What’s missing from Franklin Street these days? Do any UNC fan favorites remain?
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The changing face of Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street
Every time a fabled establishment shuts down in Chapel Hill, the laments grow louder. But when Linda’s Bar & Grill shut its doors this month, potentially for good, those cries grew to a loud roar. Can Franklin Street survive the changes, or is UNC’s main drag merely staging a dramatic wardrobe change? Here’s The News & Observer’s coverage of the downtown thoroughfare.
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Alumni from distant decades may no longer recognize the Franklin Street blocks they haunted as UNC students in a long-gone era.
Recent years in Chapel Hill have claimed a string of favorites, mainly due to pandemic slowdowns but also thanks to the heavy cost of renovating old buildings and the lack of parking or affordable housing to generate foot traffic.
Here’s a list of places that closed recently after at least a decade in business, as well as some of the classics that are surviving.
Recently Gone
▪ Linda’s, 2023
Owner Christopher Carini: “It’s really, really simple. The pandemic happened. Restaurants generally operate off of cash flow, but no one was around for two years.”
▪ TOPO Distillery, 2023
A sister company of Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery, TOPO opened in 2012 as the South’s first locally sourced distillery.
▪ Crook’s Corner, 2021
The shrimp and grits shrine succumbed to pandemic, but its owner is eyeing a return this year.
▪ West End Wine Bar, 2021
Once pouring more than 100 different wines, it sold to Mediterranean Deli, and the space is now used as a venue for events.
▪ The Library, 2021
The popular bar, known for Feel Good Fridays with Deejay Swirlz, opened in 2003.
▪ Ye Olde Waffle Shoppe, 2020
“It is hard to imagine waking up in the morning and not heading over to Ye Olde to prepare breakfast for the town of Chapel Hill, as it has been our norm for over 48 years,” read its website at the time. “However, from a public health perspective and due to the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, it is the right choice for us.”
▪ Spanky’s, 2018
The highly visible restaurant had occupied the corner of Columbia Street since 1977, known for its wall of caricatures showing everyone from President James Knox Polk to UNC basketball great James Worthy.
Long Gone
▪ Pepper’s Pizza
Three years ago, N&O readers voted the unpretentious Chapel Hill restaurant the one they’d most like to see return.
▪ Ram’s Head Rathskeller
“The Rat,” with its notable lasagna, is now occupied by Gizmo Brew Works.
Old-timers still around
▪ He’s Not Here
Upstairs watering hole famous for its Blue Cup, cameo visits and shady patio.
▪ Shrunken Head
Tar Heel gear since 1969, including the official snow globe.
▪ Carolina Coffee Shop
Century-old institution now open for dine-in and take-out.
▪ The Cave
Dank, subterranean bar for live music purists who brag they saw your favorite band way back when. Rescued after threatened closure in 2018.
▪ Local 506
All-ages rock club giving a stage to rising bands since 1992.
▪ Sutton’s Drug Store
Another 100-year-old institution better known for its burgers than its pharmacy, surviving The Great Depression to the pandemic.
▪ Four Corners
Longtime spot for burgers, beer and more game-time chow, named for Dean Smith’s signature offense.
This story was originally published January 24, 2024 at 5:56 AM with the headline "What’s missing from Franklin Street these days? Do any UNC fan favorites remain?."
