Photo Courtesy Of: Buen Dia
Buen Dia Opens New Location In Wilmington
By: Jessica Maurer
Four years after the launch of Buen Dia in Castle Hayne, the restaurant’s owners have taken on a new partner and opened a second location in the Target shopping center off New Centre Drive in Wilmington.
Yesenia Ibarra, Gustavo Ibarra, Marcos Cruz and Sandro Ventura have partnered with Ben Avalos, who formerly operated Las Margaritas Bar y Grill in the same location, for what they refer to as Buen Dia 2.
Yesenia Ibarra said the founding partners were not originally looking to open a restaurant in Wilmington, but when they met Avalos, it seemed too good of an opportunity to pass up.
“Ben saw how well Buen Dia was doing in Castle Hayne and wanted to be a part of bringing it to Wilmington,” Yesenia Ibarra said. “He came into the group so easily and has brought so many ideas to the team.”
Four of the partners grew up in the Mexican state of Jalisco while Cruz hails from Oaxaca. The majority of the restaurant’s dishes and beverages are from these regions. The restaurant aims to “share the atmosphere and homemade flavors of our childhood kitchens,” according to its mission statement.
There are several new menu items available at Buen Dia 2, some of which the partners debuted in March at the inaugural Feast Wilmington. The new dishes include Chilaquiles, the Buen Dia Burger and Rajitas Con Crema.
“We were so pleased with the response to these dishes and are excited to have them on the menu,” Yesenia Ibarra said.
The new location features a full bar with popular Mexican brunch drinks such as Pajaretes, Toritos and Cafecito con Piquete. There are also fresh-squeezed juices and juice blends served with or without alcohol along with mimosas and Micheladas.
One unique aspect of the new location is its homemade tortilla and pancake station where guests can watch tortillas and pancakes being made from their tables. The partners also created a large passthrough between the kitchen and dining area to allow customers to view the kitchen and vice versa.
“It helps to create more of a connection between the staff and the customers,” Yesenia Ibarra said. “This connection is very important to us.”
Buen Dia is located at 4719 New Centre Drive and is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
