blogspot.com)

2012 – Went to the London Olympics.

2016 – Started a startup – created 1 job.

2016 – Launched Dogs of ITB on Instagram to give Raleigh citizens a break from the never ending election coverage.

2016 – Brought Foster’s, Nelson’s, and Felson’s back for an anti-campaign music festival, Don’t Jump, It’s Almost Over.

My Platform
Build a pipeline to the La Croix factory so that Raleigh residents can have La Croix on tap.

Flood downtown to create the downtown Raleigh canal.

After talking with campaign staff, I realized that there would be meetings, decisions, and a lot of work associated with the position. That’s way too much for someone who is already running a growing media empire. Plus, I don’t know anything about soil and that’s like half the job apparently. As a result, I fully endorse Marshall Harvey for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor. I’m proud of the race that I ran, but I just don’t really want to do the job. Thank you all for your support.

An Inside Look at a Raleigh Relief Effort

Published on November 2, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

It was a Saturday night and I was at a charity masquerade party in the heart of ITB (more on this later), when I received the following text from my friend, Richard Averitte.

“So my company Blue Sky Partner Management is going down to Lumberton to prepare meals. Also going to collect items for the flood victims. Can you help promote it?”

I replied:
“Sure. Glad to help. Let’s chat tomorrow. I’m currently at a party in the Freemason Lodge and I think I’m about to get sacrificed or initiated into the Illuminati. Either way it’s a win/win.”

Not only is Richard the Recruiting Director for Blue Sky Partner Management, a Raleigh company that manages Smithfield’s Chicken ’N Bar-B-Q corporate stores and some of their franchise locations, he’s also an all-around great guy. So when Richard asked for help, I was more than willing to put my growing startup on hold for whatever he needed.

I learned more about the plans after talking with Richard on Sunday. The goal was simple, feed as many people as possible and deliver much needed donations to Lumberton. The idea started with Mandy Carpenter, a registered nurse at the hospital in Lumberton, who is a former employee of Blue Sky CEO David Harris. “She called Mr. Harris to ask if he could donate a few meals because she wanted to do something for those affected by the flood. We had wanted to do something anyway and we saw this as our opportunity,” said Averitte.

While many parts of the state were devastated by Hurricane Matthew, Lumberton and its citizens mean a lot to Blue Sky. “This area holds a special place in our heart in that the Lumberton opening was a major chapter in the Smithfield’s Chicken ’N Bar-B-Q history. Personally, Lumberton is a special place to me, as I lived in neighboring Red Springs from age 10-18 and have many fond memories of Lumberton,” said Averitte.

The idea of a few lunches being served turned into a much bigger event when CEO David Harris got involved. He wanted Blue Sky to cover everything and reached out to a few vendors to see what they could contribute. Harris received donations from US Foods, Meat Products Inc, Coca-Cola, and Franklin Bread Company. Harris brought two large cookers, and actually purchased a third on site after one stopped working, and seven colleagues from Blue Sky to help cook and serve lunch to the Lumberton community.

In addition to lunch, Blue Sky sought out donations of much needed supplies. “Since we were going down there, I saw this an opportunity to bring supplies. I asked my contact in Lumberton to give me a list of the most needed items. I knew many of my Raleigh neighbors wanted to help so I just tried to put the word out,” said Averitte.

That’s when Richard reached out to see if I could help spread the word. On Monday, I shared a simple Facebook post that informed people of the need for donations. I also asked my Mom to reach out to her ITB garden club and neighbors. Less than 48 hours later the donations poured in.

We’re gonna need a bigger Tahoe, @richarda1972. Still time to donate. More than happy to come pick things up. Huge thanks to everyone who donated, @parlorblowdrybar @personstreetpharmacy @galateatogo @timbhunter and many more.

A photo posted by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Oct 26, 2016 at 12:06pm PDT

From local businesses like Person Street Pharmacy, who ordered toiletries and cleaning supplies, to Galatea Boutique, whose customers had dropped off canned goods, water, and other items, the support was amazing.

paper-towels

On Thursday, we set off for Lumberton with two Tahoes worth of supplies. (Side note: one completely full Tahoe is equal to two mid-sized SUVs.) We arrived and unloaded the donated supplies. Within 45 minutes almost everything was gone.

water-and-supplies

The group from Blue Sky spent the next four hours cooking and serving the following menu:
600 hot dogs
500 hamburgers
30 pounds of chili
300 chicken breasts
50 pounds of flounder
300 taquitos
125 pounds of baked beans
125 pounds of corn
1,100 buns
500 cases of water
1,200 cans of soda

harris — Blue Sky CEO David Harris (left) and colleagues preparing lunch.

richard-a

line-2
By around 3:00 pm there wasn’t an ounce of food left. Having fed hundreds of Lumberton residents, the group from Blue Sky cleaned up the area, packed up their trucks, and headed home.

While there’s obviously still more work to be done, it was nice to have an opportunity to actually go to an area in need and provide help. There are still plenty of ways to donate:

NC Disaster Relief Fund

Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina

The Salvation Army Hurricane Matthew Relief Efforts

Also, I’m working on another super ITB opportunity to get involved in the relief efforts. I’ll share more details soon.

Special thanks to the following, who were able to donate on short notice:
Blue Sky Partner Management
Galatea Boutique
Parlor Blow Dry Bar
Person Street Pharmacy
Thompson Buick-GMC-Cadillac
Tim Hunter
Various other individuals

The Best Dogs of ITB Halloween Costumes

Published on November 1, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

Today’s post is brought to you by Walk West, a full-service digital marketing agency in Raleigh that provides web design, development, and strategy that meets the needs of their clients.

Dogs of ITB is taking Instagram by storm. If you aren’t following this adorable new vertical within the ITB Insider™ media empire you’re missing out on life. In order to leverage the synergy of cute dogs and Halloween costumes, I planned on having a contest where people could vote on the dog with the best costume. It turns out the competition was just too tough, and I also couldn’t decide on the criteria. Are we voting on the most ITB costume worn by a dog? I assume that would be something like a dog in a 2017 Suburban drinking a pumpkin spice latte while checking Micit (it’s pronounced “Mick-it”, people) in the Root or Lacy pickup line, while smoke from a burning mansion slowly rises in the distance. Or are we voting on the most ITB dog in a costume? That would probably be a purebred Golden Retriever or Black/Yellow Lab with a trust fund wearing whatever costume it felt like that day.

As you’ll see, some costumes are way more ITB than others (the Pure Barre Golden Retriever, for example). I’ll iron out the logistics before we do this again next year. Until then, I present to you the 2016 best Halloween costumes donned by dogs of ITB.

Teddy – a camel. He’s so excited about his costume that he can’t even keep his eyes open.
teddy-camel
Lucy and Paxton – the Pope vs. Satan, Good vs. Evil, ITB vs. OTB.

Emy Lu – 1/2 lb hamburger steak sandwich from Char-Grill.
emy-lu-2
Scout – a cowboy that enjoys Tahoe rides to Atlantic Beach.
scout-cowboy
Deke – The Lion King, overlooking everything that the light touches.

Raisin – a Sushi Roll from Mura.
raisin-sushi

Nancy Reagan the Cav, as herself.
nancy-reagan-the-cavalier
Porter – a Rufferee.
porter-ref
Stella – a Pure Barre class participant. #LTB (that’s lift. tone. burn. for the uninitiated).
stella-pure-barre
Daisy Belle – one Dalmatian.
daisy-belle-new
Peggy – a raging bull.
peggy
Darth Vader vs. Obi Wan Kenobi
vader-obi-wan
Stella – a State fan after last week, and the week before, and the week before that.
stella-mad-state-fan-new
Porter – a unicorn.
porter-unicorn

Stella – as Jaws.
stella-shark

Pickle – a hotdog from Snoopy’s.
pickle-new
Milly – a crayon.

Bailey – a reluctant dinosaur
bailey
Special thanks to everyone who sent in pictures. To have your dog featured on Dogs of ITB, e-mail pictures to dogsofitb@gmail.com.

Inside the State Fair’s Best in Show Pumpkin

Published on October 26, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

80 Fresh Today’s post is brought to you by 80Fresh, a local company that delivers balanced, home cooked meals to your door. Use this link and enter code “ITB” to receive 30% off of your first order.

Now that I’m a full-time media empire startup company, it’s my job to find relevant and entertaining content for you all to consume. There’s no better place for finding said content than the North Carolina State Fair. I returned to the State Fair despite having a bad taste in my mouth from being ignored by Vanilla Ice a few years ago. I figured I could do an ITB food critic review of all the deep fried delicacies, which I’ll post tomorrow. What I didn’t expect, was to end up interviewing the gentleman who grew the 685 pound pumpkin that was named Best in Show.

While taking a break after eating my deep fried Reese’s Oreo (4 out of 5 beltlines), I walked through the Expo Center full of gigantic vegetables and regular sized livestock. When I came across the award winning pumpkins I knew I had to post something about how they would be turned into pumpkin spice lattes for basic Raleigh residents. An ITB reader let me know that her father, Sam Jenkins III, was the owner and grower of the blue ribbon winning pumpkin.

From today’s State Fair trip. These pumpkins were sold to Starbucks and will be used to make 6 million pumpkin spice lattes that will be consumed by Raleigh residents this fall. @ncstatefair #fairfacts #pumpkin #pumpkinspice #starbucks @starbucks

A photo posted by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Oct 18, 2016 at 5:15pm PDT

Not only did his pumpkin win Best in Show, but his name contains Roman numerals. I obviously had to talk with Mr. Jenkins III to learn more. Below is our interview.

WNFIV: First, congratulations on growing a pumpkin that was best in show, not only inside the beltline, but inside the entire state.

Jenkins III: Thanks, I actually grew the pumpkin in Elizabeth City, but our passion for growing pumpkins began at our Raleigh home many years ago.

pumpkin-1

WNFIV: Don’t worry, Elizabeth City is an ITB satellite location because my grandmother lived there for a few years. Anyway, how did you get into growing pumpkins and how long have you been doing this?

Jenkins III: I have always loved the thought of giant vegetables and I’ve actually been growing several different kinds for several years. I heard about the Atlantic Giant Pumpkin through another grower friend. He gave me my first plant in 2010. I have been obsessed with growing the largest pumpkin possible ever since.

WNFIV: And was this your first entry into the North Carolina State Fair?

Jenkins III: This was my third entry. I won 5th place in 2013. We had 2 pumpkins in 2014 that won 1st and 2nd place in the “true to type” category. This year was special as I won Best in Show!

WNFIV: Sounds like the third time’s a charm. So what goes in to growing an award winning 685 pound pumpkin?

Jenkins III: A LOT of hard work, constant daily evaluations, checking amendments, and hours and hours of insect repelling. A lot of tender, love, and care.

WNFIV: Wow, I wish my parents loved me that much. And how did you transport the pumpkin to the State Fair? Would it fit in a Tahoe?

Jenkins III: I supposed it could fit in a Tahoe. We used a pickup truck and loaded the pumpkin using a forklift.

WNFIV: I noticed that one of the other pumpkins in my picture was purchased by a brewery. Will they actually use it to make pumpkin beer?

Jenkins III: Aviator Brewing Company is making a pumpkin beer from what I hear. At the time of judging you decide whether or not your pumpkin will be up for sale. I’ll be giving this pumpkin to my grandchildren. That’s worth more than any dollar amount anyone or any brewery could offer.

WNFIV: It’s getting dusty in here. That’s the nicest thing I’ve ever heard. Do they use pumpkins like this for making pumpkin spice lattes?

Jenkins III: I’m not “basic” enough to know for sure, but the thing about large pumpkins is that there are a lot of chemicals involved. Although, the majority of my fertilizer was organic fish emulsion and seaweed.

WNFIV: “Organic fish emulsion and seaweed” sounds like the next concept restaurant on Person Street. How much do these pumpkins sell for? If this is a profitable venture I may need to add “pumpkin growing” as a new vertical in my media empire.

Jenkins III: A contest in California gives $7 a pound, but I believe the other large pumpkins at the NC State Fair sold for only about $350. Honestly, it takes so much work to nurture a pumpkin of this size. I wouldn’t see it being profitable, unless you had an army of pumpkin growers working for you.

WNFIV: An army of pumpkin growers….I do have a lot of friends with small children….the cost of labor would be low….sorry, I’ll think about that more later. So from here the pumpkin goes to your grandchildren. I was really hoping I could carve the shape of the beltline into it and put it on display at Broughton.

Jenkins III: As I said before, the pumpkin’s going to my grandchildren but you are more than welcome to carve the beautiful ITB logo into it. The trip to Elizabeth City is a nice one.

WNFIV: I may just take you up on that. Will you be back competing again next year?

Jenkins III: If the Lord is willing. Pumpkin growing is a great hobby and I believe you will see this trend continue to grow. I would love to share some seeds with you. Thanks for taking the time to interview me.

WNFIV: The pleasure was all mine. I’d love to try my hand at pumpkin growing. Thanks for your time, and congratulations once again.

“Sam’s Seeds”, NC State Fair Blue Ribbon Pumpkin Seeds, are now available for purchase. E-mail papspumpkinpatchseeds@gmail.com for more information. Also, stay tuned for ITB themed pumpkin carving designs that will be released this week.

pumpkin-3

pumpkin-2

The Return of The Fresh Market

Published on October 6, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

80 Fresh Today’s post is brought to you by 80Fresh, a local company that delivers balanced, home cooked meals to your door. Use this link and enter code “ITB” to receive 30% off of your first order.

Our long beltline nightmare is over. After being closed for what felt like years, The Fresh Market in Cameron Village has finally reopened, bigger and better than ever. The store had originally planned to expand into the underground space that was formerly home to the Village Subway, also known as “the Underground” to people who don’t know what they’re talking about. After The Fresh Market changed those plans, new plans to open a bar in the Village Subway have begun, which I already know about because I’m a journalist now. I’ll share more details when the time is right. Anyway, The Fresh Market announced that, from September 21st to September 27th, it would be closed for renovations, but that it would definitely reopen on September 28th.

fresh-market-renovation
More ridiculous than the actual closing was the suggestion that residents go to Cary or Falls of the Neuse Road for their Fresh Market needs. People did not handle this news well.

Jesus, take the wheel. ITB mom panics over gas shortage and The Fresh Market being closed in the same week, drives into church on Brooks and Clark. #gaspocalypse #freshmarketgeddon #itbnn #news #mediaempire

A photo posted by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Sep 21, 2016 at 7:43am PDT

While the above example is an extreme reaction, most residents bemoaned the closing and survived on trips to the Cameron Village Harris Teeter and delicious meals delivered to their door by 80Fresh (use the code “ITB” to save 30% off of your first order). Then things got worse.

Everyone take a deep breath. The Fresh Market in Cameron Village will be closed until October 1st. @shopcameronvillage @thefreshmarket ?: @gogoraleigh #ITBNN

A photo posted by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Sep 27, 2016 at 5:50pm PDT

Panic ensued when it was announced that the reopening would be delayed to October 1st. Residents commented things like “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!”, “Life just isn’t the same until then”, and “Whole Foods just doesn’t cut it”. Fortunately, 80Fresh was there to meet their dinner needs.

As October 1st came and went, residents went into a full on state of hysteria when it was revealed that there was no known reopening date.

ITBNN: The Fresh Market is still closed. We now have no idea when it will reopen. Please try to stay calm while we investigate. #freshmarketgate

A photo posted by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Oct 1, 2016 at 7:36am PDT

As a journalist, it was my duty to get to the bottom of this story. So last Saturday, after going to the ABC store before a tailgate, I walked over to The Fresh Market and overheard an employee tell someone that the store would be open by Wednesday. I then posted that information to social media. You can mail my Pulitzer to 723 St. Mary’s Street, because I’ll be dedicating it to Broughton.

ITBNN BREAKING: A Fresh Market employee claims they will be open by Wednesday. “We just weren’t ready yet.” #freshmarketgate

A photo posted by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Oct 1, 2016 at 9:06am PDT

Wednesday finally arrived and I began to hear rumors that the store was officially open. I set out to investigate and get some #content for my media empire. Behold, the glory of the newly renovated Fresh Market.

inside Food.

inside-2

inside-1

milk Milk that will be sold out within 15 minutes of any mention of the words “snow” or “ice”.

beer Beer.

la-croix La Croix. Obvi.

And last, but certainly not least, they have pumpkin spice pumpkins.

pumpkins

juice-copy The $4 juice that I bought so I wouldn’t look like a weirdo walking into a grocery story and taking a bunch of pictures without buying anything.

Bask in its glory. I won’t go into a detailed review, mainly because The Fresh Market didn’t pay me for this and I’ve already given them enough free advertising. The real hero here is 80Fresh and the nutritious meals they provided during our time of need to keep our entire population from starving to death.

Another exceptional @80_fresh meal. Mango jalapeño jerk chicken with cilantro herb rice and shoestring vegetables. 5 out of 5 beltlines. #itbfoodcritic #dinner #startups #content #ad #mediaempire . . . @raleighfoodpics #raleigh #food #foodie #dinner

A photo posted by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Oct 5, 2016 at 5:44pm PDT

Galifianakis Talks Bojangles’ and Asheville on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Published on September 28, 2016 in ITBNN by William Needham Finley IV @WNFIV

Use this link or enter the code “ITB” to save 30% on your first order.

North Carolina hero Zach Galifianakis joined Masterminds co-stars Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week. Galifianakis already made the Raleigh social media rounds due to sporting a Schoolkids Records shirt on the show.

ITBNN: Zach Galifianakis wore a Schoolkids Records t-shirt on Jimmy Kimmel last night. #itblessed #itbmz #shoplocal @shoplocalraleigh @schoolkidsrecords

A photo posted by William Needham Finley IV (@wnfiv) on Sep 27, 2016 at 5:50am PDT

It wasn’t until I watched the following clip that I learned about their affinity for Asheville and Bojangles’.

As we all know, Galifianakis was born and raised in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, attended NC State, and worked at Amedeo’s before becoming famous. During his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel, he joked about owning a farm, which was featured in a Kanye West music video.

Can’t Tell Me Nothin’ from Zach Galifianakis

Galifianakis and Wiig had great things to say about Asheville and North Carolina. Wiig commented on the weekly drum circles held in Asheville. This isn’t a joke, watch the video. Wiig also talked about creating a newspaper called “The Actors’ Gazette” to keep the crew updated on what the cast had been up to on the weekends. The paper featured a crossword puzzle, with clues like “7 letters: a producer does this” answer “nothing”, along with restaurant reviews from Galifianakis.

Galifianakis talked about reviewing Bojangles’ twice, one review of the restaurant and one of the drive-thru. The next day a Bojangles’ Hummer showed up on set with “pieces of chicken” for the cast and crew.

Owen Wilson just sort of sat there quietly, most likely due to smoking Peyote for six straight days. Masterminds, which was filmed in Asheville and western North Carolina, comes out this Friday, September 30, 2016.

broughton - page 14

332 result(s) found.

Residents Fear Dave & Buster’s and Other Rumored Buyers

More on the Gables Motor Lodge

Week of January 9, 2017

Real Estate Report

With Your Permit-ssion

Site Unseen

A Zest for Zoning

Tradition Scarves

Olly Oxen

H-Street Kitchen

PBX® – Pilates Barre Extreme

Humdinger Juice

Quail Ridge Books

Thompson Buick GMC Cadillac

Review of a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ale

Details on “A Cooler World with Craft Beer, Chocolate, and Ice Cream” at Trophy on Maywood this Saturday

Inside the Beer

New Belgium, Ben & Jerry’s, and Trophy Walk Into A Bar

The Sunday Supper Raised Over $100,000 for Hurricane Matthew Relief