Seventy-two small businesses from Murphy to Manteo have earned the designation as a Certified North Carolina Destination Business by the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Launched by the North Carolina Main Street and Rural Planning Center in 2025 with 33 businesses, this statewide initiative strengthens small businesses and enhances community vitality by transforming local shops into destination-worthy experiences.
“North Carolina small businesses are the heartbeat of our economy,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “These businesses have embraced innovation and storytelling to become magnets for residents and visitors alike and we’re proud to award them this designation.”
Through hands-on training led by national destination development expert The Schallert Group, participants learned strategies to stand out in competitive markets. From unique product offerings to immersive experiences, these businesses now serve as anchors for tourism and economic growth.
Each certified business offers something truly unique, a reason for customers to visit, explore, and plan to return. Here are just a few examples:
- Artisan Leaf (Wilson): The world’s only tobacco furniture and decorative accessory manufacturer.
- Bright Penny Brewing (Mebane): The only brewery in the world offering 120 possible combinations of deviled egg flights.
- Banks Bed and Breakfast (Garner): Garner’s only accommodation with four uniquely designed rooms wrapped in history.
- Kitchen Kuriosities (Elizabeth City): Home to the South’s largest collection of rolling pins.
- WhirliDogs Café and Training Center (Wilson): The only hotdog café that offers 32,768 possible topping combinations while training individuals with special needs for employment.
- Front Porch on Main (Troy): A retail emporium featuring 70 small N.C. businesses, and Forest the Sasquatch
Funding for the workshop series and the enhancement of the N.C. Main to Main Trail was secured through a State Outdoor Recreation, Travel & Tourism Grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).
The N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning Center is North Carolina's state coordinating program for Main Street America. Main Street America has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for more than 46 years. It is the leading voice for preservation-based economic development and community revitalization across the country. The Center works in regions, counties, cities, towns, downtown districts, and in designated North Carolina Main Street communities to inspire placemaking through asset-based economic development strategies that achieve measurable results such as investment, business growth, and jobs.
Certified N.C. Destination Businesses:
Belhaven
- The Tavern at Jack’s Neck
Belmont
- The Simply American Dog Treat Truck
Benson
- Small World Travel and Tours
- Gift Shop and Travel Store
Boone
- 828 Real Estate
- Lost Province Brewing Company
- F.A.R.M. Cafe, INC
- Appalachian Theatre
Duck
- Duck’s Cottage Coffee & Books
Elizabeth City
- Kitchen Kuriosities
Elkin
- Black Bear Tattoo Store
- Elkin Antiques and Collectibles
- Two Creeks Pottery
- Yadkin Valley Fiber Center
- BRIMMED Hat Bar and Boutique
- The Barkery
- Unity Tabletop Gaming
- iver & Trails Emporium
Fuquay Varina
- Fuquay Spice and Tea
Garner
- Banks Bed and Breakfast
- Steep Right Up
Hendersonville
- Team ECCO
- Carolina Moon Bakery
- Small Town Trendz Boutique
Lenoir
- Wolf Moon Salt Cave & Stress Reduction Center
Lexington
- Shoto Japanese Restaurant
Manteo
- Bough and Vine
- Downtown Books
- Poodles and Bob
Mebane
- Bright Penny Brewing
- The Go Girl Shoppe
Mount Airy
- Opie’s Candy
- The Dapper Hound
- Vroom Blooms Studio + Market
- Bear Creek Gifts and Candy Kitchen
- Artisan Alley
- Slate’s Mercantile
- Mayberry Antique Mall
- Up Town Charm
- Wyatt’s Trading Post
- Mi Casa on Main
Murphy
- Indigo Mountain Traders
- Graciela Laurent Photography
- Murphy Art Center
- Olive’s Porch at John Campbell Folk School
New Bern
- Rhone Hotel
- Anchored in New Bern
Newton
- Big Sig’s Military Surplus & Tactical Supply LLC
- Boutique Auberge
- Refuge Designs
- 2 Pink Magnolias
- NoCo ARTS
- 3 Little Birds Corks & More
- Narrow Gauge Coffee
- The Beauty Bar
North Wilkesboro
- Cinder Bistro
- Tripp’s Mercantile
Pilot Mountain
- Crisanthemum Studios
Pittsboro
- Pittsboro Gallery of Arts
- Katty Korner Downtown Market
Sanford
- Books at a Steal Bookstore
- High Cotton Couture
- MonkeyKat Books and Gifts
- NC and Classic Collections LLC
Statesville
- Native Ceuticals Apothecary
Thomasville
- Thomasville Emporium
Troy
- Front Porch on Main
Wake Forest
- Unwind on White
- The Makery
West Jefferson
- Boondocks Brewing
Wilson
- Artisan Leaf
- WhirliDogs Café and Training Center
- Wilson Paint and Wallpaper Center
For more information, visit the North Carolina Main Street page, or contact Liz Parham, Director of the N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning Center, lparham@commerce.nc.gov.
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