Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan & Christopher Giovannucci & Russell.
Hi Jordan & Christopher, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We (Jordan Giovannucci and Christopher Russell) moved to Wilmington, NC three weeks before Hurricane Florence hit the town in 2018. We were a couple years out of college (and in debt because of it), newly married (and strapped for cash), and looking to explore the world (having lived all our life in NorthWestern Ohio). Fast forward 7 years, 7 different jobs, and 1 same town that has become our home – we now live in the downtown Soda Pop District in the back half of our micro coffee shop / curated gift shop / soon-to-be boutique hotel (3 rooms upstairs).
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. We spent many years figuring out life, the world around us, ourselves, and what we wanted to do with our lives. Initially, when moving to Wilmington from NorthWestern Ohio, we were excited to be somewhere new, near the beach, and all the fun and exciting experiences this town has to offer. The jobs we landed back then in order to survive (Christopher – Carpenter; Jordan – Front Desk & Admin) were great learning experiences, but the pay and work were not as rewarding as we would have liked. We both strived for something more in terms of pay and the work itself. Christopher left his job and found a new one that better fit his skill set, Jordan moved up quickly in the ranks and became a property manager, but we still didn’t have it right. The pay was better, but the work/life balance just didn’t cut it for us. Over the course of many more changes, small business/side hustle attempts, and a ton of learning experiences, we decided we wanted to risk it all on ourselves and go into business together at something we were both naturally good at – a modernized version of a bed and breakfast.
We’ve been impressed with Canary Yellow, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Canary Yellow is Wilmington’s first color-themed boutique hotel, retail and micro coffee shop. We opened up in Wilmington’s Soda Pop District at 16 N 8th St this past May and are working hard at creating three color themed boutique hotel rooms upstairs for guests to stay at in 2026.
The name Canary Yellow comes from the concept of color paint swatches – the entirety of the business side of the building is drenched in color and has an aesthetic feel. That is how all our drinks are curated, by using the color swatch and matching the ingredients. Our goal is to create an experience for those visiting us. Customers (and future guests) can explore the curated shop, sip on our drink creations, and have the chance to stay in an intentionally designed/built out space by local artist/designer/owner Jordan and builder/designer/owner Christopher.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Jordan loves playing beach volleyball during the summer and recently took up figure skating lessons as a winter sport to stay active and to try something new. Christopher loves skimboarding as much as possible and is always in the middle of one to three different books at any given time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://canaryellowilmington.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canaryellowilmington
