I for one welcome a new vendor at Food Hall since I live next door and need more variety.
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I wish it was the burrito place going though…
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For real, not really the best burrito. I also love the street art/graffiti aesthetic that they were aiming for but NOT the execution. Just looks like trash, when it could’ve actually looked really cool (in other words, they could’ve hired some real street artists to spray some LEGIT graffiti up there)
The new Locals headquarters will open off of New Bern Avenue, just outside the Beltline, but Peterson declined to share a specific address. The market will open in an existing building as early as this fall.
https://www.newsobserver.com/living/food-drink/article263054153.html
This sucks for several reasons (of course, just my humble opinions):
Transfer is definitely the cooler of the two food halls, and this is kind of the anchor. Between the location outside the main downtown and the absurd $9+ beers from their bar (Burial being there helps tho) and the fact that there’s just not a ton of places in there that I really like besides Locals (basically Alimentari and the empanadas place, plus the always closed Benchwarmers) …it just makes it even less likely this is part of my rotation.
Locals I thought was supposed to be a good source for a lot of seafood, to basically replace a grocery store’s seafood market, along with a restaurant. Maybe they can do that in their new space, but currently it just seems like a limited stock with high prices and a lack of consistency with their menu. There’s nothing about them at this point that would make me follow them to a new location.
How much further east could you be? No disrespect to the people on here that live east of the downtown core, but the desirable areas and customer base is already west of them currently. Moving to like New Bern Ave by 440 seems like business suicide.
I’m pretty disappointed with this. It’s their business to run as they see fit, but it basically takes them out of the mix for me, and is a big loss for Transfer. First the BBQ place, then the lack of Saxapahaw, and now this. Hopefully they get an even better replacement for them.
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100% with you - not sure why they wouldn’t consider keeping the restaurant at Transfer, and just making the new location a market with perhaps a limited menu of food. There’s NO WAY they aren’t successful at Transfer (if they weren’t, I couldn’t see how they’d be making this move to begin with), but they have no guarantee that moving completely out of the downtown area to f’king KNIGHTDALE will garner success. I’m extremely confused by this move.
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Seems like a pretty risky location. Cheaper I’m sure, but I don’t see many of their current customers going out there. It’s actually probably a little closer to me driving time wise but as a destination I don’t see myself going there. Transfer is usually part of an afternoon or evening which includes other downtown locations for me. But who knows they’ve obviously thought it through and think it’s the right move.
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Just to give a slightly different perspective - I have literally never gone to Locals once, and I bike to Transfer regularly. Honestly, I can only recall a single friend who’s ordered anything from them. It’s definitely a loss, but Transfer will be fine. Food halls work really well as an opportunity for new businesses to get started, Locals growing to be able to support themselves alone is great.
In addition, the area outside the beltline has multiple opportunities for growth, including multiple transit stations for the BRT route and hopefully an eventual mixed-use redevelopment of the Walmart strip mall. It’s riskier for sure, but the corridor needs exactly these kinds of businesses.
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It will basically be at the end or the BRT line.
Precisely - food halls (…and we the patrons) should expect turnover if the incubator aspect of the format works out. New models find success then they should eventually scale up - whether that’s location additions or something like this where a real estate play is part of Locals transition.
- Now, you should definitely grab one of those crab rolls before they move out where you’d have to pedal more and/or hop a bus…LoLs. Solid crab roll.
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Everything in Knightdale actually does exceptionally well - including the new craften food hall - because we’re so underserved this way.
But new bern just outside of the Beltline is not at all where I’d open up a restaurant.
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The last few times I’ve been to transfer during the week it’s been pretty slow even at dinner hour. Corroboration?
Well then, I can look forward to taking a slightly faster bus to it from my nursing home. Hope they stick around that long!
I guess I was thinking of the food halls as less of an incubator and more of a satellite location for businesses, like RDU honestly. If it’s just that Locals wants to do their own thing because they’ve grown, then great. Move into one of any number of the vacant ground floor retail spots in/near downtown. I know, I’m sure the numbers work for them this way, but again, I just feel like it’s a loss for core Raleigh.
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Transfer seems to be dying a slow death. Let’s hope the more apartment’s scheduled for that area bring the foot traffic and midweek crowds back
I don’t know, with Burial there, I really don’t see them “dying” - they may need to restructure, possibly reconsider the space currently used for the Ballroom and co-working space (not sure how impactful they are to their overall income), but dying idk about that…
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Per TBJ: “ Locals Seafood has purchased a building off New Bern Avenue to house the company’s offices, fish processing operations and a retail market”. Address not given in the article.
Currently offices are at S. Saunders, but being displaced by Kane’s new development.
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Transfer seems to be dying a slow death.
What is this statement based on? The food hall has had ZERO business loss throughout the pandemic and we now see a business expanding to do their own thing. That’s success to me.
Another way to look at this is that a location near the highway may indicate that you can do easier trips to the coast for seafood. Maybe they’ll start distributing locally to restaurants or even catering. That’s a much more profitable business I think than fish and chips in a food hall. 
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I live here, and I business is still pretty steady. I do remember it being busier when it first opened, but that was pre covid and a large lunch crowd from Red Hat and Duke would make their way down here. Weekends it gets crowded and annoying for me because my dogs like to look out the window and bark at the other dogs…
I do think it needs some changes. Especially do something with that eyesore of a vacant lot I have to look out at. Just don’t put anything tall to block my views or I will be the guy at city council bitching about shadows and such.
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Last time I ate in that area was probably Miami Subs.
Ahhh memories! I grew up in Knightdale in the 80s/90s and had to go to Tower all the time. I remember the Miami subs fondly.
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