Prominent Triangle bar owner opens new cocktail lounge in Raleigh
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mr. Henry cocktail bar opens late September in Raleigh’s Village District.
- Bar features equestrian-themed design and curated cocktails.
- Mr. Henry is from the owners of Cary’s SideBar and Hank’s.
The team behind some of the Triangle’s most popular watering holes is opening a new cocktail bar in Raleigh’s Village District.
Mr. Henry, named for a late dog of co-owners Matthew Bettinger and Catherine Godwin Bettinger, opens later this month in the former Which Wich space at the shopping center.
“We’re just excited to get back into Raleigh and a property that has such a long history, and a lot of that history does involve nightlife,” said Matthew Bettinger, who used to run the bygone Glenwood South jazz bar C. Grace. “We thought it’d be really cool to kind of bring that back, or at least be part of bringing that back.”
Decades ago, when it was called Cameron Village, the shopping center’s underground housed clubs including Frog & Nightgown, Deja Vu and The Pier. While the clubs had closed by the middle of the 1980s, they welcomed popular acts such as Iggy Pop and R.E.M.
Classic design in a small space
Mr. Henry is unlike the subterranean Village District clubs of the 1970s and 1980s. Its interior is loosely inspired by an equestrian theme, with artwork depicting horses hung on dark green walls accented by dark woods.
“It’s a beautiful space. It’s going to be anchored by outstanding, warm hospitality, and we’ll have excellent product,” Bettinger said. “We don’t carry anything on the back bar that we wouldn’t drink on its own.”
Catherine Godwin Bettinger, who grew up around horses, is responsible for the creative direction of the bar, which the Bettingers co-own with business partner Jeff Kinard. They also own Cary’s SideBar and Hank’s Downtown Dive.
Matthew Bettinger, though, is responsible for bringing in the Pitt & Giblin speakers. The Australia-based company worked with the Mr. Henry team to install acoustic treatments in the shotgun-style room, to help the speakers function properly.
“Aesthetically, they just fit the room,” Bettinger said. “It becomes part of the ambiance. There’s nothing wrong with speakers that are tucked up in the ceiling, but it’s important to us.”
Mr. Henry bar menu
Skyler Spaulding, who has been with the team since they opened SideBar, is running Mr. Henry.
Customers can order classic cocktails including martinis, palomas, whiskey sours and Catherine’s favorite, the rum-based tiki drink jungle bird — all crafted with “exacting execution,” Bettinger said.
The bar will also have a list of house cocktails, including the “Out of the Woods,” made with coriander tequila, carrot, passion fruit and lime.
These are in addition to a limited selection of sparkling, white and red wines, plus draft, bottle and canned beers, and alcohol-free choices.
“As bartenders, as bar owners, as people in the industry, it’s our job to throw a party seven nights a week,” Bettinger said. “We just need to make sure it’s a good enough party that people want to come back and don’t mind paying for it while they’re there.”
Mr. Henry location and opening
Mr. Henry opens the last week of September at 413 Woodburn Road in the former Which Wich in Raleigh’s Village District.
Regular hours will be 4 p.m.-midnight Wednesday-Thursday, 3 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday, 1 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday and 1-10 p.m. Sunday.
This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Prominent Triangle bar owner opens new cocktail lounge in Raleigh."
