2 longtime favorite restaurants closed in Durham and Chapel Hill. What’s next?
Key Takeaways
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Red Lotus in Chapel Hill closed permanently after 20 years in business.
- Another Asian restaurant is set to take over the Red Lotus space in August.
- Chef Mike Lee closed M Pocha in Durham. He will reopen it as M Nikkei this summer.
The Triangle’s restaurant scene is shifting as two longtime favorites shut down. In the coming weeks, both of the spaces will offer new experiences for customers. We’ve created this roundup to share our reporting on these restaurant shake ups.
Here are key takeaways:
- Red Lotus in Chapel Hill closed permanently on June 30, after 20 years of serving traditional Shanghai cuisine and Asian-American fusion dishes.
- Owner Kevin Zhu opened Red Lotus in 2006, and staff declined to share the reason for the closure with The News & Observer.
- Another Asian restaurant is scheduled to take over the Red Lotus space in August under new management.
- Chef Mike Lee closed M Pocha on June 13 after seven years in downtown Durham. He plans to reopen the space as M Nikkei this summer.
- M Nikkei will be a Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant specializing in sushi handrolls and the robatayaki style of cooking. It will have a redesigned dining room featuring banquettes and a curved sushi-style bar.
- Lee also recently unveiled M Hansik, a more traditional Korean restaurant near Durham’s Geer Street district.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.️
This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 10:54 AM with the headline "2 longtime favorite restaurants closed in Durham and Chapel Hill. What’s next?."
Drew Jackson
The News & Observer