Wilmington, North Carolina – home to dozens of locally acclaimed restaurants, all with unique flares. One of the most popular tastes in town is authentic Italian, and one of the most popular Italian restaurants is Nicola’s. Located on Oleander Drive, Nicola’s is nothing special upon first glance; however, the establishment envelopes customers in fragmatic waves of garlic and spices, while the modern interior displays playful colors and organic designs. Their menu offers a modern twist on italian cuisine, such as homemade pastas and wood oven pizzas – pair one of these signature entrees with a house wine an customers are guaranteed to leave happy.
Founded by Nicola (Nick) Pittari, Nicola’s was purchased in 2006. Nick’s family is from Sicily, which is prevalent in every dish on the menu. Nick is still head chef of the restaurant, which is a personal touch that many local establishments lack. Offering a variety of entirely homemade sauces, pastas, and even an extensive gluten-free menu, Italian-with-a-twist has never tasted so good.
Like many business owners, Nick turns to social media to promote his business. Nicola’s can be found on Facebook (Nicola’s Wilmington), Instagram (nicolaswilmington), and Twitter (nicolasitalian). The difference between Nicola’s and many other local businesses, is that every social media site is updated FREQUENTLY. The most recent Facebook post? 2 days ago. The most recent Instagram picture? Yesterday. The most recent Tweet? Same thing. Maybe this is because Mr. Pittari understands the concept of Media Ecology.
Media Ecology states that media environments, and such modes of communication, can actually play a key role in the way humans act and react to situations. With multiple social media accounts supporting a business, said business is likely to get more customers than a competitor with a smaller social media presence. Nicola’s Facebook page, displays a specials menu and a wine selection at least three times a week. To all of the page’s subscribers, this could be a driving force or a decision-maker, regarding where someone wants to eat dinner. Having a personal connection via social media is incredibly important to a business, especially in a town like Wilmington that is full of incredible local food. Nicola’s definitely aims to stand out with such a presence, and Chef and owner Nick Pittari should chalk this business up to a success.
What are some other restaurants you’ve seen that make a local connection with the community through social media outlets?
-Nick, Melanie, Mary & Patrick
IMC Hawks Blog 
I’ve never been to this restaurant but it sounds like it would be delicious. I feel like the use of social media to promote your business is a good way to find new customers and I like the fact that the owners embassies it in this case.