Probably not even a decent bottle for $60!
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I live around the corner, they never got near the traction the other concepts there did. They didn’t crack the “neighborhood hangout” code that space demands at all.
Why did the Brookside Bodega close? I thought it always looked to be doing really well and can’t think this is a high rent space.
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I don’t actually know, but based on the neighborhood and the other shops in the same little complex, I would assume the rent is pretty high
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I subscribe to an email from a local RE broker and that space was listed for sale like a month or two ago. Not shocked to see this close.
I loved Brookside Bodega - wish it had stuck around longer.
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The property changed hands in 2021 and I think rents went up around then, that’s about the time the door started to revolve.
The old Brookside Market & Pizza was a great spot, that was before Falafel & Co and Bodega.
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Falafel & Co plus the corner store was my favorite incarnation.
Otomi stripped out everything that drew people to that place. The dry goods, the bottle shop, the trivia nights, the kid-friendliness (not my cup of tea, but it was a draw for a lot of people), etc. Brookside’s food was fine, but it was still a neighborhood hang because it was a place that people could walk to and, you know, hang.
So, if you’re going to yank all the experiential draws from a spot that’s a little off the beaten path for most of Raleigh, you’d better be certain you have the best tacos in town. And, well, they didn’t.
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Agreed, I used to get brunch at Brookside after my morning runs and grab a couple things at the store. Otomi doesn’t do casual meals like that, and I never ended up going.
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Brookside Mkt had great paninis - I miss that place a lot
Seems very sustainable and inviting for future tenants! I’m sure the owners are very happy with new tenants every couple of months and certainly couldn’t afford to lower the rents to more reasonable rates!
Yeah it doesn’t seem like anyone is pouring one out for this closing. The real loss seems to be the Bodega which just felt like the perfect neighborhood bar/restaurant/store for one of the few neighborhoods where people actually walk to do stuff.
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I really don’t know what’s so hard about this. My kingdom for a friggin’ Rhino Market here. I would be there ALL THE TIME.
The hell is a Rhino market??
Also speaking of Market, this spot (the Brookside Bodega) is really where our Common Market should go. I believe the Raleigh location is planned for Seaboard Station and while that’s fine I really thing this spot would crush.
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CLT-area market expansion food fight…!
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It’s a market/deli/bar/coffee shop based in Charlotte. Checks all the boxes.
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Oh - so is Common Market hahaha - which has already expanded to Durham and has plans for Raleigh soon. Doubtful another Charlotte based bodega would risk expanding here now IMO.
I’m not picky; I don’t care what it’s called as long as it has all the things that people seem to want in a location like this.
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This. Falafel was a great spot. I used to live in that neighborhood and walking to Falafel (or Optimist) was a highlight of living there.
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