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"We had no idea we’d end up in Lancaster when we chose to get married here a year ago."
A funny story about James Malfregeot: A native West Virginian who has lived and worked in cities across the Southeast for the past seven years, he fell in love with Kate, a woman from outside Philadelphia. When they were looking to get married, they chose a “destination” wedding in Lancaster at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with a reception at Cork Factory Hotel. Cut to a few months short of their paper anniversary, when James and Kate are asked to move to Lancaster with his role as Senior VP and Market President at BB&T.
“We were elated!” says James. “Our family and friends have all already been here, and fell in love. And we chose to get married here because the city had so much to offer. We had no idea we’d end up in Lancaster when we chose to get married here a year ago.”
James and Kate dove headfirst into their new city the day they arrived, and haven’t stopped discovering more to love about Lancaster. Huge live music fans and avid foodies, they spend their weeknights and weekends sampling the brunch menus, microbrews on tap, and concert venues across the city and county. We wanted to see our city through their eyes, so we asked them for some tips.
Cabalar Meat Co.
You know more than some locals we know. How have you learned so much so quickly?
People are often surprised at how much we know about Lancaster already. But we don’t have children yet, so we eat, indulge, travel, and explore almost every night.
Let’s hear what you’ve discovered. What is your absolute favorite go-to restaurant?
Luca is so special. We initially wanted to try Luca because some high profile food critics rave about it, and we fell in love. It can be hard to get a table, but the bar always seems to have seating. We like to share a bottle of wine and some small plates after a long day of work, and always bring visitors from out of town.
Where do you like to listen to music in Lancaster?
We are big fans of the Horse Inn. It has a real speakeasy feel to it, feels like something you’d see down in Savannah, Georgia. They will have soulful southern blues type live music in there, and plus the bartender is truly a mixologist!
Where do you go for a special occasion meal?
For a phenomenal meal, we will get a table at Amorette and enjoy their spectacular wine selection. It’s the closest place to a five-star meal you can get in Lancaster. But we also love the bar area, which plays fantastic music and has great cocktails.
Have you been able to pick a favorite Lancaster brewery yet?
We love anywhere that is dog-friendly and has outdoor seating, because we like to bring our goldendoodle Tucker along with us to eat and drink al fresco on the weekends. Spring House Brewery has an old turn of the century warehouse feel with spectacular food and eclectic games in the mezzanine area, plus we can get a great meal and have some tasty beer in their garden with Tucker in tow. Lancaster Brewing has a great outdoor patio too.
Have you ventured outside of the city to other towns in the county?
I have to give major credit to Lititz. We love going to see live concerts, but it’s amazing that the best acts in the world will come right here to Lancaster County to work on their sets at Rock Lititz. We love to spend a day bopping around Lititz, hitting custom artisan shops, swinging by Rock Lititz to see the laboratory of world music, and then having a down country meal at a locally owned eatery.
The Imperial Restaurant and Lemon Street Market
At BB&T, James is an especially young and visionary leader. As President of the Lancaster/Lebanon Market, he and his team are helping to bring innovative technologies with a personal touch to this growing area. Lancaster joins a list of power cities like Miami, Dallas, Atlanta, and DC as a regional headquarters location for BB&T. With a new merger on the horizon, BB&T is investing in the future, investing in young talent, technologies, and the local communities it serves. In Lancaster, BB&T associates have completed community service projects with the YMCA, YWCA, Girls on the Run, Aaron’s Acres, and the United Way through its Lighthouse Project, just to name a few.
The BB&T Economic Growth Fund at the Lancaster Community Foundation, is a $10 million fund dedicated solely to Lancaster County. It exists to improve the standard of living and economic health of Lancaster County through business attraction and incubation, industrial growth, and the creation of sustainable wage jobs for residents of Lancaster County. To date, BB&T has given more than $8.1 million to over 18 different organizations in Lancaster County since 2015.
