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What to expect from the highly anticipated Cottage Coffee and Park Bar at Dix Park when it opens later this month.
Everyday magic. It’s a tall ask of a small house, but that’s exactly what the team behind the highly anticipated Cottage Coffee and Park Bar at Dix Park—expected to open this month within the century-old Flowers Cottage—wants you to feel with every visit.
“It’s a really amazing opportunity to build something special,” says Meredith Kirkpatrick, partner at Maurer Architecture, whose firm led the redesign of the cottage—also noting the untapped potential of opening the building’s doors to the public for the first time.
The design brief for the project was summed up in a single question, according to Kirkpatrick: “What does it want to be?” The answer? Inviting—a place for everyone in a park for everyone.
The cottage’s new design builds upon what’s already there—and the fond memories many Raleighites have of it. Kirkpatrick herself has an annual family expedition to a famously prolific fig tree in the side yard, while Dix Park VP of Operations Nick Smith—who represented the landlord—recalls planning a joyous toddler birthday party at Flowers Field.
First and foremost, the reinvented cottage draws visitors in with a classic Southern front porch featuring a pair of rocking chairs—an ideal perch for taking in park skyline views. Off to one side, a sprawling flagstone patio surrounded by a 25- to 45-person amphitheater was added to accommodate additional seating.
The back of the cottage houses a new outdoor bar, as well as a sprawling covered deck doubled in size during the reno. Inside hosts the cafe—which offers coffee in the morning and beer/wine in the afternoon, plus soft-serve on tap—and a cozy lounge built for lingering.
Restrooms have also been added within both the cottage and a new shipping container building nestled in the oaks as you walk east to the sunflower fields.
Speaking of those oaks, the environmental stewardship of the grove of mature trees surrounding the cottage is an element of the transformation that could easily be undervalued, but Smith emphasizes “the experience would be drastically changed if we were not able to preserve and protect these trees.” Their shade cools visitors off by 10–15 degrees—offering a cool respite on a hot day.
At their best, design and construction create a mutually beneficial relationship with the environment. For this project in particular, the building is better because it’s in the park, the park is better because of the building—and people are better because of both. Whether you visit on a rainy Tuesday or a perfect summer Saturday, take a moment to pause and drink it all in… along with your favorite bev, naturally.
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