An acclaimed Triangle restaurant is expanding with a new location in RTP
.jpg "Pictured is rendering of the new Cheeni location slated to open in the Horseshoe at Hub RTP in 2025.")
One of the most acclaimed Triangle restaurants in recent years is expanding with a new location.
The two-time James Beard semifinalist Preeti Waas will expand her restaurant Cheeni to Research Triangle Park, with plans to open in 2025.
The new Cheeni is the first restaurant tenant announced as part of the Horseshoe at Hub RTP development led by Charlotte real estate developer White Point and the Research Triangle Park Foundation. Hub RTP includes the foodie destination Boxyard RTP, a collection of restaurants and gourmet shops built out of shipping containers.
“We are thrilled for this renowned restaurant to be our first Horseshoe food and beverage tenant,” said Erik Johnson, co-founder and partner of White Point, in a news release. “Cheeni will be an amazing amenity for the office tenants, the residents, the visitors of Hub RTP, and the greater Triangle area. This is the first of many exciting retail announcements we’ll be making over the next few months.”
As chef and owner, Waas first opened Cheeni Indian Food Emporium in North Raleigh in 2022, then last year expanded into downtown Durham, taking over the former Jack-Tar diner. The original North Raleigh location closed earlier this year, but Durham’s restaurant continues to be a jewel in the city’s downtown dining scene, serving a contemporary Indian menu, as well as a baking brand, Sugar & Spice, where you might find one of the great chocolate chip cookies of your life.
The new RTP location will be Waas’ first as part of a larger commercial development.
.jpg "CHEENI RTP - RENDERING (1).jpg")
“I am inspired by the community that White Point and the Foundation are curating at Horseshoe and Hub RTP,” Waas said in a release. “Horseshoe is a very exciting opportunity for myself and our team, and I look forward to being a part of the vibrant destination that it will soon be.”
The new Cheeni will move into a 3,000 square foot space on the ground floor of a five-story building at Hub RTP.
For the last two years Waas has been named a semifinalist for the James Beard Awards Best Chef: Southeast and this year got the prestigious gig of cooking at the awards gala in Chicago.
Construction on the new Cheeni is expected to begin this year, with the restaurant opening in 2025.
This story was originally published August 21, 2024 at 7:30 AM with the headline "An acclaimed Triangle restaurant is expanding with a new location in RTP."
