‘There’s a renaissance happening in Manteo’

By Brian Tress | Outer Banks Voice on April 23, 2025

Over 20 businesses newly opened or changed ownership in Manteo since 2022.
Clockwise from top left: Mia’s Bake Shop & Tea Room, Old Tom’s Beer, Wine and Wares, Once Upon a Toy, and Firetender Restaurant and Bar.
Credit: Brian Tress, miasbakeshopobx.com.

As new businesses proliferate, town balancing growth and small-town character

By Brian Tress | Outer Banks Voice

The Town of Manteo is in the midst of a quiet transformation. As new businesses open, longtime storefronts change hands and the streets grow livelier with foot traffic and events, the town’s historic core is evolving — even as it works to preserve the character that has long defined it.

According to Melissa Dickerson, Manteo Town Manager, “The business community is super-supportive of one another. Everyone is in it for the greater good. The common goal is to keep storefronts active and open and keep visitors coming to Manteo — both tourists and locals — frequently.”

No matter what, people who come to the Outer Banks primarily for the beach will prefer to stay close to the beach. Manteo offers an alternative getaway for visitors whose top priority may be something different: a calm, walkable destination with a variety of experiences to choose from.

As Robin Sawyer, President of the Manteo Business Association puts it, “Manteo is differentiated from the other communities on the beach. It’s the hidden secret — it’s special. There are a lot of people who are vested in preserving what makes Manteo special but also realizing the benefits of controlled growth.”

According to the Town, more than 20 mom-and-pop businesses have newly opened or changed ownership since 2022, marking a transition from post-pandemic recovery to the onset of significant growth. About one third of these businesses are restaurants, a quarter are retail shops, and the remainder are hotels, or businesses that provide entertainment/recreation and healthcare.

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Necy Morris opened Mia’s Bake Shop and Tea Room in May 2024 in memory of her daughter Mia, who passed away a year earlier. “People love to come to downtown Manteo now. It’s the place to be — and really all year long. There’s always something new for people to do and see, some kind of event going on.”

Born and raised in Manteo, Morris was a teacher at Manteo High School before retiring to open Mia’s. “Mia would have loved to see what the bake shop has become,” she adds. “I open at 7:30 and some mornings they are waiting outside.” Her specialty is the homemade sweet potato biscuit, which often sells out quickly.

About 100 feet from Mia’s on Sir Walter Raleigh Street is Once Upon Toy, which opened this past December. Once Upon a Toy is modeled nostalgically on the independent toy stores of old, where kids were allowed to play with any toy for as long as they wanted to.

Owner Stacey Chesire, a retired preschool teacher from Durham who moved to Manteo three years ago, describes the store as a place to “let kids be kids and interact with each other and their parents through playing.” Rather than toys that “beep and need batteries,” there are puppets, board games, toys oriented around science and building things, sensory toys for special-needs kids, and more.

 

Necy Morris, owner of Mia’s Bake Shop. (Credit: miasbakeshopobx.com)

Stacey Chesire, owner of Once Upon a Toy. (Credit: Brian Tress.)

 

 

Chesire, who is also the Vice President of the Manteo Business Association, says, “Manteo hasn’t lost its small-town appeal like some other places. I’m obsessed with this town and proud to be a business owner and part of the community.”

All this new business activity didn’t happen by accident. According to Jamie Anderson, owner of Downtown Books and Vice Chair of Manteo’s Main Street Advisory Board, “Manteo had all the puzzle pieces and just needed help putting it all together. That’s where the state’s Main Street program came in. It gave us a sense of purpose and motivated the community, but also put some structure around what we wanted to do.”

Since earning its North Carolina Main Street Community designation in 2022, the town has accessed various resources provided by the program, including technical assistance, market analysis, and guidance on economic and community development strategies tailored to Manteo. Additionally, the program has provided training and workshops to help implement various projects and initiatives.

In 2023, Manteo received two North Carolina Main Street Awards of Merit — Best Façade Rehabilitation for the Pioneer Theater and Best Healthy Communities’ Initiative for the Manteo Downtown Market.

“It was a lot of work to get the designation,” Anderson continues. “We created Manteo’s Economic Development Implementation Plan, which included forming the Manteo Business Association and developing a new branding strategy for the town.”

 

Jamie Anderson, Vice Chair of Manteo’s Main Street Advisory Board. (Credit: duckscottage.com)

Robin Sawyer, President of the Manteo Business Association (Credit: Brian Tress)

 

According to Robin Sawyer, who not only leads the Manteo Business Association but is also the General Manager of  the RD Sawyer Motor Company on US-64, “Among other things, the MBA provides a way to connect the highway businesses and downtown — as a group of likeminded individuals who believe in Manteo and how we’re stronger together.”

Craig Readman — owner of Manteo’s new bistro-American restaurant Firetender and a member of the MBA — agrees. Also located on US-64 and attached to the recently renovated Hotel Manteo (previously the Elizabethan Inn), Firetender offers Italian favorites such as stone-oven pizzas, chicken parmesan and pasta carbonara, but also eclectic dishes like Mexican street corn dip and Asian pear salad. Readman, who moved to the Outer Banks with his family 14 years ago, is a veteran chef and restaurateur who also owns the Treehouse Cafe in Duck.

“We’re creating our own activity here,” Readman says. “But we’re very connected to downtown as well, especially during events — it’s kind of a scene here after First Fridays, we get packed with people after they walk around downtown.” He adds, “There’s a renaissance happening in Manteo — and we’re happy to be part of it.”

Another major prong of Manteo’s economic plan is the town’s new branding strategy. Its centerpiece — the tagline, “Meet Me in Manteo” — is meant to emphasize Manteo’s welcoming atmosphere and appeal as a destination for both locals and visitors and is used to promote a variety of events throughout the year.

“We use it across the board,” says Jamie Anderson. “From recurring events like First Friday and the Downtown Market to concerts at Festival Park —  for example, ‘Meet me in Manteo’ for the Bluegrass Festival.”

Craig Readman, owner of Firetender Restaurant and Bar. (Credit: Brian Tress)

Belinda Keller Sukeena, owner of Old Tom’s Beer, Wine and Wares. (Credit: Brian Tress)

 

Old Tom’s Beer, Wine and Wares on Budleigh Street next to the Pioneer Theater is as comfortable as your living room — if only your living room had beer on tap behind a bar made of polished pine slabs. Old Tom’s was purchased last summer by Belinda Keller Sukeena, who grew up in Manteo and returned last June after nearly 35 years.

Previously a dress shop, the store was converted to its current use by the prior owner in the spring of 2023, coinciding with the launch of downtown Manteo’s Social District, where drinking alcoholic beverages is permitted outside. Aligned with Manteo’s Main Street accreditation, the Social District contributes to economic growth by encouraging locals and visitors to stroll, explore shops, and linger downtown, and adding a new dynamic to community events such as First Friday and holiday markets.

“It’s so wonderful to see so many people walking around,” Sukeena says. “It’s great to have people coming in from other areas of the country and even from other countries. I’m happy to be part of a small-town community that other people can enjoy.” She is confident the town will not lose its authenticity. “The buildings, the old courthouse, the marsh—things haven’t changed yet, and they won’t in the future.”

Robin Sawyer says, “We are focused on Incremental development, not a massive explosion. But we need to find the right balance between spending money on infrastructure and continuing to attract people to visit and move to Manteo. Infrastructure cannot be ignored — water, sewer, streets and sidewalks.”

Jamie Anderson would like to see the town implement systematic wayfinding within the next five years, but she’s also aware of the costs involved. “It should be easier to find out where you are, where you want to go, and where to find this and that. We developed a very complete plan — signs from bridge to bridge and at every major intersection, and confidence markers for pedestrians. But it’s expensive to do all that.” She pauses and says, “We probably need to go more basic, at minimum help people find parking.”