Chinese lifestyle store opens in Triangle & new-ish Raleigh coffee shop adds retail space
A downtown Raleigh coffee shop that opened in early 2024 is branching out.
The owner of Little Native Coffee, located at 426 S. Person St. in the Prince Hall historic district, has acquired the space next door to the coffee shop — the former Boot & Trunk — and plans to turn it into a small retail store.
Littlest Shoppe will stock items such as soap, candles, food, records and jewelry from local makers, Ashleigh Strickland, who owns Little Native Coffee, told The News & Observer in a phone call.
“There’s sort of a missing opportunity for makers in the area who are passionate about a product that they’re creating more as a hobby and not a business,” she said.
This is the latest venture for Strickland, who also founded Cloche Coffee in Durham.
The plan is to tear down the dividing wall to create one larger space and add shelving for inventory and maybe a couch for lounging.
Littlest Shoppe will offer two options for those who want to sell their items in the store. They can pay a monthly rent and keep 95% of their sales (with the remaining 5% covering staffing and credit card processing fees), or they can split their sales with Littlest Shoppe 60/40.
She wants to open Littlest Shoppe by Dec. 1 but is hoping for a mid-November opening.
“For us to sort of open up into the other side and bring sort of that brand to life too, and really being intentional with local makers and people that are, you know, living and creating in this area, is really important to us,” Strickland said.
Here are some other retail news stories you might have missed.
Miniso opens at Triangle Town Center
Miniso, a Chinese company offering food, toys, beauty products and other items, held a grand opening at Triangle Town Center on Saturday, Oct. 26.
This is the brand’s first Triangle location, with a second planned for Raleigh’s Crabtree Valley Mall. The Crabtree store was expected to open over the summer, The News & Observer previously reported, but it has not yet opened.
Miniso, which uses the slogan “Life is for fun,” has other North Carolina locations in Winston Salem, Pineville and Concord.
RH Raleigh, The Gallery at North Hills opens with Rooftop Restaurant
The luxury furniture retailer RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, has opened a new location in Raleigh’s North Hills.
The 60,000-square-foot, multilevel store showcases the brand’s indoor and outdoor furniture collections and has an on-site design studio.
On the top level, there’s a glass-enclosed Rooftop Restaurant, where visitors can enjoy dishes such as burgers and caviar-topped lobster. Outside, they can sip wine on the terrace.
Durham ice cream shop adds second location
Simons Says Dip This, an ice cream shop known for dipped cones, is opening a new store.
After three years in downtown Durham, the company has decided to add a second store, this time in downtown Raleigh.
The shop will be at the Bloc[83] development near Glenwood Avenue and Hillsborough Street. It’s expected to open before Christmas.
Simons Says Dip This only makes vanilla soft serve (available with and without dairy), but offers a handful of core flavors, dozens of dips and sweet and savory toppings to customize the cold treats.
“Everybody loves ice cream,” co-owner Audrey Simons told The N&O. “I like the fact that we kind of appeal to all ages and all backgrounds, that we’re not having to focus on a specific demographic.”
Videri Chocolate Factory owner starts new business
Videri Chocolate Factory owner Sam Ratto’s newest venture is completely different from his award-winning sweet enterprise.
In November, he expects to open Golf Golf Golf, a bar with golf simulators and a putting green, at 605 New Bern Ave. in Raleigh.
The 1,500-square-foot space will offer beer, wine, spirits and nonalcoholic drinks, along with snacks such as chips and chocolate, of course.
New Lego store coming to Raleigh
Later this year, a store offering new and used Lego pieces will open in downtown Raleigh.
The shop, Bricks & Minifigs, is a franchise with locations across the country, including the Triangle.
Franchise owner Pranav Harish plans to make his store at 206 Fayetteville St. different from other Bricks & Minifigs stores by bringing in rare, unique Lego pieces for customers to see.
“We don’t want to be gatekeepers for very high-end items,” Harish told The N&O. “Most of them just sit in people’s private collections all day, and they have no hope of being shown to the public, aside from, like, quick snippets of videos here and there that you might see on certain influencers’ pages.”
In addition to the store, Harish is starting a nonprofit, Peace by Piece, which will give away Lego items to the community.
Coffee shop moving into former When Pigz Fly
The art store When Pigz Fly has closed its brick-and-mortar after 16 years in Raleigh.
While customers will no longer be able to browse the metal art, sculptures and other objects in person, When Pigz Fly is setting up an online shop. The website is not yet finished, but once it is, the company will share the information on social media, owner Jim Heinrich told The N&O.
Next year, the building at 11125 Six Forks Road will be home to Bartons Creek Coffee. Owner Katie Friedman said the shop will serve pastries and drinks made using beans from Durham-based Counter Culture Coffee.
There will also be a small retail area inside and plenty of outdoor seating.
This story was originally published November 4, 2024 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Chinese lifestyle store opens in Triangle & new-ish Raleigh coffee shop adds retail space."
