Downtown Raleigh thrift store owner opens new vendor market. What else is coming
A downtown Raleigh vendor market is back for round two.
The Burrow, which offers a curated collection of goods from local makers and vendors, opened in February at 300 W. Hargett St., across from the Avery C. Upchurch Municipal Complex.
The Burrow was started by Julian Jacobs, a co-founder of Unorthodox Vintage, in October 2022. The original Burrow, just a few blocks away from its current location, closed less than a year later.
“I wasn’t really ready to do it,” Jacobs told The News & Observer. “It was a bigger task than I first thought it would be, and actually the space was too big for what I needed.”
At around 865 square feet, the new location is less than a fifth of the size of the previous space.
But it’s packed with products. Shoppers can browse items from nearly two dozen sellers. Jacobs hopes to increase that to 30.
“We have good prices. We have cool stuff. We have good vibes,” he said.
Among the shelves and racks are books from Gus McGee Book Co., antiques, handmade jewelry, a collection of N.C. State gear, clothing from Kay Bird Vintage, live plants, products from the Martin Street store The Self Care Marketplace and wooden objects made by the Weekend Turner, Norm Cloutier.
“I want this to be a store where, when you come to Raleigh, you’re like, ‘We have to go to The Burrow before we leave,’” Jacobs said.
The Burrow is open 12-7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.
Downtown recovering from pandemic closures
The Burrow is just one new business to join downtown Raleigh since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Each year over the past few years, more businesses (including restaurants, bars, retailers and personal services) there have opened than have closed, Bill King, the president and CEO of Downtown Raleigh Alliance, told The N&O.
Glenwood South, which has a high concentration of nightlife businesses, seemed to bounce back relatively soon after lockdown orders ended and vaccines rolled out, King said.
The eastern part of the city’s core, particularly around Fayetteville Street and Moore Square, relies on business travel and office workers and has been slower to recover since 2020. But business is coming back, King said:
- Beginning several years ago, restaurants started leaning into outdoor dining.
Several businesses have decided to open on weekends, when more people visit downtown.
- The area has drawn businesses that cater to office workers — for example, Sir Walter Coffee, Chido Taco, Diced, Primo Hoagies — and are busy during lunchtime.
Even as developments such as North Hills or Village District add new tenants, entrepreneurs are continuing to open their businesses downtown.
“I think they still see a lot of energy,” King said. “They still see a lot of people. We’ve got a lot of residents moving in here, and so that feels like a durable customer base.”
Another draw for businesses — many of them independently owned — is the “Main Street” areas forming in downtown live-work-play developments, such as Seaboard Station, where several tenants are opening in proximity, King said.
Here are some businesses coming this year to downtown.
Pop-up opening soon in downtown Raleigh
Tyler Helikson, the owner of Madre and Happy + Hale, is starting a limited-time pop-up in downtown Raleigh’s Smoky Hollow in April.
With 70 & Sunny, an empty lot between Publix and Capital Boulevard will be transformed, with a shipping container-style Happy + Hale express, dishing out $10 bowls on weekdays starting at 11 a.m.
In addition to the fast-casual food service, 70 & Sunny will have an Ollipop dog park, a lululemon pickleball court, live music and rotating pop-up shops.
This marks a return to downtown for Happy + Hale, which formerly had a stand-alone brick-and-mortar on Fayetteville Street. That location closed in 2024, The N&O previously reported.
The pop-up runs until Monday, June 30. Check @happyandhale on Instagram for updates on when the Happy + Hale pop-up opens.
2 arcade bars opening downtown
Super Rad Retro Lounge, an arcade bar with classic arcade games, pinball, a pool table, console games and air hockey tables, is opening this spring at 106 Glenwood Ave.
Founded by Steve Olson, who has worked for years in the fitness industry, the 2,300-square-foot venue will serve beer, cocktails, shots, THC-infused beverages and nonalcoholic options.
Another arcade bar, Pins Mechanical Co., is also planned for downtown Raleigh. The venue, which will feature duckpin bowling, pinball, arcade games, ping pong and patio pong, is expected to open this year in the ground floor of The Miles, at 10 W. Franklin St.
This will be the first Pins in the Triangle, but the company has multiple locations across the country, including one in Charlotte.
Bike store, nail salon opening near Union Station
The Bike Library is set to open a permanent retail store this spring on the ground level of Platform Apartments at 600 W. Cabarrus St.
It will offer refurbished bikes, bike repairs and coffee from The Left Hook Coffee.
“We want to create an accessible and unintimidating place where people can connect, watch repairs happen in real-time and simply enjoy being part of a community,” founder Cameron Zamot said in a news release.
This store fills a gap created last year when the bike shop Cycle Logic, located at 1211 Hillsborough St., closed after five decades.
The nail salon Mood Raleigh will also open a new location at Kane Realty’s Platform Apartments.
Specializing in nail art and manicures, Mood is the third retail tenant planned for Platform. The salon is expected to open this summer, joining The Bike Library and Homebody Yoga.
This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Downtown Raleigh thrift store owner opens new vendor market. What else is coming."
