Photo Courtesy of Ceviche's
Ceviche’s Celebrates Milestone Anniversary
By: Jessica Maurer
As bands of wind and rain from Hurricane Helene blew across Wilmington last Friday, Ceviche’s owners Hunter and Laura Tiblier, and their managers, Candace Gonzalez and Brittany Gowen, scrambled to make contingency plans for the restaurant’s 10th anniversary party that evening.
The tent company had to delay setup due to wind, leaving them only a 30-minute window before guests would arrive. As they reworked setup plans, chef Dwayne Hickman rushed by to say he was headed to Los Portales Supermarket for last-minute ingredients and supplies.
Successful restaurants know the ability to think on your feet is paramount to keeping things running smoothly on any given day and particularly when things take an unexpected turn.
Prior to opening Ceviche’s, Hunter Tiblier was in the military and Laura Tiblier was a nurse. Both believe these careers helped prepare them for the hectic pace of restaurant life. While structure and protocols are needed, flexibility and problem-solving get you through the day.
When the couple opened Ceviche’s in 2014, the restaurant had just 24 seats, a small menu and a bar that served only beer and wine.
“We really had no idea who our customers were going to be,” Hunter Tiblier said. “I was just hoping we could get like four surfers to come by and eat after being out at the beach.”
The restaurant quickly gained a loyal following – among not only surfers, but locals and visitors as well.
“It turned out to be a blessing that we started small and were able to get our feet under us,” Laura Tiblier said. “It was 18-hour days, seven days a week back then.”
After just 18 months, the Tibliers took over the neighboring space at 7210 Wrightsville Ave., tripling the size of the restaurant. Over time, they would offer a full bar and expand the menu, keeping most of the original dishes from Hunter Tiblier’s childhood home in Panama.
“Little did we know ten years ago that we were in one of the fastest growing areas in the country with people coming from all over,” Laura Tiblier said. “Wilmington was just so ready for it.”
In the early years, the restaurant saw a lot of turnover in staff as they struggled to meet the growing customer demand. Looking back, the Tibliers say it’s the strengths that each of them bring to the table that have allowed them to keep moving forward through setbacks such as hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic.
General manager Candace Gonzalez joined the Ceviche’s team in early 2020, just before the pandemic struck.
“I’m not sure we could have gotten through it without her, despite the fact that she was brand new,” Laura Tiblier said.
It’s Gonzalez who fielded the calls from the tent company and worked up contingency plans as the winds continued to drive the rain sideways, soaking the patio furniture. All in a day’s work.
Many of the Tiblier’s employees have been with the restaurant for over five years, one exception being chef Dwayne Hickman who came on board last December.
“When we do see turnover, most of the time it’s because someone is leaving to go to school, start a family or start a new career,” Laura Tiblier said. “Sometimes for their own benefit we have to encourage them to leave the nest and go on to bigger and better things even though we hate to lose them.”
“And their parents thank us for giving them that nudge,” Hunter Tiblier said, recalling how he did the same for his son who worked nearly every position in the restaurant before he encouraged him to move on.
Looking back over the past ten years, the couple said it feels like a lifetime and ten minutes at the same time. When it comes to lessons learned, they believe that staying true to the mission and vision of the restaurant and building a strong team that breeds consistency are the keys to longevity.
By mid-afternoon, the Wilmington sky began to brighten, and the wind and rain subsided just in time for the tent to be raised and the party to take place as planned. The stress of the day began to fade as the celebration began and the Tibliers moved through the crowd with a sense of relief, gratitude and joy.
