"Dawson's Creek" started it all. That was the show that first inspired Patrick McCarthy and ultimately led to a new bar / museum that celebrates Wilmington's film industry. He and Tyler Christensen held a soft opening for the Hollywood East Brewseum at 1202 Market St., Wilmington on Sept. 18.
"I used my graduation money in high school to buy memorabilia from "Dawson's Creek" when that ended," McCarthy said. "So that's a lot of years of collecting."
Plus, both Christensen and McCarthy work in the industry. They've since added costumes, props, set pieces and more that have been purchased at auction, or donated to create a taproom that also chronicles the area's film history. While the focus is on Wilmington-made movies and series, other projects
filmed in North Carolina are also represented.
Setting the scene
Hollywood East is located in the former Rose Ice & Coal Co. location that was founded in 1933. The owners renovated the property, including repainting the exterior and removing the drywall. But they kept the structure, pared down to exposed brick and the curved, beamed ceiling.
Through the front door, an area that used to be a convenience store is now a sofa lounge designed as a vintage movie theater. The main bar beyond that is more like a backstage, McCarthy said.
"And this is where we'll have a majority of our memorabilia," he said.
It's also where you can find a bar serving beer, wine, and movie-style concessions. The partners worked with Mad Mole Brewing, Leland Brewing Company, Waterline Brewing Co., and Broomtail Craft Brewery to create signature brews like One Tree Pils and The Sour I Turned Pretty.
Even a lot of the seating came from film sets – specifically the restaurants that were featured in Netflix's "The Waterfront." There's also an indoor / outdoor seating area with a screening area made of vintage televisions, and more outdoor seating with picnic tables.
Film spotlight
Some of the pieces the owners, and the first visitors to the space, are especially excited about. For example, there's a prop from the cult classic "Empire Records," the Fisherman's costume from "I Know What You Did Last Summer," and one of James Van Der Beek's costumes from the first episode of Dawson's Creek.
With the exception of some of those pieces, they plan to rotate what's on display every two months, like costumes worn by John Krasinski and Sandra Bullock.
"We've mapped out about two years of rotations," McCarthy said.
And more keeps coming. As they were opening, someone who worked on the "Super Mario Bros." movie brought in a director's chair and someone else donated a prop from the "Muppets from Space" movie.
Soon, the owners plan to add more events, like movie trivia nights and screenings. Right now, Hollywood East Brewseum is open Thursday through Monday, and is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: A new Wilmington taproom doubles as a museum of local film history
