Hollywood East Brewseum prepares to open this month, spotlighting local film industry

From its collection of props and costumes to the decor and menu, nearly every aspect of the Hollywood East Brewseum pays homage to Wilmington's film and TV industry. Tyler Christensen and his husband, Patrick McCarthy, are putting the finishing touches on the restaurant, which is slated to hold a soft opening on Sept. 18, just in time for an upcoming One Tree Hill reunion event. Located in the former Rose Ice & Coal building at 1202 Market St., the restaurant is designed to have the aesthetic of a vintage Art Deco movie theater, Christensen said. The couple worked with contractor DAE Building to convert the building's former convenience store area into a lounge complete with 1920s-era seats from a movie theater in Los Angeles and door handles made from an old film reel. "The more you look, the more you see," Christensen said about the details, "which is what we love about it." Beyond the lounge, they've converted a former warehouse space into a taproom area that's dotted with cases containing memorabilia from films and TV shows shot in the Wilmington region. There's a costume James Van Der Beek wore in the pilot episode of Dawson's Creek, which was filmed in Wilmington, Scream masks signed by Skeet Ulrich and Mikey Madison (the fifth installment of the Scream franchise, which came out in 2022, filmed in the area), and - one of Christensen's favorites - a raincoat (shown below at right) worn by The Fisherman in the 1997 horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer, which was filmed in Southport. Christensen and McCarthy both work in the film industry and have friends with ties to several locally shot productions. Some of the memorabilia on display came from those connections, Christensen said; other pieces they already had or purchased at auction. They plan to cycle out the displays periodically, he added. Christensen said he wants the restaurant to celebrate the local film industry and serve as a gathering place for industry professionals and TV and movie fans alike. "There's so much incredible, iconic TV and movies shot in the area that it's always been a shame because there hasn't been a spot that you can go and go, 'Oh yeah! ... I didn't know that shot here,'" he said. "It's for the fans, it's for the industry itself, celebrating these artists who have made this place home all these years." The food and drink offerings also lean into the movie theater vibes. "We're doing like an elevated version of anything in a movie theater concession stand," Christensen said. "There's the obvious, like the staples - the popcorn, the hot dogs, the soft pretzels." But there are also hot honey cheese pretzel bites, pickle bombs, cheese curds, sweet potato waffle fries and donut holes, among other menu items. Hi-Wire Brewing is making a Blueberry Velvet beer for Hollywood East Brewseum, and the restaurant has partnered with other local breweries to white-label their beers under names that play on the titles of locally shot film and TV series, including One Tree Pils, Under the Foam, I Know Wheat You Did Last Summer and IPA Records. They also plan to serve wine and other non-alcoholic drinks. Off the lounge area, Christensen and McCarthy are converting a former garage into a seating area with garage door-style doors on either end. They're also wrapping up landscaping along the front of the building, which will serve as outdoor seating, Christensen said, along with finalizing displays and other details. "The big stuff's done," he said, "and now it's like the million little details that make or break it." Christensen, who has worked as a TV writer and producer, said he sees the project as a way of telling the story of the local industry and the building itself. The restaurant's design incorporates original elements such as the existing barrel ceiling in the taproom and portions of original brick walls in the lounge area. Eventually, Christensen said, they plan to host events, including movie screenings and trivia, and will hold a grand opening event in the weeks following the soft opening. Meanwhile, he hopes the venue can serve as a gathering place for film professionals, especially amid recent slowdowns in the local industry. "I can't wait for people to get in here and start talking movies," Christensen said. "It's a small industry town, but doesn't have like that hub where everyone can just talk movies and talk TV, and so I can't wait to just be the meeting place for those conversations." Source: https://www.wilmingtonbiz.com/restaurants/2026/09/04/hollywood_east_brewseum_prepares_to_open_this_month_spotlighting_local_film_industry/27804