The Half Goes Coastal

Thanks to three successful years of operation on Red Cross Street, the team behind the popular downtown sandwich shop, The Half, is set to open a second location at 7110 Wrightsville Avenue near Wrightsville Beach on February 24th.

The Half, which even has a spot on Yelp’s Top 100 Sandwich Shops, has been popular since its doors first opened in 2022, and co-owner Andrew Dennison says the idea for an additional location began to take shape in late 2025.

“From day one, we’ve had regulars,” said Dennison. “If they came in on a Monday once, all of a sudden, it was every Monday after that they were coming in.”

Dennison and his co-owners, Carl Cross, Dean Moore and Charles Fogg, initially connected when Dennison, Cross and Moore worked together at Flying Machine Brewing Company.

“Carl and Dean are really talented in the beer world, and they’re extremely hard workers, so these were two guys I wanted to keep working with, and they introduced me to Charles,” Dennison said.

Now only Dennison and Fogg remain full-time, with Fogg running the downtown location and Dennison focusing on Wrightsville Beach.

Dennison describes the restaurant business as the only thing he ever wanted to do.

“Growing up, it was always pizza places, getting subs, that kind of thing was always part of my life,” Dennison said. “But I noticed I wasn’t getting what I wanted in a way…so why not be the one to make it?”

What he wanted was a sandwich place that serves lighter beers where people can sit and hang out for a while. If you’ve ever walked into the downtown location during a busy lunch hour, you’d know Dennison’s vision was realized, and that expansion is a clear next step.

Expanding to multiple sites was something the group initially discussed before opening the first location in 2022, but they were mindful to ensure the concept worked before taking on another location.

In December 2024, the team started reaching out to see what spaces were available.

“We just wanted to see what was out there,” Dennison said.

Just a couple of months later, the Wrightsville Avenue location, previously a Subway, opened up.

“It all happened a lot faster than I thought, but it’s an awesome location,” Dennison said. “We’re so excited not only for the summer, but because of the businesses around here and just the amount of traffic that comes through this intersection. Plus, what we do, I think, works really well for going to the beach.”

While the bulk of the menu will be the same as the downtown location, the team will begin introducing a handful of new items at their Wrightsville spot, including more grab-and-go options for guests en route to the beach.

“I think we’ll be busy from the start, but not opening in the middle of the summer will be good,” Dennison says. “At least we get some sort of a ramp-up. And I’m really just excited to get this menu on this side of town.”

The Wrightsville location of The Half opens on Feb. 24. Stay tuned on Instagram @thehalfbev.