Landmark Raleigh restaurant may lose out to road project

Owner Peggy Jin, who bought the place in 1991, knows that change is coming. The North Carolina Department of Transportation is working on a proposal to replace Capital Boulevard where it crosses Peace Street. The bridge there was built in 1948 and has been classified as "structurally deficient." The project plan calls for the removal of the Finch's building along with several others.

"To know it might be going away, it's sad," said diner Hayley Stowe. "I've had a lot of memories here, and I've made some friends."

Stowe and a friend eat at Finch's every Friday. 

"We sit here and talk for a couple of hours, and the waitresses come and hang out with us," she said. "They know our orders by now."

Bill Price said the location is not what draws him to Finch's. 

"I'd like to see it stay here, but by the same token, it's a restaurant. You can move restaurants anywhere," he said. 

Jin has not decided whether she'll make a move or just close up shop.

"The rent is so high right now," she said.

The construction plan is far from final, although both current proposals would mean the end for Finch's on Peace Street. A public hearing is planned next Tuesday between 5 and 7 p.m. at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

"I wish that people would rally behind it," Stowe said." It's been here for so long, and it's a staple for the community. I think it would be a good idea to keep it."