Capt’n Bill’s Backyard Grill, the Wilmington volleyball bar and brewery that’s been pouring beer and running sand courts since 1992, is bringing its second location to Holly Ridge. Co-owner Brookes Musser has signed papers to purchase 12 acres along U.S. Highway 17 South for $1.7 million, with the goal of opening by the end of 2027.
As reported by Port City Daily, the Musser family had been hunting for a Holly Ridge-area expansion spot for two years before landing this site, which will need to be cleared before construction begins. The new facility is expected to be larger than the original Wilmington location, and Musser said it’s meant to address a lack of adult recreation and family-friendly facilities in the surrounding towns. There’s no set grand-opening timeline yet, according to the same report.
The expansion isn’t coming out of nowhere. Capt’n Bill’s already draws a large chunk of its customer base from the Holly Ridge area, and its leagues pull players from Jacksonville, Sneads Ferry, Hampstead, Surf City and Holly Ridge, per Port City Daily. Musser said the new location will let locals join co-ed leagues and tournaments without making the drive to Wilmington every time.
From Four Courts to a Family Institution
Capt’n Bill’s got its start in 1992, when John and Erin Musser opened the business with four volleyball courts, a walk-up bar and a grill, according to Capt’n Bill’s own account of its history. The business grew from there, adding a tiki bar in 1998 and a cabana in 2000, and the current Wilmington operation now runs 12 sand volleyball courts, three bars, a full restaurant and an on-site brewery…