Hospitality is Served Fresh Daily at The Getaway Café and Provisions
The Getaway Cafe and Provisions
〰️
The Getaway Cafe and Provisions 〰️
With offerings spanning breakfast essentials, a smash burger, a citrus tuna salad sandwich, a fried chicken sandwich, coffee, beer, wine, kombucha, and so much more… to say The Getaway Café covers all its bases, is an understatement. With so many incredible options, the biggest challenge you’ll find yourself managing, is deciding what to order.
And while your order may change every visit (or not), one thing remains the same - the feeling of community that hits the moment you walk through the door.
“Inside our little cafe is quality food, hospitality, and a sense of community. ”
AnnaLee Johnston, the owner of The Getaway Café and Provisions in Marina Village at Riverlights, is no stranger to the restaurant industry. As early as 17 years old, she was working as a server at Surf House, a chic and elevated all day dining restaurant in Carolina Beach.
Following her graduation from East Carolina in 2015, she would return to Carolina Beach to manage Surf House alongside her business partner, Craig Love.
She and Craig would go on to open and run the The Southerly Biscuit Co. in 2017 - also in Carolina Beach. It would become a well known local spot featuring walk up window style service, selling made from scratch biscuits and pies. She and Craig would go on to sell the business to its current owners in 2022.
AnnaLee Johnston, owner of The Getaway Cafe and Provisions. (Photo by Dana Daeche Photography)
Following the sale of The Southerly and the closure of Surf House, The Getaway Café began to take shape as the duo’s next project, leveraging elements customers would’ve found while dining at both restaurants.
“The Getaway is a blend of both Surf House and The Southerly Biscuit Co. We serve high quality food in a chic atmosphere similar to Surf House, but with the convenience of a walk up window like we had at The Southerly.”
After learning about the location opportunity in Riverlights, AnnaLee and Craig signed a lease for the Getaway’s official home in October of 2021, and quickly opened its doors in January of 2022.
While the excitement of opening a new restaurant was certainly there for AnnaLee, adversity was lurking right around the corner.
“It was hard the first year because there were so many people that had not even moved into their houses in Riverlights yet. A lot of the apartment complexes that are here now, weren’t here yet either. It was extremely challenging in those early days.”
However, after year one, things began to come into shape.
"People began to catch on to the concept of the restaurant and what we wanted this to be. They weren’t asking us to adjust hours or anything like that anymore, and we could focus on simply fine tuning current processes,” says AnnaLee.
In year two big strides were made, including the offering of venue rentals. This provided more exposure that brought in new customers from the greater Wilmington area, and beyond.
Baby showers, engagement parties, and even a wedding reception have all been held at the Getaway since offering venue rentals - furthermore solidifying the Getaway as a place for anything, ranging between life’s simple pleasures, and biggest celebrations.
“To be the space that facilitates relationships and people coming together, means the world. We hope our food and location can continue to be a part of those moments, and create new memories. ”
The legendary bacon egg and cheddar biscuit.
In January 2024, AnnaLee became the sole owner of The Getaway and as the café continues to grow, AnnaLee feels like her customers continue to trust her more as they expand and evolve their offerings.
But the true purpose of these delicious meals are to act as a centerpiece for community; and to bring people together, even total strangers.
AnnaLee recalls a group of 10 people that just so happened to eat at The Getaway around the same time each week by themselves, without knowing each other. Eventually, they started to meet one another, and now they have a standing meal together every Sunday at The Getaway.
“We want this to be a place of community for everyone - not just for Riverlights, but for all of Wilmington.”
The Marina Village riverwalk is just across the street from The Getaway.
With experience opening and running multiple restaurants and a degree in hospitality from East Carolina, AnnaLee would be considered by many as an expert in the field.
However, one of the cornerstone elements of entrepreneurship is being able to improvise on the fly. Even when you have years of knowledge and expertise, every day presents new challenges.
“You’re winging it, 99% of the time. You have an idea of how you want things to run, but honestly until you actually get into the space and see how guests perceive things, you are constantly adjusting as you go and hoping it works. ”
So, what is the key to success in a restaurant? It goes without saying having quality food is important, the atmosphere helps set the mood, and the speed of service helps ensure satisfied guests.
But for AnnaLee, the secret is simple: happy staff.
“When you walk in and genuinely feel like the staff that is there enjoys the place they are working at, it shows you that the leadership is putting them in good places to be successful within the business. ”
Hospitality is an art that many may feel has fallen by the wayside with the swirl and speed of the modern world. AnnaLee assures you’ll always be able to find the timeless warmth of hospitality at The Getaway.
“While my parents didn’t have a background in food, they always instilled a sense of hospitality and always having your door open. There was no stranger to my dad, everyone was his friend. And as kids, we picked up on that. That has influenced how I manage The Getaway today.”
In January 2026, The Getaway will celebrate its 4th birthday, and AnnaLee and her team close out 2025 with more momentum than ever before. A testament that prioritizing hospitality, pays dividends.
The Getaway’s sandwiches feature artisan sourdough bread from Little Loaf Bakery. (Photo by Matt Ray Photography)
As for what is next for The Getaway, winter lattes have been launched, with a few features including a gingerbread latte with salted maple cold foam, apple pie flat white with whipped cream and cinnamon, and a cranberry matcha with cranberry cold foam and honey.
AnnaLee admits the popularity and opportunity to develop and sell coffee has come as a surprise, and she and her barista team look forward to growing the coffee menu more in 2026.
One of the summer signature coffees - Salted Caramel Iced Latte w/ House Coconut Cold Foam.