I guess I think of music venues like restaurants or stores. If the owner doesn’t feel like running a specific one anymore, well that’s how the passage of time works. If someone really feels strongly about it staying on, they can put together an ownership group to buy it and run it.
On another note, thinking of ways to encourage the construction/installation of new smaller venues for the city’s live music fans, that could be a conversation for the future. Because music venues are cool. When was the last new one opened in Raleigh?
Yeah if you haven’t partied in Neptunes, you just don’t know what you’re missing lolol. And King’s was a killer venue. One of the best rooms in the city.
I don’t read this to mean Garland will be back in this new location. It just seems to say they’re doing something different, in conjunction with a coffee/bakery place (which I don’t really care about).
I hope something like Garland comes back - this was by far one of the top 2 or 3 restaurants in Raleigh. It was creative, high quality, fresh and UNIQUE! Not just more tacos, BBQ or a brewery…
Operating through the pandemic over the last 2 years, has shown us the potential of these amazing spaces and we look forward to ushering in their reinvention.
Their post also says they’ll do pop ups and events in the reimagined (former) space…
Seems like Garland is going more ‘neighborhood joint’ and perhaps the DT spot gets more ‘experimental’ - that’d be cool…Turn it into a massive chaat / street food / emporium kinda thing, revive the take away window, lean into the social district…and, of course, reopen / repurpose Kings / Neptunes…
@evan.j.bost It was already sold to a developer; that’s why they’re being forced out of the space and looking for a new one. The restaurant is not closing. It’s always packed.
Asana (outside investment firm) bought up this block and many buildings in neighboring ones; they basically own the entire Brightleaf area now and have been driving out retail (Morgan Imports and Parker & Otis spaces have been reno’ed and flipped to biotech office space). They’ll likely demolish most of the small buildings fronting Main St. across from the historic Brightleaf tobacco warehouse.
Restaurants and bars aren’t cheap to open, sure, but music venues have their own unique startup and maintenance costs, like AV equipment, FOH labor, booking, etc. Not to mention, there’s just not that many people who know how to do it (well), compared to restaurant groups.
The maddening part of this is that the quarter of the block that has been sitting empty since the gas explosion isn’t even part of this project. They’re building on 3/4 of the block. If they bought the quarter that was empty land, they could’ve left the two 100 year old restaurant buildings. Instead it’s going to be a parking deck and 6 stories of office space above ground floor retail. I’m absolutely opposed to this, as well as the whole vibe change of Brightleaf (Morgan St Imports, Parker and Otis, etc all gone, replaced by more office space).
On the topic of Garland (and Kings/Neps) - can anyone help me in figuring out who actually owns the building? Had a buddy ask me if I knew, and I said I could probably find out! He thought it was Greg Hatem, but that doesn’t sound right to me…
Checks notes - lives on WhiteOak , went to UNC, Carter Worthy Commercial (wife) is a key figure / friend to the business
Might be against shadows and cottage courts in historic neighborhoods mucking up quality of life, too…
Probably not totally against tear downs if still on WhiteOak though…
Just gotta not be milk cartons with irregular window placement. Life is a paradox.
