Spotlight on Business: Papa Murphy's

Learn a bit more about local business Papa Murphy's and what they have to offer our community. Dinner just got a lot easier!

Papa Murphy's has opened a store near you. Taste the great Pizza that everyone is talking about. A delicious hot meal doesn't take hours in the kitchen anymore. Stephanie says that once customers try this fresh way of eating pizza, they never go back to frozen or delivery. Could this be why Papa Murphy's has been voted the "Best Pizza Chain in America" for the past seven years by consumers in a national survey?

Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza is the perfect marriage of convenience and quality. Most people want a pizza that is as easy as a frozen or delivered pizza, but tastes as good as one ordered in a restaurant. That's one of the big advantages of a Papa Murphy's pizza - they make a product with the best ingredients; a product that customers can bake at their convenience.

Consumer surveys have repeatedly shown that adults, by a significant margin, prefer the taste of fresh pizza to frozen. In addition, any pizza will begin to deteriorate five minutes after its taken out of the oven. Many times, a delivered pizza has been out of the oven for 30 minutes or more.

There are plenty of other advantages to Papa Murphy's. Bake-at-home pizzas cost about 1/3 less than a restaurant or delivered pizza. Because Papa Murphy's doesn't equip its stores with customer seating and all kinds of additional equipment, the company can pass the savings on to its customers. Also, Papa Murphy's pizzas don't take long to cook - only about 15 minutes.

Finally, Papa Murphy's pizza is designed to compete with the finest pizzas available from any source. Fresh dough and fresh high-quality ingredients are deliciously combined to give customers 100% satisfaction.

Visit www.papamurphys.com to learn more. The Wilmington/Carolina Beach store is located at 5954 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington, NC 28412. (910) 791-0110.

Find more local Pleasure Island businesses in the Chamber of Commerce Member Directory.

Christmas By The Sea Returns To Pleasure Island

Make the most of this wonderful time of year and spend an evening enjoying Christmas by the Sea, returning to the Carolina Beach Boardwalk in its second year, and already a beloved holiday tradition.

The fun begins at 8:00 pm, Friday, November 26th (following the Island of Lights Lighting at the Lake Celebration) and continues Friday at Saturday evenings (5:00 - 8:00 pm) through December 19th.

The event includes:

• Fire Pit with Story Telling
• Hot Chocolate
• Live Nativity Scene
• Caroling
• Visit From Santa (Sat only)
• Theatre, Choral, and Band Performances by Ashley, Murray, and CB Elementary Schools (Sat only)
• Pleasure Island Drama Club Performances
• Cape Fear Roller Girls Appearance
• Puppet Shows
• Arts & Crafts Market
• Ornament Making For Children

Brought to you by the Boardwalk Makeover Group. Visit http://www.boardwalkmakeover.org/2010christmasbythesea.html for more information.

For more fun events on Pleasure Island (including the unique traditions of the Island of Lights) check out the Events Calander from the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce.

Island of Lights 2010 on Pleasure Island

The holidays are just around the corner which means it's a very special time of year on Pleasure Island. If you've only visited Carolina Beach and Kure Beach during the summer you are missing some of the most unique and fun traditions held on this beautiful island. Come enjoy the Island of Lights festivities and celebrate the season with family and friends.

Friday, November 26th, 7:00 pm - The Lighting at the Lake Celebration
See the amazing light display come to life at the Carolina Beach Lake. Visit with Santa and enjoy free cocoa and cookies.

Friday, December 3rd, 7:30 pm - Christmas Parade
Watch anywhere along the parade route which travels Lake Park Blvd from Atlanta Ave to Federal Point Plaza.

Saturday, December 4th, 6:00 pm - Island of Lights Flotilla
See decorated watercraft of all shapes and sizes in this unique Pleasure Island tradition. The boats start at Snow's Cut and head to the Carolina Beach Boat Basin and back.

Saturday, December 11th - Tour of Homes
See some beautiful Pleasure Island homes all decked out for the holidays. Tickets are available at several Pleasure Island businesses. Contact James Allen for more information - 910-458-7116.

Friday, December 31st, 9:00 pm - New Year's Eve Countdown in Kure Beach
Fun for the whole family! Enjoy music and dancing in front of the pier. At midnight send 2010 out in style and welcome 2011 with the dropping of a giant lighted beach ball and incredible fireworks display.

Visit www.islandoflights.org to learn more. For more fun events on Pleasure Island (including the eagerly anticipated Christmas by the Sea) check out the Events Calander from the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce.

Spotlight on Business: First Bank

Learn a bit more about local business First Bank and what they have to offer our community.

As one of the top performing community banks in the nation, First Bank cares for customers like no other bank by providing authentic community banking with helpful solutions from local bankers who care about doing whatfs right. That's been our approach to business for over 75 years.

Our local bankers work with individuals, families and businesses to provide the right combination of banking, lending and financial solutions that help customers save time, spend less and improve their financial well-being.

Business owners can count on our business bankers to provide a custom-tailored combination of banking, cash management, payroll, and loan solutions to navigate business challenges. First Bank also offers one of the best Free Business Checking accounts available.

Individuals and families receive authentic community bank service from people who know them and care about improving their quality of life. Free checking, free online banking with bill pay, mobile banking and over 55,000 surcharge-free ATMs make banking convenient and affordable at First Bank.

First Bank's integrity, safe banking practices and personalized customer service has resulted in positive rec-ognition. For two years in a row, we have been ranked as one of the "Top Performing Small-cap Banks in the Nation" by Sandler O'Neill & Partners, a prestigious investment firm in New York City. Also, this year we were named a "Top 5 Performer" by the ABA Banking Journal.

Our authentic approach to banking has been so successful we now serve communi-ties in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia through 92 branches . including 9 in New Hanover and Brunswick counties.

Generations of customers have trusted First Bank for safe, convenient banking. We look forward to earning your trust as well.

Visit www.firstbancorp.com to learn more or find a branch near you.

Pleasure Island Fresh Market Extends Season For Farm Fresh Goods

Due to the overwhelming success of the Carolina Beach Farmer's Market this year the Pleasure Island Fresh Market was created by some of the vendors to continue the tradition. The market will be held around the Town of Carolina Beach Marina on Carl Winner Ave from 9 am - 2 pm every Saturday through December 18th.

About 20 local vendors will have fresh baked bread and pastries, local produce, local dairy products, eggs, and meats, works of art by local artists, natural soaps, and more for sale.

Visit The Pleasure Island Fresh Market on Facebook for more information.

Upcoming Pleasure Island Charity Events

It always feels good to give back to the community and those less fortunate, but it is especially heartwarming as the holidays approach and we see all that we have to be thankful for. Enjoy doing your part at these upcoming charity events -

Alzheimer's Walk 2010
Saturday, Novemeber 13th
Held at the Carolina Beach Lake, registration is at 8:00, walk starts at 10:00 am. Contact Jennifer Langley at 910-612-7403 or visit www.alznc.org for more information.

Operation Care Package
Saturday, November 13th
10:00 am - 11:00 pm
Drifters Reef Motel and The Lazy Pirate Sports Bar & Grill in Carolina Beach are putting on a Charity bike show and poker run to raise money for Step Up For Soldiers. Visit the Lazy Pirate on Facebook for more information.