By Cassidy O’Neil, Staff Writer

Mom’s Sweet Shop has brought vintage clothing and tasty treats to the Outer Banks under the same bright red roof of the Seagate North plaza for the last eight years. But soon that will all change.

The locally owned, skate-inspired, sweets and treats store offers an array of both new and vintage clothing. Owners Derik and Jessica Wineland push for sustainable fashion and continue to play a vital part in the Outer Banks community.

“I’ve always viewed Mom’s as a community hub, and always wanted something along those lines because I know just how important for me it was when I was a younger,” Derik said.

Wineland grew up in Michigan and was inspired by the local skate scene and local shops like Lit Records and Back Door Skateshop. Wineland used these influences along with various other aspects of his life to create Mom’s.

“As a teenager, I used to go to record shops, surf shops and skate shops to hang out,” he said. “I understand the importance of a brick-and-mortar shop and creating an experience while offering a comfortable and inviting atmosphere: No matter your age, show up.

Now, Wineland is preparing to expand the community hub he’s created after receiving an rare opportunity from another local shop owner who happened to be right around the corner: Bob Hovey of Duck Village Outfitters.

“Bob comes in to get acai bowls all the time, so just over the years he’s remembered through our conversations that I’ve always wanted to have my own building,” Derik said. “So when he decided to sell the Kitty Hawk location, they came to me before even putting it on the market.”

In moving less than a quarter of a mile down the bypass, Mom’s hopes to offer customers a creative, in-depth experience every time they walk through the door at the new location. This means incorporating new things they’ve learned over the years along with perfecting what has come to be expected by longtime customers.

“The new shop is going to give us the rare opportunity to ‘reset’ in a way, not that we’re taking away from anything a ton,” Derik said. “There’s just things that we have wanted to ‘edit’ for the last year or two but it’s difficult to implement multiple changes at once. If I can let one cat out of the bag, we will be elaborating more on Mom’s Sweet Shop gear.”

First Flight students have long been a vital part of the Mom’s clientele. Wineland finds this as a vital part of his business but more importantly for the community.

“We just wanted to do something totally different when we made Mom’s,” Derik said. “Not only with what we sell, but like the vibe you get — I never want the customers to feel pressured into buying stuff when they come in the shop. I think it’s important at the end of the day for the youth to have a place to chill, feel comfortable and feel welcome.”

And welcomed they feel as senior Grayson Bell remarks, “It’s always good to support local business, it’s just a special place on the OBX, they have something that appeals to just about everyone which is awesome. The owner’s are super inviting, all around it’s just a great place.”

Customers will be welcomed into the new space before the start of the summer season, although a firm grand opening date hasn’t been set that hasn’t stopped many students from getting hyped.

“I’m excited to see what they do with so much more space, they had so much good stuff in such a small store before, I want to see how they expand with their new space” junior Ethan Parnell said.

Until opening day the Mom’s crew will continue to get the new space up to the standard customers have come to expect and hope to be met with excitement from both tourist and locals alike.

“If the fire marshal shuts us down because there’s too many people, that’d be crazy,” Derik says with a laugh about how enthusiastically the new building will be received. “It’s just important for the community because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about Jess and me and the people that work at Mom’s. We’re trying constantly to make something for the community to enjoy and for the tourists to remember when they leave.”

Senior Cassidy O’Neil can be reached at o’neilca1210@daretolearn.org.