Chapelboro’s “Mind Your Business” series summarizes some of the latest stories, announcements, and updates from businesses in the community every three months. From local openings to closings to everything in-between, we are sharing a snapshot of what’s happened in the most recent quarter of the calendar year.
The report will roughly go in chronological order of the developments, and will conclude with a section of any general updates on ongoing projects that are undated. The previous edition, covering April through June 2026, can be found here.
Do you see something that is missing or want to share an update about your own business? Get in touch with us by emailing news@wchl.com with your announcements!
JULY
• La Vita Dolche completed its move down the street in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village and reopened to customers on July 2. The coffee and gelato bar took over owner Annie Johnston’s previous space used for Market & Moss, with La Vita Dolche now using a full-size kitchen and bar to round out its offerings. Those include a full breakfast menu and robust cocktail offerings with seasonal specialties.
• July 6 marked the anniversary of the devastating floods caused by Tropical Storm Chantal, which entered nearly 100 businesses in Orange and Chatham counties one year prior. Some of those most heavily damaged spoke with Chapelboro about the recovery process, with most sharing positive steps in their return to operations — and others saying they are still climbing out of the financial hole. In Chapel Hill’s Eastgate Crossing shopping center, for example, ten of the 32 tenants either permanently closed or chose not to reopen after the storm.
• There have been several failures to launch at 431 West Franklin Street since Kipos moved out in 2020. Owner Edy Barahona’s concepts of the Mexican restaurant Ay Por Dios! and the sports bar Rams Corner were each short-lived, with neither staying open more than a year. Now, the owner has returned to a concept already popular in the Triangle. Kahlovera Mexican Bar & Grill took over the space and opened to customers on July 13, the third brick-and-mortar iteration of the business that began as a food truck. The location marks Kahlovera’s fourth, following one in Chapel Hill’s Meadowmont, one in Durham and another in Cary.
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• Another Mexican restaurant joined the local scene on July 20, as California Burritos opened in Carrboro. Located off Jones Ferry Road in the Willow Creek shopping center, the take-out business offers a variety of Mexican-American staples like burritos, tacos, taco bowls and more.
• Ahead of UNC’s fall semester starting up, Flow Pilates in Chapel Hill introduced a new membership tier for Carolina students and faculty. The reformer Pilates studio offers eight classes a month for $199 as long as the patron has a valid unc.edu email. Founder Dana Shoham told Chapelboro the idea is for campus community members to have a viable option for keeping a steady Pilates routine while managing a campus budget. The business, which opened this spring in The Courtyard on West Franklin Street, limits class sizes to eight people in order to make it easier for patrons to get the “full attention” of the instructor during workouts, Shoham said.
• Hibachi & Company in Chapel Hill moved over the summer from 153 East Franklin Street down the street to 163 East Franklin Street, taking over the space most recently occupied by Pirate Captain. The Daily Tar Heel reported the food truck business Yeti Bowls would be replacing Hibachi & Company at the 153 unit — but as of September 30, the business’ website does not yet mention a Chapel Hill location and doesn’t include an opening timeline.
AUGUST
• In 2023, the Chapel Hill Town Council approved plans for a seven-story life-sciences building with wet lab space to redevelop 306 West Franklin Street. But with the office and wet lab market drying up, the project never came to fruition. The News & Observer reported on August 3 a new developer, Redgate, submitted new plans to the town government this summer — aiming to build a mixed-use building with 220+ apartment units on top of ground-floor retail spaces. The news means, for now, businesses like Chimney Indian Kitchen, Bella Nail Bar, Bouquet Garni Foods & Catering and Fifth Third Bank can keep operating without an immediate threat to their operations. But changes could still be coming for the area.
• Continuing its relationship with UNC Athletics, Merritt’s Grill opened a second Chapel Hill location at Finley Golf Club in the first week of August. The sandwich shop known for its award-winning BLTs is now the official food and beverage partner of the university-managed golf course, which is also home for the UNC men’s and women’s golf teams. The expansion for Merritt’s features a sit-down dining area and expanded menu for guests and golfers in the Finley clubhouse — as well as an on-course beverage cart, ordering station at the halfway house, and a catering partnership for events.
Like you needed another reason to swing by?
Merritt's Grill is now available in the Finley Golf Clubhouse for both players and patrons!
More: t.co/Fjbo7niGuJ#GoHeels pic.twitter.com/zza2JeRjXF
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) August 7, 2026
• The dramatic news of Breadman’s closure in Chapel Hill caught the attention of many. The breakfast diner started a second chapter of its life when new ownership transitioned it from its longtime West Rosemary Street home to the Elliott Square shopping center in 2020. But padlocks on the door and a writ of possession issued by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in early August revealed the restaurant was facing trouble, as Elliott Square management sought eight months’ worth of late rent from Breadman’s owners. It has not reopened since.
• On August 11, the combination Jimmy John’s and Baskin-Robbins location on West Franklin Street welcomed their first customers. The chains — which are owned by Inspire Brands — took over a retail space in the Carolina Square development previously home to pūrvelo cycle. The location marks the lone Chapel Hill franchises currently active for either the sandwich shop or ice cream brand.
• August 13 saw the first Chapel Hill location of The Einstein Bros. Bagels open at Eastgate Crossing shopping center. The bagel shop replaced another bagel shop: Bruegger’s Bagels, which permanently closed its location after taking extensive flood damage during Tropical Depression Chantal in the summer of 2025. The Chapel Hill restaurant is the first in the Triangle and Einstein Bros.’ seventh in North Carolina.
Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.
• A new sign up at the Franklin Street space previously occupied by Starbucks caught the eye of the public in mid-August. 7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee shared plans to open its first Chapel Hill location at 103 East Franklin Street in “winter 2026,” adding to the lineup of nearby coffee options along the downtown road. Despite its name, the Arkansas-born franchise said early plans for the space do not include drive-thru operations.
• Endswell Funeral Home announced its purchase of ground-floor retail units in the Greenbridge Condominiums building on the border of Chapel Hill and Carrboro in August. With the expanded space, the aquamation and environmentally-conscious funeral home is adding another unique element to its operations: an art gallery, called AfterLight. The space will feature art curated to reflect various end-of-life themes while being the main space Endswell plans to hold its memorial services and celebrations of life, alongside its variety of educational events. The units, which has a West Rosemary Street address but front North Merritt Mill Road, were previously home to LIGHT Art + Design and the web developer Medaxion.
• Venable and B-Side in Carr Mill Mall closed on August 23 to overhaul its interior. A new floor, fresh coats of paint on the wall, and several new booths and tables later, the bistro reopened on September 1.
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• The end of August was also the beginning of the end of a a downtown Hillsborough staple. Dual Supply Store started its ‘going out of business’ sale in the final week of August, preparing to end an era of the Woods family operating a storefront on West King Street. Dual Supply has long been known as the place to find just about anything when it came to hardware and home repair, and its spirit now lives on in the Woods Farm & Garden store off U.S. Highway 70 operated by Wesley Woods’ grandson, Adam. Despite the hardware store saying it would close sometime in September, it’s still in its final days of business as of October 1.
SEPTEMBER
• Local entrepreneur Chris Ehrenfeld — the owner and CEO of BOLD Companies operating in all of the Triangle’s counties — closed a deal on September 3 to acquire roughly 32 acres of Pittsboro property where Chatham Mills sits. The announcement said the new owner hopes to move the shopping center into a new chapter, with BOLD Commercial Real Estate will now leading the leasing efforts for Chatham Mills. Current businesses include the grocery co-op Chatham Marketplace, The Sycamore restaurant, and the drug development research company Xyzagen. The former mill building also hosts the weekly Chatham Mills Farmers Market from April through October and the event space Forest Hall.
• Chapel Hill Media Group — consisting of 97.9 The Hill (WCHL) and Chapelboro.com — changed hands on September 8. After the trio of Chris Ehrehfeld, Jim Kitchen and Mark Vitali owned the station for more than a decade, they sold it to a group spearheaded by longtime general manager Aubrey Williams and financial wealth advisor John Stillman. Under the new ownership structure, Williams will continue to oversee the company’s strategy, operations, and growth across broadcast, digital, and community initiatives. The company is also maintaining its commitment to hyper-local journalism, community engagement, and innovative partnerships.
CEO and Managing Partner Aubrey Williams (right) and Part-owner John Stillman (left) in the Chapel Hill Media Group studios. (Photo by Chapel Hill Media Group.)
• Sunrock Industries, a major construction materials supplier in the Triangle, earned national recognition in September. The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) gave the Raleigh-based company its Gold Award in Community Relations Excellence during the association’s annual conference. The NSSGA cited Sunrock’s charitable efforts, special events, and media relations to improve “public perception of our industry” as reasons for winning the award.
• The Chelsea Theater, located in Chapel Hill’s Timberlyne Village shopping center, welcomed its newest executive director on September 14. After being hired in August, Jamie Webb formally took over from the outgoing Emily Kass — joining the nonprofit movie theater after previously serving as the Development Manager for the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham.
• On September 16, University Place mall held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its entertainment district — which is a permitted space on mall property that allows for patrons to take alcoholic drinks to-go sold by the nearby restaurants. The boundary covers the south and eastern parts of the property, including its green space called The Commons and the grassy areas reserved for a future phase of development. As of the entertainment district’s launch, five businesses are licensed to sell the alcoholic drinks to-go: Stoney River Steakhouse & Grill, the Silverspot Cinema bar, bartaco (which also will use a mobile margarita stand), Hawkers, and the future Postino location.
University Place has some signage around the property detailing its entertainment district’s boundary. Patrons can also scan the QR code to get a map. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
• Also on September 16, Big Spoon Roasters in Hillsborough brought home some serious hardware from a state competition. The North Carolina Specialty Foods Association awarded the nut butter company its 2026 Grand Champion title for Big Spoon’s Vanilla Latte Almond Butter. Grand Champion is for the most outstanding product among all category winners, as judged in a blind taste test. The win came after another Big Spoon Roaster’s product, the Carrot Cake Almond & Walnut Butter won a 2026 Good Food Award from the Specialty Food Association’s Pantry category.
• Café Root Cellar in Pittsboro finished its restaurant service to customers on September 18. The closure wasn’t driven by unpopularity, but instead from well-known Chef Sera Cuni and co-owner Susan White choosing to pivot operations to their nonprofit Feed-Well Fridges. The effort rescues healthy, edible food from going to waste from grocery store and restaurant partners before making them available as ingredients or meals in free, accessible fridges set up throughout Chatham County. Feed-Well Fridges will use Café Root Cellar’s kitchen space for a little while — but the goal is to move out of the Chatham Park building and into a new commissary kitchen.
• Meanwhile, down the road in Pittsboro, a different type of café opened its doors on September 18. Nonna’s Café is the first stage of a new venture that moved into the SoCo development space off the Circle that was previously home to Havoc Brewing. The coffee shop and wine bar is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will eventually be joined by the Italian restaurant La Cucina Della Nonna. For now, the eatery is targeting spring 2027 to be fully open and achieving the vision of its owners, Dana and Jim Rumbold.
• Tragedy struck during the early morning hours of September 19 at Tonya’s Café & Bakeshop. A fire broke out and wrecked the interior of the restaurant and bakery run by Tonya Council. The business has since launched a GoFundMe campaign to support its staff as they aim to rebuild and return to the Galleria shopping center at 400 South Elliott Road. Within a week, the effort had raised more than $36,000.
A photo of the damage Tonya’s Café & Bakeshop suffered in its fire on September 19. (Photo via Tonya’s Café & Bakeshop on Facebook.)
• Roughly seven months after announcing its plans to join University Place mall, Barnes & Noble opened its Chapel Hill location on September 23. The bookstore set up shop in the space previously home to Planet Fitness and is managed by company veteran Andrea Wilson. To add to the festivities of the grand opening, Barnes & Noble hosted local author Scott Reintgen for a book signing and to help with the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
• September 23 also marked the first day of soft opening for Eluent Coffee & Provisions — a rebranded venture from the same group behind the MunchiLove café in Chatham County’s Governor’s Village. The business’ theme is “coffee for the curious,” according to its social media pages, playing up the science of brewing and excitement of discovery. While the new café hasn’t shared its consistent soft opening hours, it’s typically opens at 7:30 a.m.
• Carrburritos finished off its move to Carr Mill Mall in the month of September and held its grand opening day celebration on Tuesday, September 29. The Carrboro business transitioned from its 711 West Rosemary Street home of nearly three decades to the mall space previously home to Grata Diner and Elmo’s Diner, giving Carrburritos more indoor dining space and a bigger kitchen. Owner Rae Mosher told 97.9 The Hill the latter detail will help her restaurant better expand its catering operations.
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• In other Mosher family news: Scott Mosher announced a new business project that focuses on his handyman skills. After selling his Open Door Policy Garage Doors venture to Raleigh’s Ready To Roll Garage Doors, he launched Mosher Homeworks as a new catch-all business for his punch list work like repairs, installations, drywall and more. That work included, Mosher shared, helping outfit Carrburritos’ new location.
UPCOMING
• According to the Daily Tar Heel, a replacement restaurant for The Latin Effect at 504 West Franklin Street could open in the coming days. Tikka Tequila is a new concept from accomplished Chef Roberto Mendoza that aims to blend Mexican and Indian flavors. After initially targeting September, the restaurant’s leadership told the student newspaper on September 17 that the business plans to be open by the first week in October.
• Beloved hole-in-the-wall bar and music venue The Kraken closed abruptly at the end of June, with the owners providing updates to its patrons in early July. The Chapel Hill establishment needed several repairs and its owners, Jody Kidney and Kirk Schmidt, took time off to help Kidney recover from a major injury. But then, the business ultimately changed ownership and went through a rebranding. Longtime bartender James Peery is now running the show and oversaw several updates to the building off N.C. Highway 54. Despite the new name, Bar Mutiny, the concept is still the same: a local watering hole that’s a great place to check out live bands.
According to Bar Mutiny’s social media page, the new concept is preparing to do soft opening operations in the early days of October before a formal grand re-opening on October 10. (Photo via Bar Mutiny on Facebook.)
• As part of its negotiations with Kite Realty in the wake of Tropical Storm Chantal, Kipos secured a conjoining space to its restaurant and has worked to transform it into a private dining room. The space will be reservable and allow for more events or special tasting menus to be held at the Greek restaurant. It’s expected to open before the end of 2026.
• Beyond the news of its entertainment district, University Place shared in August the upcoming additions of two new tenants: Bliss Nail Spa, which is opening its second Chapel Hill location, and the home decor store HomeSense. Bliss Nail Spa will be in a unit beside Postino’s and aims to open this fall. HomeSense, meanwhile, will take up several thousand square feet within the original mall building as a neighbor to Barnes & Noble. The furniture store is targeting a spring 2027 grand opening.
• The Chapel Hill-based Italian dinnerware business Vietri is planning to open a flagship storefront in the town’s East 54 shopping center in October. Founder and owner Susan Gravely started the business after a trip with her sister and mother to Italy in 1983, returning enamored by the handcrafted painted and glazed plates, cups and more during their trip. The Gravely family works with a factory out of Vietri sul Mare to sell dishes with bright colors and patterns that honor the traditional styles of several Italian regions.
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• While its initial timeline of opening a Carrboro location was the fall, Longleaf Swine is still progressing on preparing the East Main Street space. The general manager shared on Facebook that the new plan is to open before the end of 2026 in the building formerly home to Luna Rotisserie and Taproom.
• After a long buildout and permitting process, the future Italian restaurant a Tovolo in Pittsboro shared its reaching the end of its preparation work and getting closer to a soft opening. Located in the MOSAIC mixed-use community at the edge of town and Chatham Park, the business plans to offer dishes like homemade pasta and wood-fired pizza in a welcoming dining room — and is a sister venture to The Sycamore, Forest Hall and 39 Catering in the community, which are under the umbrella of Yolo Entertainment Group.
Featured photo by Kenny Dike/Chapel Hill Media Group.
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