Please tell me the bar is just the old bank teller counter?
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It is. @Drew has a picture of it a little further up.
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Hardimont South…oh no.
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Just a minor update to spark some speculation:
I have it on good authority that Fiction Kitchen will be moving out of downtown to Gateway Plaza (current home of Fine Folk, Union Special, Miso Ramen bar, and Mordecai Beverage Co.) - lots of good food options in this one plaza, alone!
Now onto the speculation; doubtful the current building F.K. is in will be going anywhere, as it’s owned by Empire (Greg Hatem), who has only bought older buildings downtown to renovate and preserve them, so I wonder what might be coming next for that space? My only hope is that it remains the bright green color.
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Losing Fiction Kitchen is a sad loss for downtown. We need more businesses like them coming in, not leaving.
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They should get a lot more traffic at Gateway Plaza right now, BUT Capitol Square and 301 Cabarrus will make their original location feel much less isolated going forward. In a couple years that’ll be a much more desirable dining/retail space.
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Businesses that are DTR that move to Gateway lose me mostly. It’s technically walkable, but not an easy walk for us.
Maybe Berkeley Cafe could move in here?
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I can imagine a transformation at the Gateway Plaza area into something more substantial, dense, and walkable for that general neighborhood. As the crow flies, it’s not far at all from the Iron District. Let’s come up with a creative, safe, and enjoyable way to connect the two by bike and foot.
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Fiction needs more space, if I’m being honest. It’s very difficult to get a reservation in the current location. I’ll miss it being in walking distance to a bunch of other things, but hopefully the connectivity around Gateway will continue to improve.
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You could just drive there…
Fiction Kitchen is cool, even if I don’t really see the need for fake meat in my life. But trying to get seated there is impossible and usually involves standing around outside next to that busy street forever. So I’m all for them moving to somewhere with more space. And Gateway seems to fit their mold with that bread place that’s never open or always sold out, etc. 
Actually we technically can’t at the moment due to the Uber driver red light running situation next to the Governor’s mansion last week.
That’s why you need more than 5 wheels.
Union Special? I pretty much only go there for weekend breakfasts but it’s always had shelves full of pastries and goodies.
I went twice when they were newer and have up. Seems like they catered to people who like get up at 7am on their days off. I’m sure they’re great, and I’ll check back again, but it just seemed to fit my impression of Fiction Kitchen: cool but inconvenient.
Looks like J. Betski’s has quietly, or maybe soft, opened in High Park. I saw it on Google Maps while looking for our polling place, and then saw they’re actively posting about it on their Instagram. I missed that they planned to move after closing at Seaboard. https://instagram.com/j.betskis?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
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Yay!! I’ve been waiting for this!
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Never knew that strip was there, which is funny given that I love Nickelpoint. I’ll have to check that new location out!
You gotta try the blue plate special at the High Park Grill (I think that’s the name)
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Same. I live downtown so I can walk to places, not so I can get in my car and drive out to the burbs.
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Yup. After years spent walking to and from the eats and the bars, and now the office, the enjoyment level of going anywhere always gets knocked down a peg or two if I have to drive there and back. 
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