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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Roberts marks quarter century at King Neptune restaurant

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Since his first day on the job in 1993, Christopher Roberts has seen many changes come to Wrightsville Beach. When he started the door that March, what is now Tower 7 was a restaurant called “The Sandwich Pail”, 22 North was a Mediterranean restaurant and a surf shop was in the location that is nowCafe Del Mar.
But while the faces and places have changed in his 25 years as an employee of King Neptune restaurant, it’s the people that has kept him coming back, Roberts said, and on Friday, March 23, the restaurant is holding a celebration of his silver anniversary at the Wrightsville Beach landmark.
“I love working with the people,” said Roberts, while jokingly adding: “And the schedule. I’m not a morning person.”
For his part, Roberts isn’t exactly sure what the exact date of his first day of work, noting that March 23 was “close enough.” He first shift more than two decades ago was to fill in for his friend Frank. What was a job soon became a career for the former University of North Carolina Wilmington student.
“It seems like it was yesterday,” said Roberts, who started at King Neptune before any member of the staff he currently manages was born. With a predominantly college aged staff, seeing faces come and go is something that comes with the job, he said.
“There’s different faces and different people all the time,” Roberts said. “But my relationship with the staff is one of my favorite parts of the job.”
While Roberts tenure is impressive, he’s got a long way to go before setting any employment records at the restaurant. A former cook, Mack Ford, worked at the restaurant for 51 years.
While many know him as a fan of the Miami Dolphins football team, Roberts said he never lived in Florida, and is a native of Moorhead City. His love of the ocean helped inspire him to support the Dolphins when he was young and the rooting interest has stayed with him. Other recognized Roberts from his frequent walks of his boxer Tess around Wrightsville Beach.
Roberts support for the Wrightsville Beach community was recently recognized by the town’s police department, which awarded him a citizen’s commendation for his help with police during busy summer weekend nights.
King Neptune restaurant will celebrate Roberts’ 25 years of service at the restaurant’s 11 N. Lumina Ave. location on Friday, March 23 at 5 p.m.

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