New and next: Pandemic challenges, real estate growth bring changes to Triangle's foodie scene
Whether by the pandemic or real estate development growth in the area, the Triangle area restaurant industry is looking very different than it did just two years ago.
Two popular restaurants - Garland in Raleigh and Saint James Seafood in Durham - announced closures on Wednesday.
"Operating through the pandemic over the last two years, has shown us the potential of this amazing space, and we look forward to ushering in its reinvention," owners Cheetie Kumar and Paul Siler wrote on Garland' social media pages Wednesday. Garland shared a building with clubs Kings and Neptunes at 14 W. Martin St.
Garland's last day of regular service will be Aug. 27, but there is hope for the future. Owners plan to host pop-up dinners, shows and other events at Martin Street. In an email to newsletter subscribers, Garland mentioned another upcoming collaboration.
Chefs innovate after pandemic challenges
"Our next project will be a partnership with Anisette Sweet Shop on Bickett Boulevard. Once construction is complete their bakery/coffee shop will be back in operation, and we will be unveiling our collaborative full concept later this winter/early 2023. We are excited to remain a part of Raleigh's community of local, independent entrepreneurship that sets our city apart from so many," the email stated.
For award-winning chef Vivian Howard, the COVID-19 pandemic sparked an idea for a new revenue stream.
"I started thinking, 'Gosh, wouldn't it be great if I could just go to a freezer section somewhere and pull out meals that I would actually enjoy eating and that would allow me to not do dishes tonight,'" Howard told WRAL News earlier this month. "Something that we would all be excited to eat."
Howard's restaurants, including The Chef and the Farmer in Kinston and Benny's Big Time Pizzeria in Wilmington, were closed at the time due to the pandemic.
"It was like, 'Wow, all that I have to show for all the years of work that I've done is a great reputation,'" Howard said. "If I can't serve people whose butts are in my seats and my restaurants, then I can't do anything."
Howard was already shipping hand pies across the country through her mail-order business, Handy and Hot. She continued shipping food, but knew there was a bigger opportunity out there.
"I can sell you a $15 pound cake, but you're gonna have to pay $50 for it because that's how much it costs to get it there. So, I just started trying to find a solution for those two problems. That's where Viv's Fridge was really born," Howard said.
Viv's Fridge is just that – a smart refrigerator offering take-and- bake meals. The fridges are located in Bald Head Island, Emerald Island and Kinston.
With so much prep time required for only a few hours of service each night, a project like Viv's Fridge is essential to help Howard supplement the income from her traditional restaurants.
"These Viv's Fridges have roughly $5,000 worth of inventory in each one. For many restaurants, that's a good night of service," Howard said. "If you can supplement your restaurant's revenue with fridges, if you can make use of your kitchens during times when the restaurant itself is not open to customers, if you can generate revenue in an investment you've already made in terms of your highly technical kitchen, if you can do that, then you can make your business more profitable."
Howard's flagship restaurant, The Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, remains closed. Howard plans to unveil a new concept there soon.
Staffing shortages lead to more closures
As restaurants reopened following mandated COVID closures, the next challenge became labor shortages.
Citing staffing shortages, Circus Family Restaurant on Wake Forest Road announced earlier this year it would be closing its doors after nearly 50 years in business.
Carrburritos closed its location at Boxyard in Research Triangle Park in May citing staffing and supply shortages. Owners instead decided to focus on their original location in Carrboro.
Several other longtime restaurants closed their doors this year including Dos Perros on North Mangum Street in Durham and Margaret's Cantina in Chapel Hill. The former was open for a decade and the latter 31 years.
Real estate boom leads to relocations
Not all closings have been staffing or pandemic related. The real estate development market has been booming with projects like Raleigh IronWorks creating large, mixed-used developments. Big Boss Brewing Co., Raleigh's oldest craft brewery, announced last week that it would be relocating its warehouse location at 1249 Wicker Drive. Brewery Director Seth Adams told WRAL News that the brewery's last day at its original location will be Aug. 28.
Big Boss's Wicker Drive location is owned by Grubb Ventures, which is also behind the expansive Raleigh IronWorks development being constructed nearby. Project information filed with the City of Raleigh shows that the Big Boss space is among three warehouses in the area being redeveloped.
After 47 years in business, owners decided to sell the land that Char-Grill's original location on Hillsborough Street stands.
Business partners Mahlon Aycock and Ryon Wilder said the site sits on a prime spot of land in downtown Raleigh that developers have been after for years.
"We're interested in being there for a very, very long time," Wilder said.
The most recent developer was from the area and was willing to work with Char-Grill to make sure that it still had a place in the community.
The burger staple will be in the bottom floor of a 20-story mixed-use development that will take up a large plot of land on the corner of North Boylan Avenue, Hillsborough Street and Willard Place.
Saint James Seafood in Durham will be closing in early October. Owner Matt Kelly said the restaurant's lease for its location at 806 W. Main St. had been terminated and the restaurant had to be out by Nov. 1.
Kelly said over the next two months, staff would be celebrating the restaurant's four-year tenure. He added that if anyone knew of a new location, they could contact him.
