General Retail/Restaurant News

I wonder if it’s even possible to create an ethnic district in a city of any kind these days, short of an enormous and rapid influx of people from a particular ethnic group. Also, I imagine that ethnic districts, food or otherwise, are born out of a safety-in-numbers sort of thing, especially when they are particularly unwelcomed. I just don’t see either of those two scenarios playing out in day-to-day life in Raleigh for any ethnic group of substantial size. As for Asian population in the Triangle, it’s actually higher in Cary and Morrisville than it is in Raleigh.

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There was a massive semi-urban Chinatown development announced near the airport awhile back. But don’t think it was really a serious proposal.

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Yeah, I remember that proposal. That said, it was really just a re-purpose of a suburban outlet mall. Did anything come of it? It seemed to have dropped off the public consciousness, and particularly mine.

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They have already started on the work…

But that’s a far cry for the Asian cultural district that was previously proposed.

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Yes, that plan fell through for whatever reasons. This plan is on going.

You can create one out of whole cloth, even with out the ethnic group being there. DC through up a fancy Chinese Arch and declared the area their Chinatown a couple decades back. I guess the area does ok, this is where the downtown area is, close to Ford’s theater. I know you can get chicken and waffles around there, but unsure about the Chinese essentials, Gen. Tso’s chicken and fortune cookies. :smirk:

Ironically, Gen. Tso’s chicken may not be from China. There’s a claim that it was invented in NYC.

General Tso’s, the pizza of China.

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Nor are fortune cookies, per my understanding, lol.

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Heard it from a friend who, heard it from a friend who… said the old service station at the corner of N Boylan and Hillsborough is being converted to a late night restaurant, 3a to 3p. Plans are to keep the awning and everything put tables out under it.
Didn’t hear a timetable or anything like that but will be a great addition to the area and fill a gap in the food scene for night owls and early risers.

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I assume you mean 3pm to 3am. This is fantastic news! I’ve been wondering what was going to happen to that spot. Kind of makes up for dram and draught’snl original spot going away. And fits in with Char Grill and Snoopy’s on that block. Thanks for the tip!

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No I meant what I typed 3am to 3pm.
It wouldn’t really be a late night place if it closed at 3am. I think the intent is to cater to people in the service industry with those hours.

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Oh wow ok. That’s kind of crazy but let’s see how it goes.

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Pullen Church on Hillsborough St is beside the woman’s center. Many homeless reside between the 2 buildings.

So, a breakfast/lunch place that opens super early to catch the late night service industry.
Will be an option for an early breakfast place for those catching 6AM flights out of RDU as well!

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Or people that just get up super early, like me. It seems like we don’t have a lot of breakfast places in downtown and the ones that we do have don’t open until 7 or 8.

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Tried to sneak a peak by way of the Wakegov real estate info. No luck. Still showing the owners as some ‘630 Hillsborough LLC’ with the last title being 2017. Will just have to be patient…

I guess this can go here?

Wake has record month for tourist spending

Wake took in $4.5M in August from food/bev and hotel occupancy taxes. September should be another banner month.

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If Hotel rooms keep being added and retail keeps getting added it will only get better. We could see $10M a month by 2025 if all of these projects get kicked off and built.

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