The owner of Folly’s Drafts and Snacks in Kernersville has opened a cocktail bar just a block down the street. Social Habit is now open seven days a week at 242 N. Main St.
Mark Stamper owns both businesses. He is a Kentucky native and former West Virginia resident who initially came to North Carolina to work as a tire technician in the racing business. Mark Stamper, owner of Social Habit, poses for a portrait on Friday, Aug.
9, 2024, at 242 N. Main St. in Kernersville, N.
C. Years ago, he ran a restaurant called Stamper’s in Greensboro. He sold that in 2007, took some time off, and later spent a few summers gold mining (and putting his diving skills to use) in Alaska – ending up on the reality TV series “Gold Rush: White Water.
” “I was in 19 episodes in Season 5,” he said. Returning to North Carolina around 2017, he worked as property maintenance manager at Castle McCulloch in Jamestown for a while. People are also reading.
.. Stamper said the sale of some gold allowed him to open Folly’s as a sort of general store in 2020 right in the middle of the COVID pandemic.
Now Folly’s has evolved into one of Kernersville’s most popular spots for beer and live music. Stamper joked that he opened Social Habit because he was “getting tired of drinking draft beer,” but the new bar offers a different atmosphere than Folly’s, with comfortable couches and antique or vintage fixtures everywhere – in keeping with the character of the 115-year-old building. The exterior of Social Habit on Friday, Aug.
9, 2024, at 242 N. Main St. in Kernersville, N.
C. “The name represents what it’s about – a place to be social, talk with people,” Stamper said. “I wanted a place to complement downtown Kernersville and its amount of growth.
Man, this town is booming, and I wanted to be one of the cheerleaders on Main Street to make it happen.” He calls Social Habit a “smooth” cocktail lounge that features live jazz – in contrast to the livelier, more rockin’ vibe at Folly’s. Stamper pointed to a rich blue couch trimmed in red piping.
“It’s 60 years old. I love that couch, so I built the bar around it,” he said, pointing to the blue walls of the bar and its red trim. There is a variety of seating, artwork and mirrors at Social Habit on Friday, Aug.
9, 2024, at 242 N. Main St. in Kernersville, N.
C. Stamper said all of Social Habit’s cocktails are made with freshly squeezed juices and local products when possible – including espresso from Savage Roasters across the street for espresso martinis. Stamper also said he uses quality liquors for his well drinks.
Signature cocktails include nods to the area. The Fitz is Bananas – a reference to a local diner shuttered earlier this spring by a fire – contains Tito’s vodka, 99 Bananas liqueur, half-‘n’-half, and vanilla-infused syrup. The Crutchfield’s Bird – from the Musten & Crutchfield store across the street – has Kraken rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice and demi syrup.
The Social Habit is a mixed of Dickel rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and Campari. The bar at Social Habit on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, at 242 N.
Main St. in Kernersville, N.C.
Even classic cocktails have a local touch, including the K-Vegas Mule, and Manhattan on Main. The bar has a golf game in the back, a few TVs and two larger projectors for showing games, but the atmosphere is overall quieter than Folly’s. Even the music Stampers has lined up for Social Habit is quieter – more acoustic and smooth jazz he said.
“When you come in here, you don’t have to wait to feel comfortable,” he said. Stamper has more plans – for the next year or two. He said he wants to start a distillery in an unused area in the back of Social Habit.
After that, he’d like to open a restaurant on Main Street. “But that’s down the road a while.” mhastings@wsjournal.
com 336-727-7394 @mhastingswsj Address: 242 N. Main St., Kernersville, N.
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