NEWPORT NEWS-Recent Wilmington, NC, transplants Britt and Derek Lapiska are planning to open a beer garden and pizza shop this summer in Hilton Village. Bird Girl Bottle Shop will be located at 100 Hopkins St. next to Blow Bomb Dry Bar.
Bird Girl Bottle Shop’s menu will offer gourmet pizza options in addition to wine and craft beer selections from local distributors.
“Our pizza is Neapolitan style, so it comes with a thick crust that has a sourdough element to it,” said Derek Lapiska. Gourmet pizza choices will include a variety of sauces, cheeses, and toppings.
“We’ll be serving some gluten-free and vegan options as well,” said Derek Lapiska. “We’re pretty certain what we’ll be offering is a little different than what’s already available in a space that’s kind of overloaded with a lot of pretty good, but typical, pizza options.”
Bird Girl Bottle Shop will operate from a house that was built in 1920 and has been commercially and residentially zoned throughout the years.
“It was originally a doctor’s office in Hilton and had a lot of mixed uses over the years, though we bought it from a family who was living in it as a private residence,” said Britt Lapiska.
The couple and their two daughters had been residing in the house for about a year prior to beginning the construction process of their new restaurant and beer garden.
“Construction started last month, and most of it should be completed this week, including a new HVAC system, plumbing, and electric,” said Britt Lapiska.
Construction has unveiled a few surprises along the way.
“We discovered there was a safe behind one of our walls when we started demolition,” said Britt Lapiska. Though the outside of the safe reflects it’s been emptied, and came with a code to open it, Derek Lapiska accidentally broke off the handle.
“Coffey’s Lock Shop told me that we might need a crane to get it out,” said Britt Lapiska.
Bird Girl Bottle Shop will have an 800 square-foot deck for people to enjoy food and beverages outside.
“The deck has to fit in with the fabric of the historic neighborhood, so it’s taken a lot of time to design, but we’ve hammered out the details for it,” said Derek Lapiska.
The deck will offer outdoor seating equipped with umbrellas to shield customers from the elements.
“We’ll also have some yard games so people can enjoy themselves with activities outside,” said Derek Lapiska. “Our neighborhood does a farmer’s market on Saturdays, so we’re looking forward to expanding on that by providing artisans and vendors with a space to sell their goods.”
In addition to participating in Hilton Village Farmer’s Market, the entrepreneurs plan to offer weekend entertainment featuring local musicians.
The Lapiskas attended the same high school in Pennsylvania. Though the couple performed in Seussical the Musical, a musical comedy that’s based on the many children’s stories of Dr. Seuss, they were never in the same scenes. The couple shared similar friends and Derek often referred to Britt as the “Bird Girl” from her role in the Jungle of Nool.
The couple’s paths crossed six years later, and they began dating. Since the chance encounter at a dive bar in Pennsylvania, they went on numerous camping trips along the East and West coasts, rode bikes together, drank lots of beer, and made it a mission to find the best food in every area they visited. The pair married in 2015 and look forward to celebrating their 8th anniversary this year.
For updates about Bird Girl Bottle Shop’s grand opening, visit its website and Facebook page.