Spirited Track Record

(Photos by Matt Ray/Courtesy of The Ibis)

When ABBYE MCGEE and MATT RAY wanted to create a one-of-a-kind space where area residents and visitors could “come and stay a while,” they decided to combine some of their favorite things in a way everyone could agree on in a space they named The Ibis.

Located in the Soda Pop District, The Ibis opened late last year as Wilmington’s first and only Hi-Fi coffee and cocktail bar.

“We wanted to create a space that celebrated great music, amazing coffees and cocktails, and that was a welcoming space,” McGee says. “I love creating something from nothing – to see a project go from idea to completion is so rewarding. The Ibis was a new concept that we knew Wilmington would love and that we could really put a lot of heart and creativity into. Plus, my entrepreneurial brain never shuts off. Once we had the idea, we couldn’t not do it.”

Based in the Bottle Works Building (a former Coca-Cola bottling plant) on Princess Street, The Ibis melds bites, drinks, and music with the trend of listening rooms. McGee and Ray partnered with Gravity Records to establish the space’s sounds.

For McGee, combining food with a love of music stemmed from memories of childhood, cooking, and entertaining guests with her grandmother before studying music in college.

“My grandmother taught me to cook when I was a little girl, and we would feed a house full of people all the time,” she says. “I don’t have a culinary education. I was a music major at UNCW and was in the music industry for years before I went back to my passion for entertaining and cooking.”

McGee’s foray into the business world began with a food blog known as Salt and Charm, which she says “morphed into feeding people in my home every week, then to a small personal chef and dinner party business, and then, ultimately, into the full-scale luxury catering company that it is today.”

“I’m really proud of the team I’ve built at Salt and Charm, and it flowed so seamlessly into the Starling two years ago,” McGee says. “The Starling (in the Cargo District) was my first foray into bar ownership, and I knew that, just like Salt and Charm, I wanted to create the best team. That started with my business partner and longtime friend, Matt Ray. From there, we found the absolute best staff in Kaley, Rebekah, Carly, Danny, and Justin. The Ibis was the same process: concept, development, and assemble the best team. … I love creating a space where they can flourish creatively and see them do what they love.”

Utilizing her own palate for taste combinations, McGee has helped to create one-of-a-kind flavors using made-in-house ingredients.

“I’m a huge coffee, wine, and cocktail fan, so I have so many favorites,” she says. “We make everything in-house – from the juice to the syrups to the infusions … our team creates everything from start to finish so that we can ensure the quality and uniqueness of every menu item. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be our orange juniper espresso tonic in the mornings and the James Taylor cocktail at night. That one is so nostalgic for me because it features peanut-infused Old Forester whiskey, cocoa, salt, and Coca-Cola Refresco with little peanuts garnishing the top. I grew up in the deep South, and we threw peanuts in our Cokes all the time – so this one feels like home to me.”

McGee and Ray created the space to match the welcoming warmth of the menu that also includes savory items such as golden milk muffins, chocolate croissants, and bagels.

“The Ibis is warm and rich but super inviting and comfortable,” McGee says. “Rich woods, leather, gold accents, a gorgeous mural on the wall by the one and only LAUREN GEORGE, and lots of personal touches that really set the space apart.”

Even though The Ibis is a relatively new endeavor, there is never any downtime for McGee and her team.

“Salt and Charm is opening up a new kitchen in March within a high-end event space in Carolina Beach called Kindred,” McGee says. “That will allow us to serve that part of the world with high-end catering and meal prep service, and we are so excited.”

She predicts that she and Ray will have other projects together in the future.

“We have loads of ideas,” McGee says, “and I can’t imagine us not creating again, but we are definitely taking a few minutes to breathe first.”

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