The Third Place

Gussie’s bar, bottle and bites to open on West Morgan Street this month.

Gussie’s isn’t specifically a cocktail bar, nor a taproom, nor a bottle shop, nor a restaurant or cafe. It’s a bit of all those things wrapped into one. Think of it as a “third place,” co-owner Vance Daniels affectionately describes it. “You’re not at home, you’re not at work—it’s that third place that feels comfortable, and that’s what we want to be.”

The welcoming neighborhood joint is bowing in the former Soul Taco space on West Morgan Street this month from the team behind North South Hospitality, which includes Daniels, alongside partners Katie and Clayton O’Kane. The trio recently moved to Raleigh to open their first business together, with Daniels actually returning as a born-and-raised Raleighite after spending ~20 years in LA.

Really two concepts in one, the space is divided into a grab-and-go-geared section (with outdoor seating and a small bar for posting up at as well) serving up sandwiches, salads, dips, snacks, coffee and a mini-bottle shop, while the other side leans more toward a sit-down format with a menu of made-to-order shareables and elevated bar food. However, Katie maintains the to-go side will evolve as they get acquainted with the neighborhood and the city. 

North South Hospitality tapped consultant Greg Lyons to assist with the menu (Michael Bean will take over as Kitchen Manager upon opening), which will feature the likes of smashburgers, Nashville hot fried oysters and duck wings. A pared-down late-night bites menu will also be available. “Shareables over forks and knives,” says Katie of the MO. “And we’re throwing around the idea of doing something with some LA flair to it.”

Despite the plethora of chef-driven fare, Daniels emphasizes “we’re a bar with food, not a restaurant.” Thus, naturally, the beverage program will be a core focus, but—rest assured—not a fussy one. Think craft cocktails, housemade sodas, local draft beers, and thoughtfully and ethically produced wines at a fair price point.

“You shouldn’t have to go to the fine-dining version of a bar to get a great cocktail,” says Daniels. “The person next to you might be drinking a beer and a shot, and that person has just as much right to be there and deserves just as much hospitality as the person who does want, say, a Corpse Reviver No. 2, a really well-made Negroni or an Old-Fashioned.” To sum it up: “pride without pretense.”

Complete with a loungey atmosphere complemented by colorful murals and wallpaper, Gussie’s is a “new version of an old idea,” Katie maintains. Adds Daniels, “It’s not supposed to fit a fad or a current trend. We’re trying to build a place that could’ve been here 40 years ago, could be here now, could be here 40 years from now.” Here’s to your new fave go-to neighborhood hangout. gussiesraleigh.com

Positive Shift

The hospitality industry is the second largest employer in the country, but there’s no overarching system to support them. Enter the Shift Foundation, a 501(c)(3) founded by North South Hospitality with the hope of providing programs, activities and services that are “normally either too expensive or unavailable—or seemingly unavailable—to bartenders, servers, chefs and other people of that nature,” explains Katie. Think financial and legal advice, tax assistance, and activities like dog walking and 2am yoga. “Something very important to us is employee health and wellness,” she adds. “The scene in Raleigh and the Triangle is exploding—so what are we doing to support the people who are doing that?” To kick things off, the trio will start gaining interest from the local industry, forming a community and compiling a mailing list—with in-person events hopefully starting by the first of the year.

Related Articles

Keyed In: The Atlantic Lounge Where’s the Beer? Safe Cycling Passion Project