How one couple’s innovative side hustle became all the buzz for kids, parents and brew lovers alike.
What do you get when you combine a power couple with invaluable skills and a passion for entrepreneurship + a novel idea combining an indoor play space for children and cafe for their parents? Meet Libby and Mark Azzarello’s Bumble Brews. A side gig-turned-unexpected success story, Bumble Brews—which serves to entertain both kiddos ages 6 months to 6 years and adults with buzzy brews (think coffee + beer and wine)—now boasts two locations in Cary and Raleigh, the latter of which opened Dec. 1.
Libby, a residential real estate agent, and Mark, a former corporate professional, embarked on this entrepreneurial journey in December 2022. “My husband always wanted to pursue entrepreneurship,” shares Libby, reflecting on the early days of their venture.
Assisted by a franchise coach who helped them fine-tune their aspirations, the couple was originally working on different ideas—until they met Bumble Brews original owners Blair and Brendan Byrnside.
“We used to take our daughter to the Cary location and loved the combination Blair dreamed up of a safe and fun place to play, but also incorporating our love for coffee and local beer,” reflects Libby. “It appealed to me for the creativity and children part, and Mark for the beer and coffee.”
Libby, self-dubbed as the “food, beverage and entertainment” connoisseur of their marriage, and Mark, the “operations and logistics”-focused half of the partnership, found their perfect match in Bumble Brews. In September, Mark took a bold step by leaving his full-time job to dedicate more time to the business. Libby continues to practice residential real estate, cleverly integrating her work into the play cafe.
“I’m excited to tie real estate into Bumble Brews, and I’ve shifted a lot of marketing to help moms and families connect with each other,” she says. “Some of our guests have asked me to be their real estate agent, so it’s been nice to see an organic growth to my full-time business.”
In addition to serving great brews and providing a fun space for kids, Bumble Brews has become a hub for community gatherings and casual coffee meetups. The full cafe is buzzing with a range of local beer, wine, cider and Champagne selects. And it’s not just for parents.
“One of our most asked questions is ‘Can I visit and purchase coffee if I don’t have a kid?’, and I always tell people, ‘Yes!’” maintains Libby. “You don’t have to be a parent to enjoy our coffee shop. The Raleigh location is positioned underneath an apartment building, so sometimes people just want to grab a coffee.”
With their joint vision, Libby and Mark Azzarello aimed to create a space that was not only female-friendly, but also a comfortable hangout for dads. “The whole industry is more female-leading because you’re working with moms, but we wanted to create a space where dads felt comfortable,” Libby explains.
Additionally, Bumble Brews’ party room offers a blank canvas for guests to curate their own theme with decorations to bring the space to life. If planning an event, guests can book the open-play area, the party room or the entire space.
Another unique feature of the Raleigh location is the consignment bookshelf where local authors can display their books. “We want to support as many local authors as we can,” says Libby.
While managing a business on top of a full-time job can be challenging, Libby attributes much of the success to their supportive network and encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to leverage others’ strengths to avoid burnout.“I am surrounded by experts and people who want to help. It’s hard as a business owner, when you’re used to being independent, to lean on other people,” she shares. “But my friends told me, when I ask for specific help, I’m giving them a gift.”
Reflecting on their journey, Libby shares a candid insight: “We’re building the plane as we fly it—we’re learning as we go.” As they continue to navigate the intricacies of entrepreneurship, the Azzarellos are not just brewing up a successful business, but a community where families can connect, relax and have fun.
How the Oakwood24 run/walk started—and continues—to race toward positive change in partnership with Healing Transitions.
Running for 24 hours may seem like… a lot. But Oakwood24, a 24-hour run/walk in Oakwood Cemetery from Dec. 22 to 23, supports a great cause worth the shin splints: long-term addiction recovery via Healing Transitions.
Not feeling a daylong jaunt? Rest assured, you don’t have to go big or go home. Participants can opt to run or stroll in six- or 12-hour timed challenges instead. NTM new this year are 12- and 24-hour relays, allowing small teams of people to participate together. … After all, teamwork makes the dream work!
Jumping back to the starting line, the run found its beginnings in 2018 with Raleigh resident Jon Frey, who struggled with alcoholism and drug abuse for years before eventually ending up at Healing Transitions. Now, the Oakwood24 founder credits the healing org for playing a huge part in his recovery.
“I found myself at a jumping off point where I was either going to drink myself to death or I was going to get some help,” reflects Frey. “I made the decision to get help in August 2016, and I went through Healing Transitions’ yearlong program.”
While in the program, Frey craved activity, as his years of alcohol and substance abuse had taken a toll on his physical health. He got involved with the fitness group F3, where he met friend and mentor Charlie Engle. Soon after, the pair began regularly running together. Engle, an ultralong-distance runner, encouraged Frey to join him on a small 24-hour fundraiser run in Clinton, NC, once he finished his time at Healing Transitions.
“I went down there with him and did this small lap race, and I ended up running 100 miles—and that got me hooked,” says Frey of the start of his love affair with running.
Frey soon began looking for ways to give back to Healing Transitions, and one of the first things that came to mind was a 24-hour run to raise money for the nonprofit. Frey organized the first run amid the backdrop of the historic Oakwood Cemetery due to its low traffic, scenery and elevation changes, which positioned it as an ideal spot to run mile after mile… after mile.
As far as support, Frey asked people to contribute per-mile donations, thus raising $30,000—$40,000 via that first run alone. Flash-forward and Oakwood24 is now entering its sixth year, so far raising a whooping $500,000+ for Healing Transitions.
“There’s a competitive side to it, but we also have people who just come out and hang around the bonfire or walk—or run five or six laps with me,” shares Frey. “It’s really become a community event.” … Ready to lace up your sneaks in support of a good cause?
RM’s exclusive first look at the updated Rialto interiors
If you notice the Rialto is now an attention-grabbing blue—good. That’s exactly what you’re supposed to do. And in the best way. The longtime gray monotone-ish movie house has a new look to match its reenergized vibe and MO for its next chapter. And while bold—even electric—that blue is not just any ole random splash of blue. It’s intentional… at once nostalgic and avant-garde. As is the upcoming January lobby refresh.
New frontman Hayes Permar and company have said from the jump they wanted to give the Rialto a new lease on life (literally) by respecting its past and taking it into the future, from restored offerings (live music, movies, comedy!) to a fresh face. That revival—a Rialto 2.0, if you will—is exactly what local designer Antoine Pontón, who was tapped for the project, is honoring… “to respect its past and prepare it for the future,” says the principal of AP Designs. “That was the goal. It’s vintage. It’s retro. It’s respectful.”
Rendering courtesy of AP Designs
Applying art moderne design elements, the 2.0 updates harken back to Rialto’s roots. Google the architectural style to get a crash course on the nautical-leaning (we see you, blue) 1930s art deco subset that employs curves, glass blocks and horizontal lines to create length.
If that blue hue looks familiar, you’ll find it in Rialto’s new logo, developed with Dan Barbour of Barbour Shop Creative Services, which intentionally plays on the neon blue cast from the theater marquee at night. Bringing that neon blue inside, the upcoming lobby revamp also leans art moderne. Entirely cosmetic—read: more facial, less face-lift—the floor-to-ceiling updo comes complete with tile-patterned floors, painted/updated walls, new lighting and a reflective silver vinyl ceiling.
It’s a mood: funky, retro, clean, fresh… and just cool, Pontón describes. “You’re gonna feel like you’re walking back into the 1930s and ’40s—into the building’s original intention.” For now, the refresh stops at the theater doors. But, once Permar and company get settled, look for an update to the theater space (think chairs, acoustic panels, etc.).
It’s very American, very flashy and silver—like the fancy massive cars (think the Plymouth Prowlers of the day), explains the known-to-be-bold designer of the vintage vision. “All of those lines and fairings… just big American. Bigger is better. That’s what the whole movement of the architectural style was. … It was never meant to be subtle. It was never meant to blend in. It was meant to stand out and be a statement—and that fits right into Rialto 2.0. … It’s just going to look awesome.”
In a phrase: It’s “legacy reimagined”… which ever-so-fittingly happens to be AP Designs’ tagline. The Rialto has never been a blank canvas. And Permar—the ultimate caretaker—has ushered in its new era while staying true to its bones, at once resurrecting, restoring and propelling the Rialto for both longtime Raleighites and a whole generation who don’t feel an attachment—yet. “It’s not just a place for movies,” says Pontón. “It’s so much more.” therialto.com
“Through thoughtful collaboration, we’ve arrived at what you see today—a truly authentic and vintage look with a fabulously fresh custom take for a bright and full future to showcase our pride for the city we all love so much and dazzle visitors to our ‘Welcome to Raleigh, Y’all’ community!” ——Antoine Pontón
Legacy Reimagined In almost 100 years, the theater space has seen only a handful of iterations. Here, a snapshot of its storied look/legacy.
1942: First built as an A&P grocery store that bowed in 1938, the building raised the curtain as The Colony Theatre April 1, 1942 (photo June 1946).
1976: Snap of the popular Colony Theatre (present-day Rialto)
1983: Refurbished and reopened as the Rialto Theatre, exhibiting foreign, art, independent and alternative films. In 1989, longtime caretaker Bill Peebles took the helm (until 2022). From 1992–93: Space is retrofitted with new roof, state-of-the-art projection system, Dolby Stereo and new projection lamphouse.
1996–97: Rialto goes “50 shades of gray”—with iconic red doors via famed local artist Thomas Sayre. Facade and window boxes restored; new box office and display cases installed; lobby repainted; new carpet, pearlescent screen and new auditorium seats installed.
2023: New steward Hayes Permar takes the helm with a commitment to restoring the space’s history and vibrancy as a Raleigh icon, including a retro blue exterior and interior refresh.
Rialto timeline from top: Courtesy State Archives of NC; from the N&O Negative Collection, State Archives of North Carolina, copyrighted by the News and Observer; by @wsasser, courtesy of Cinema Treasures; by Dean Jeffery
Wake Tech is doing its part to address economic mobility head-on by reaching kids early and rallying around them as they climb to success.
It’s that time of year when we find ourselves reflecting on milestones and achievements as we resolve to take the next year next level. For Raleigh—a city that’s grown pretty accustomed to topping “best of” lists—2023 brought numerous accolades. And, yet, in our November Money Issue, we found the city still stacks up as a relatively affordable place to live.
But here’s the catch: not for everyone. The proof lies in one not-so-flattering stat—a lowest of lows that haunts us like the ghost of Christmas past. In 2014, a study led by Harvard economist and professor Raj Chetty revealed Raleigh ranked 48th on a list of the 50 biggest metro areas in the country when it comes to economic mobility. In other words, a child born poor in Raleigh is more likely to stay poor in Raleigh compared to other metropolitan areas. Cue record scratch.
“It’s the opposite of what you think it should be,” says Dr. Scott Ralls, president of Wake Tech, NC’s largest community college. “My first thought was, ‘We can’t be that bad.’ But even if Chetty’s numbers were off by a little bit… it shouldn’t be that way in Raleigh, a place with so much opportunity.”
Now, as we close in on a decade since those startling results from Chetty’s project were unveiled, it seems Raleigh has done little to improve its position (unlike Charlotte, which, after being ranked dead last, took it personally—and jumped into action). But Wake Tech is working to recast the narrative. In 2021 the college introduced a strategic plan called Reach and Rally, which structures programs to foster economic mobility based on a philosophy called ladder economics. “The thing about a ladder is it’s not about how high you can jump,” Ralls explains. “You’ve just got to get from one rung to the next.”
The base rung: outreach. “If you’re going to have an economic mobility impact, you can’t take students—you have to reach them,” says Ralls. To do so, Wake Tech aims to connect with students from families of limited economic means, often with limited exposure to higher education, through embedded supports at Title I high schools—and by cultivating partnerships with orgs such as Communities in Schools,Juntos, and Boys & Girls Clubs serving Wake County.
“Our executive vice president, Dr. Nicole Reaves, says this: ‘If it’s not in your neighborhood and if you don’t really see it, then you don’t dream to be it.’ So we have to kind of broaden what the neighborhood of Raleigh is because Raleigh’s broader neighborhood includes every opportunity imaginable,” says Ralls. “But… you first have to know it’s there; then you have to know it’s possible—and possibility becomes ladders; possibility becomes support.”
That’s where the “rally” aspect comes in. Wake Tech works to keep students tethered to their “ladder” through a robust support system made up of advisers, success coaches and career development specialists.
And thanks to Reach and Rally, change is happening—albeit slowly. “[Economic mobility] will not be impacted by Wake Tech overnight, but it will be made better by Wake Tech,” Ralls emphasizes—“and I think we can say it is being made better by Wake Tech.”
Ultimately, Wake Tech is, in many ways, Raleigh’s best answer to the question: “How can we offer children the best chance to rise out of poverty?” As we embark on a new year, it’s imperative our city’s collective New Year’s resolution be to make Raleigh a good place to live for everyone. So, let’s invest in our community now—and perhaps stage a comeback more rewarding than any accolade Raleigh’s seen yet. waketech.edu
“A place like Raleigh shouldn’t have [poor economic mobility] because there is opportunity here, and there is a place like Wake Tech here, and you don’t have to be rich to go here. There is a way to change what that study is saying.” —Dr. Scott Ralls, president of Wake Tech
In the famous words of Chris Tucker a la Friday, “How you gonna get fired on your day off?” Giving credence to the unlikely conundrum—or at least something else to worry about at 3am when work worries trouble us most, according to Harvard—is the extrahuman capabilities of artificial intelligence. It’s such a question mark, in fact, that President Biden recently issued an executive order to quell AI’s power.
But while pundits, politicians and industries alike sort out what AI can do and how we can use it—from grocery shopping to calculating food expiration dates to self-driving cars and beyond—researchers have analyzed a range of occupations to predict which jobs in NC are most likely to be overtaken… and which jobs have the lowest risk.
At the top of the chopping block? Well machines can math, obv, so billing, bookkeepers, accountants and auditors. And they thrive in clerical skills, meaning posts like postal clerks, laborers and office clerks—all of which are forecasted for 100% job loss to AI. The good news? Other wildly popular local professions can confidently bid the bird to the man vs. machine battle, including teachers, nurses and civil engineers, the latter of whose threat is almost nil… or as they’d say in Friday: “Bye, Felicia!”
100% imminent risk (or -100,000) Laborers, freight/stock/material movers: This No. 4 ranked NC job’s repetitive, predictable tasks don’t require much human judgment.
99% chance (or -9,900) Fast food/counter workers: Clever AI systems present imminent risk to this No. 11 ranked NC post—one of the top 9 in the U.S.—able to mimic the tasks, though posing a problem for customer service and social perceptiveness.
88% chance (or -733) Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers: Odds are high due to the rise in electric, automated vehicles.
38% chance (or +163) Home health and personal care aides: A relatively low-risk job since AI simply can’t mimic understanding of and special needs of patients
