One of Raleigh’s top bakeries has closed its downtown cafe
The downtown Raleigh cafe from one of the city’s busiest bakeries has sold its last corn cookie.
Union Special announced Friday afternoon that March 15 was the last day of its Fayetteville Street cafe.
The popular bakery from Andrew Ullom will continue to operate its original location and wholesale production space in Raleigh’s Gateway Plaza shopping center on Capital Boulevard. Union Special announced the cafe closing on its Instagram page.
“We are so appreciative of our guests that came to support us over the last three years, and to our staff that worked with us from the start,” the Instagram post said. “We opened this location in the thick of the pandemic and worked hard to continue operating in tumultuous economic conditions and pivoted time and time again. Ultimately, this decision is what’s best for us at this moment, and we’ll always keep the door open to opportunities in Downtown that may come our way in the future.”
The downtown Union Special opened its doors in September 2021, the same weekend Raleigh hosted that year’s World of Bluegrass festival. The cafe offered a version of Union Special’s breakfast and lunch options, catering to downtown office workers and conference-goers, plus a selection of cookies and pastries.
Union Special opened the doors of its flagship bakery in Gateway Plaza in 2019 and is now the longest serving restaurant tenant in the shopping center, which has recently added Miso Ramen, Natural Science Bar, the relocated Dogwood Country Club. Gateway will soon add Mala Pata, a collaboration between Ex Voto and Locals Seafood and the relocated Fiction Kitchen.
In the Instagram post, Union Special said a new restaurant called Bistro 401 would take over the downtown Fayetteville Street space. No information on Bistro 401 was immediately available.
This story was originally published March 15, 2024 at 4:18 PM with the headline "One of Raleigh’s top bakeries has closed its downtown cafe."
