New coffee shop & bar is coming to Dix Park. See what it will look like
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Dix Park Conservancy remodels Flowers Cottage into Cottage Coffee and Park Bar.
- New concepts are from team behind Natural Science, Locals Seafood and Person Street Bar.
- Project adds expanded back deck, freestanding restrooms and a small natural play area.
A new food and drink option is in the works for Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park.
The Dix Park Conservancy, a nonprofit that works with the City of Raleigh, is remodeling the Flowers Cottage.
The building near Flowers Field will host two concepts, Cottage Coffee and Park Bar, operated by Justin Pasfield and Jeff Clarke of Person Street Bar, Locals Seafood and Natural Science.
Cottage Coffee will offer locally-roasted coffee, tea, soft-serve ice cream and baked goods.
Park Bar will be located below the expanded back deck, pouring craft beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages.
“We’re known for operating welcoming neighborhood bars in well-loved locations, with a commitment to quality and local collaborators. Cottage Coffee will be our first foray into coffee and will give us the chance to work with local partners on baked goods, ice cream and picnic provisions,” Clarke said in a news release. “Park Bar will bring our signature neighborhood-bar hospitality to an iconic landmark.”
Maurer Architecture is designing the new concepts, with Northgate Construction building it. The construction will include an expanded deck in the back — which offers a view of the downtown Raleigh skyline — a freestanding restroom facility and a small play area with natural elements similar to features of the Gipson Play Plaza and the adjacent Flowers Field.
Flowers Cottage is located at 2105 Umstead Drive.
Construction has already started, with a projected opening in summer 2026.
Another food seller for Dix Park
The Flowers Cottage concepts will be the latest additions to Dix Park.
In June, the House of Many Porches opened at Gipson Play Plaza, offering a grab-and-go market and cafe. Visitors can purchase sweet and savory snacks, sandwiches, coffee, beer, wine and pastries.
The House of Many Porches and Gipson Play Plaza are located along Lake Wheeler Road, on the eastern side of the park.
“With the surge in visitors since the opening of Gipson Play Plaza and the arrival of the Trolls, we saw this expansion and remodel as the perfect project for providing a hub to all of the activity on this half of the park,” Ruffin Hall, CEO of Dix Park Conservancy, said in a news release. “The remodeled cottage and expansive back deck will be the perfect spot for visitors to rest and recharge as they explore.”
This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 10:39 AM with the headline "New coffee shop & bar is coming to Dix Park. See what it will look like."
