085: The Story of Ole Town Tavern (with Tony Butcher)

Owner of Ole Town Tavern, Tony Butcher, joins the podcast to share his story of starting his own bar in Wilmington back in 2022. Tony was born and raised in Wilmington where he graduated from both Wilmington High School and Wilmington College before earning his Master’s Degree at Xavier. Prior to Ole Town, Tony worked at Airborne Express and then Technicolor.

For years, Tony joked with his friends and family about one day starting a bar, and then when he purchased the building to rent out the apartment upstairs, the business tenant below relocated and he thought to himself, "If I'm ever going to do this, this is my time to try to get a bar going."

When creating the space, Tony was inspired by small bars in New York with exposed brick and dim lighting. The name, 'Ole Town Tavern', was inspired by a bar in Florida called 'Old Town Tavern,' or 'Ott' for short, which was Tony's nickname growing up.

Ole Town Tavern (OTT) serves beer, wine, and signature local cocktails. Patrons can order food delivered from Fiesta Veracruz Mexican Restaurant, and for $20 a year, even keep their own personalized pint glass on display behind the bar.

Listen to episode 85 of the Real Change Wilmington Podcast, 'The Story of Ole Town Tavern' with with Tony Butcher, on your favorite podcast player below:

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