Chef Scott Crawford looks to Johnston County and casual concept for latest restaurant
Acclaimed Raleigh restaurant Crawford & Son ran a takeout special of fried chicken last month that sold out almost instantly. The waitlist was longer than the orders themselves.
But that fried chicken isn’t destined for Crawford & Son’s regular menu, or even downtown Raleigh — at least not yet.
Instead, it will head to Clayton, the western Johnston County town where chef Scott Crawford will launch his latest restaurant, Crawford Cookshop.
That’s right, Clayton.
Most of Crawford’s career has been spent at the peak of fine dining, leading resort kitchens like the Umstead and Ritz-Carlton, but Crawford Cookshop will be the chef’s first casual restaurant.
“It’s Americana food that everyone loves, but the Crawford treatment from us,” Crawford said. “I think people will be stoked.”
‘Make it fun and have a blast’
Look for chicken and duck wings cooked on a wood-burning grill, a tried and true burger, Carolina Gold rice bowls and weekly specials of fried chicken and prime rib.
On the beverage side, look for a bar menu built around whiskey, plus beers from Bud to craft and a wine program pairing champagne and fried chicken and beyond, Crawford said.
“We’re going to find fun and exciting wines for kind of a different wine program,” Crawford said. “We’re going to make it fun and have a blast.”
Crawford Cookshop will move into a century old building at 401 E. Main St. in downtown Clayton, building a 125 seat dining room in a 3,000 square foot space, plus a 1,000 square foot patio. Raleigh architect Louis Cherry, who built Crawford & Son and Jolie, will design the restaurant. The building is owned by Raleigh developer Atlas Stark.
While still a small town, Clayton is one of the quickest growing corners of the Triangle. Fed by large new subdivisions of Raleigh commuters and two giant pharmaceutical plants, Clayton seems poised to become the next Apex or Holly Springs. In recent years, Clayton’s downtown has mirrored that change, adding a craft coffee shop and cocktail bar, a loft apartment complex with another on the way.
In his Raleigh restaurants, Crawford & Son and the French bistro Jolie, Crawford took his fine dining background and created upscale neighborhood spots.
On the same block where Crawford Cookshop will open is Jones Cafe, a beloved local hot dog joint that opened in 1958. Crawford said he wants to bridge the old and the new with his latest restaurant.
“Small towns like Clayton are ready for chefs like me to come in,” Crawford said. “There’s a lot of character there, a really great community feel. When you go there on the weekends, there’s an energy and vibe.”
Construction to start soon
While Crawford Cookshop will launch in Clayton, Crawford said that it could be the kind of concept he opens in other towns, even downtown Raleigh.
“This could be the start of something that could be scaled, but I can’t say right now,” Crawford said. “I have to let that happen. But there are people (in Clayton) who want what we’re doing, and we’re going to deliver.”
Crawford expects to begin construction this month and open by mid-summer. The building, he said, was once a hardware store and has been a restaurant in its past, meaning the bones are already there.
“We’ll start swinging the hammers next week,” Crawford said. “This won’t be a year-long renovation.”
Crawford Cookshop is the fourth restaurant Crawford has announced in the Triangle, but will likely be his third to open. A planned Crawford Brothers Steakhouse will be part of the Fenton development in Cary, which is scheduled to open next year.
This story was originally published March 10, 2021 at 11:11 AM with the headline "Chef Scott Crawford looks to Johnston County and casual concept for latest restaurant."
