Featured Restaurant News Wake County Restaurant News Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News Closings Food Trucks Events Food Bank Corner

Featured Restaurant News

• Good Graces, a new all-day market, cafe, and bar, opened this week in the North Hills Innovation District at 540 St Albans Drive. It offers a combination of coffee, grab-and-go eats, cocktails, and locally sourced goods. The venue aims to be a gathering spot for the community, offering a space for coffee, casual meals, and evening drinks. Open daily from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. they serve breakfast from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., light bites from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. and drinks, well…all day! In addition to all the great eats and drinks, they also have an amazing market to browse through and pick up locally sourced treats and gifts. Get by and check them out.

Wake County Restaurant News

• A new coffee concept, Simmer Coffee, is opening their first Simmer Coffee House at 726 Slash Pine Drive in Amberly Village in Cary this Sunday, August 17. They proudly serve locally roasted coffee, signature matcha drinks, handcrafted Simmer Toasts and pastries from nearby bakeries. They will then celebrate their grand opening on Saturday, August 23 from 10am-1pm with special promotions, opportunities to win free Simmer food, drink, and merchandise, a photo booth, face painting and balloon art for kids of all ages. As part of its grand opening, Simmer is also giving one lucky winner Free Simmer for a Year. Check them out here.

• A quick update. Raleigh’s newest taco shop, Barrio Tacos, Tequila & Whiskey, was set to open this week in downtown Raleigh’s Smoky Hollow development but has had to delay their opening. This will be the chain’s first venture into North Carolina. It will be worth the wait as they were voted one of the top 10 taco stands in the United States. They are also known for their vast selection of tequila, whiskey, and beer. No word yet on a new date. But soon! At this point, best to follow their Instagram for an announcement.

• Blogger EatRaleigh shared that 1865 Steak Seafood & Cigars Raleigh is opening soon in the old Gianni and Gaitanos space in Triangle Town Commons (it has been over 10 years) at 3751 Sumner Blvd. They also have locations in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Start getting familiar with them here.

• Over in Cary, Cary Magazine shared the news that Nana Morrison’s, a family-owned and operated soul food restaurant, is now open in The Arboretum at Weston off Harrison Avenue. It is the fourth location for this Charlotte-based, family-owned restaurant. Inspired by the recipes of co-founder Kiana Morrison’s grandmother, the menu is all about comfort classics — fried chicken, collard greens, mac and cheese, yams, cornbread, and more. Get a taste of them here.

• Of important note to Chick-fil-A fans over in Cary, we learned this week that the Chick-fil-A on Walnut Street has been knocked down for a complete “re-do.” No timeline for construction.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Saw on a recent post on the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Facebook page that Durham will soon be home to the next location of Gyu-Kaku Japanese Barbecue at 214 Hunt Street, Suite 100. Gyu-Kaku provides authentic Japanese yakiniku (grilled barbecue) dining experience where customers share premium cooked meats over a flaming smokeless grill, while sipping on Japanese sake, shochu, and frosty cold beers. They offer a wide range of meats including the best-seller Harami Skirt Steak in Miso Marinade and Prime Kalbi Short Rib in Tare Sweet Soy Marinade. North Carolina is already home to two locations, one in Greensboro and the other in Charlotte. No word on a timeline. Start getting familiar with them here.

• Over in Chapel Hill, as stores and restaurants continue to rebuild from the floods a few weeks back, we are excited to share that Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill in University Place has reopened and Guglhupf at Eastgate Shopping Center will re-open this Saturday, August 16th. Make it a point to dine at both as they continue to recover from such a huge setback. Visit Guglhupf here on Instagram and Stoney River here.

• And a huge tip of the hat to the Triangle’s own Randy’s Pizza as they celebrate 30 years of business on Sunday, August 17th. Now with eight locations around the Triangle, this Sunday all locations will roll back dine-in slice prices to 1995 pricing and will offer 30% off all other menu options. Randy will be making an appearance at every store on the day. In addition, fun photo booths and giveaways are just some of the activities planned for the celebration. Customers are invited to come celebrate and have some fun. Visit Randy’s here.

• And speaking of milestones, Chapel Hill’s Brandwein’s Bagels celebrated five years of being in business this past week. Congrats to Alex and his team for all their hard-earned success! Visit Brandwein’s here.

Closings

• None to report. Keep eating local, folks!

Food Trucks

• Jennifer Martin posted on Facebook that the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo will take place on August 24, 2025 from 12 – 7 p.m. in downtown Raleigh. Expect over 50 of your favorite food trucks. It is being put on by Shop Local Raleigh.

• The final Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo of 2025 will be on Sunday, November 2. It will run from 12 noon until 4 p.m. featuring over 50+ food trucks with cuisine from all over the world making it the ultimate Sunday Funday in Durham Central Park (501 Foster Street)! Get all the details here.

• Looking to find your favorite food truck (or stalking them and simply don’t want to have to admit it)? We understand. Find them on Street Food Finder here.

Events

• Carolina Brewery is closing out the summer with their second Shrimp Boil event where guests are invited to enjoy a classic lowcountry-style boil, live music, and the release of a limited-edition beer brewed specially for the occasion. The Chapel Hill location will host their boil on Saturday, August 23 from 4 to 7 p.m. For additional details or to make reservations, visit them here.

• The Town of Cary’s Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival will be held on Saturday, August 23 and Sunday, August 24 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. It is a great way to wrap up the summer and explore the work of over 250 artists from across the nation, great food, live music and performances, as well as a kids section. Get all the details here.

• The inaugural Salt & Smoke & Sound Festival will be held Saturday, October 18th at Blackwood Farm Park between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. The exciting new community event merges together two beloved festivals–Acme’s Salt & Smoke and Sonark Media’s Harvest Festival–into a celebration of food, culture, and music in a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere. Food will be provided by Acme’s Kevin Callaghan and a team of local chefs and food trucks offering a wide variety of dishes and dining options. The festival will feature craft beers, curated beverages, and other interesting spirit-free options. All food and drink will be available for purchase and is not included in the price of festival entry. Tickets are on sale now.

Food Bank Corner

• New data reveals a worsening hunger crisis in North Carolina and nationwide — as food insecurity reaches its highest level in nearly 20 years. More than 607,000 people are now food insecure across the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina’s 34-county area service area — nearly 47,000 more than the prior year. The analysis underscores the serious impact of cuts to federal support as the cost of housing, food and other essentials continue to rise here in North Carolina. The hunger crisis has continued to worsen each year in the wake of the pandemic, as government has stepped back from investments in emergency food purchases and direct support for affected families. Yet despite deepening challenges, federal officials have gone even further by eliminating food purchase funding and forcing significant cuts to SNAP grocery support. As a result, 1 in 7 people across our region are now unsure where their next meal might come from, including nearly 1 in 5 children and teenagers. The Food Bank is moving mountains to make food available to all who need it. They’re still here, no matter what. They need your help now more than ever. Read their full statement here and get involved in the fight to end hunger.

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