With these two Wilmington-area businesses, it's all about grazing and noshing

Call it snacking, girl dinner, noshing or graze-style dining, making a meal of a few simple things, like meats, cheeses and fruit, isn't new. But the trend is getting new life with viral social media videos and as a growing segment of the restaurant business.

The concept covers a lot, from smaller, less expensive bites (like stuffed pretzels) to charcuterie. Adding meat and cheese boards is a top menu trend, according to the National Restaurant Association. There is even the Graze Craze franchise, which now has 42 locations in 20 states including two in North Carolina.

But creating beautiful displays of sweet and savory foods has led to birth of a handful of smaller businesses in the Wilmington area, like Rebecca’s Charcuterie Board and Seaside Charcuterie.

Now, at least two of them are taking bigger steps to grow. HOST & Graze opened as a storefront at 7645-5 High Market St. in Sunset Beach three years ago and now owner Lindsay Ransom is planning to open a second in the Arboretum West area near Mayfaire and Ogden.

And Ericka Mitchell moved her business, Grateful Graze, into a storefront at 1616 Shipyard Blvd. in Wilmington in October. She’s been using the commercial kitchen at a former cafe, The Lunchbox, to make her grazing boards.

“But I’ve slowly been working on the customer area,” she said, where people will be able to enjoy a board with a glass of wine, beer or another beverage. “I don't really want to open a restaurant. ... But I love this idea of sharing food with friends and family.”

And she’s hoping to create a warm and cozy atmosphere and a place for people to have that experience.

But transitioning to a storefront isn’t necessarily easy, Ransom said.

“There was a huge learning curve,” she said. But it made sense to open a space because prior to that, she would drive to deliver boards to customers throughout the area.  In the new location, which she hopes will officially open in May, she’ll have grab-and-go goods, wine and beer by the glass or bottle, and a space to sit down and dine in.

“There will be the option to build your own charcuterie,” she said. “Although we will have some pre-selected boards, too.

The Wilmington store is in the former Port City Java location, and she also plans to use the existing drive-thru for pick-up orders. There will also be space for private events.

And Mitchell said she wants her space to be a little like your friend’s living room.

“I want this to be a place where people can hang out and try things they haven't tried before,” she said, including a variety of artisan cheeses.

Both women say this style of dining is popular for a reason.

“It’s really just a fun way to eat,” Ransom said.

“I’m not really a fan of the term charcuterie, I prefer grazing,” Mitchell said. “But I don’t think charcuterie is going anywhere.”

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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Grazing and charcuterie storefronts to open in Wilmington, NC