Making breakfast for families visiting and living on the Outer Banks is something we've done since 1981. Our tradition of serving great breakfast: pancakes, waffles, french toast, omelets and homemade biscuits is something we take seriously.  

We do what we do because it makes you smile, and it makes us smile. We believe that cooking with love is the only way to go. Stop in and see for yourself!

OUR HISTORY AND HOW WE STARTED

The "Founder" of Stack 'em High, Perry Kiousis immigrated to the United States in the early 1960's from Greece.  He entered New York Harbor by boat and sailed under the open arms of Lady Liberty like so many other determined, young men and women.  He worked for his uncle in his hot dog shop in Pittsburg for several years before being joined by his bride, Kiki.  They learned to speak the language by listening to the customers and practicing to each other.  They needed no education; however, on how to work hard or how to make the most of every opportunity.  Soon, they were running shops of their own and had two sons, Steven and Nick. 

On a vacation to Virginia Beach, they discovered a spit of sand, known as the Outer Banks. After an abbreviated business meeting and a decision to follow his intuition, Perry welcomed his family to their new home, North Carolina. They ran the Point Harbor Restaurant at the foot of the Wright Memorial Bridge for ten years, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. People of all walks of life and from all over the region, flocked to the new home of Greek and coastal cuisine. Their famed "corn cakes" are still the topic of conversation amongst those with memories of the Point Harbor. Just months into a planned break from the restaurant business, Perry sat up in bed one night and told Kiki..."I've got it. We'll sell pancakes and we'll call the place Stack 'em High." She asked how he planned on making a living on pancakes and he answered they would sell some other items as well, "you know, so forth."  So in 1981, Stack 'em High Pancakes and So Forth was born. The concept was honed in a matter of days, the land was purchased and the building was built in less than three months. Now, over thirty years later, we are proud to be making a living on pancakes and so forth. 


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Kill Devil Hills
252-441-7064
Hours
*Off-season hours may vary*
Call 252-441-7064 for current hours.
  • Monday07:00AM-01:00PM
  • Tuesday07:00AM-01:00PM
  • Wednesday07:00AM-01:00PM
  • Thursday07:00AM-01:00PM
  • Friday07:00AM-01:00PM
  • Saturday07:00AM-01:00PM
  • Sunday07:00AM-01:00PM
Categories
Restaurants
The Cotton Gin

The Cotton Gin

For those traveling to the Outer Banks, The Cotton Gin is a beloved landmark with its large windmill and picturesque gardens. The Cotton Gin has stood in the same location since 1929, starting as a working cotton gin and growing to a gift store with 4 locations. Visitors are treated to a unique shopping experience in our main store in Jarvisburg, as well as our beach stores in Corolla, Duck, and Nags Head. Explore room after room filled with décor for your home and coastal fashions for both men and women. Discover the brands you really want, like, Vera Bradley, Vineyard Vines, La Mer Luex, Simply Southern, Lindsay Phillips, Scout, Pandora, Kameleon, Brighton, Spartina, Tommy Bahama, Southern Tide and Salt Life and Old Guys Rule - all under one roof!

 

Don’t forget the gourmet market, or shop our beautiful linens for your bedroom and bath. We also feature coastal books and fine art, or just a whimsical fun gift to bring home to family and friends. Stop by soon and don’t forget to try our estate grown wines in our stores or visit our vineyard and winery, Sanctuary Vineyards, located adjacent to the original Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg.

 

Most know The Cotton Gin as a must-stop shop for fine gifts, beachwear, souvenirs and so much more, but this retailer has a long-standing history within the Outer Banks. A local landmark that holds almost a century of memories, The Cotton Gin started from humble beginnings and continues to adapt to the times and tourists. Tommy Wright’s family has been in the Outer Banks for nearly 200 years. His great-great grandfather, Jacob Francis Wright, shipwrecked in Duck back in the early 1800s. Calling these barrier islands his new home, Wright and his family acclimated to their new environment.

 

Adaptation is a common theme for the Wright family. Tommy and his wife Candace, who continue to steer The Cotton Gin, have seen not only their business change with the times, but the Outer Banks as a vacation destination as well. A farm market in Jarvisburg eventually transformed and flourished into several retail locations dotting the Outer Banks.

 

“As the area changed and tourism took off in the 1960s, the family saw people coming for vacations, so they began to grow vegetables and things developed from there,” says Tommy Wright. The Wright family expanded upon the farm market and began to remodel a working cotton gin, later transforming the gin into The Cotton Gin general store in the late 1960s. While the additions to the farm store drew visitors, it was their encounters with the Wright family that kept people coming back year after year, which is something that remains true today.

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