Every day is Saturday at R&D Brewing’s new Seven Saturdays Tap Room
Oh, hoppy day! R&D Brewing is opening its first taproom, dubbed Seven Saturdays Tap Room, this week. A different course than most breweries take, R&D decided to distribute its beers first and then open a taproom in order to “build a name for the brand and have a space that people were already aware of,” says R&D Brewing COO Rachel Peterson. “We just felt like it was time to give everyone a space where they can come and hang out and have our beer.”
Seven Saturdays Tap Room, named after R&D’s Seven Saturdays flagship beer (a modern IPA made with Citra and Mosaic hops), will have 16 beers on tap—all of R&D’s core offerings, plus small-batch releases and seasonal brews. And raising the bar, food trucks will be on-site often, or, patrons can order food and have it delivered.
The pitcher-perfect building (most recently a CrossFit gym and located on Capital Boulevard next to Continental Golf) will feature a bright and airy open-air concept, as well as a small outdoor area—plus the cozy Riviera Lounge with lounge-y couches and chairs and a TV that’ll be perf for posting up at with your crew (!).
Most of the original aspects of the building were preserved—the flooring, the walls, the ceiling—but the team spruced up the unique space with updated modern pieces as well, including a new mural. R&D tapped local artist Brian Crabtree to create the huge custom piece, a mural of the Raleigh skyline (with lots of fun details) along one of the walls.
“We’re so excited,” says R&D taproom manager Amanda Walters. “It’s been a long time coming, and we think the space is really reflective of our brand.
WEB EXCLUSIVE Campbell Law was one of 99 law schools to respond to the Attorney General’s Call to Action to the Legal Profession to address the housing and eviction crisis.
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “all-of-government approach” to help families keep their homes, Campbell Law is drawing on its resources such as pro bono and externship programs and clinical offerings to help struggling families avoid eviction through rental assistance application support, volunteering with legal aid providers, and helping courts implement eviction diversion programs—among other initiatives.
Campbell Law School is also working closely with Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Raleigh office to take landlord tenant cases pro bono this semester, and all of the students in the clinic class are reading Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond.
“We could not be more inspired that so many dedicated law students and clinical legal programs have risen to the call to provide legal services to hard-pressed families at risk of, too often, devastating evictions,” says Senior Advisor to the President and American Rescue Plan Coordinator Gene Sperling.
In addition to the law schools’ efforts, $25-$30 billion has been distributed to more than 3 million households in need as part of the American Rescue Plan Emergency Rental Assistance program, which has kept eviction filing rates below 60% of averages in a typical year.
“The housing crisis is a poverty and economic security issue because of the long-lasting effects that we know evictions have on families,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta in a Zoom press conference a few months ago. “That’s why I have encouraged courts to adopt eviction diversion as an essential tool for keeping people in their homes and landlords to access rental assistance during the pandemic.”
So, thanks to the likes of schools like Campbell Law, we seem to be on the right track to ramificate this matter—but there’s still lots of work to be done.
If you haven’t heard of it, the Great Resignation (aka the Big Quit) is a thing—and it’s the real deal. A whopping 1 in 4 people quit their jobs in 2021 (in fact, 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs last November alone—yes, you read that right), and the same amount of people are projected to quit their jobs in 2022.
So, where are they going and why the shift? The blame can be placed squarely on the shift in cultural mindset left in the wake of (and the ongoing) pandemic, quite obviously, as health and well-being have been launched to the forefront of our minds, ubiquitously pervading every convo and choice—inspiring many of us to rethink how we want to spend this precious life… and how we want to spend our time and energy.
That naturally translates to rethinking the way we spend our time to make a living—resulting in many leaving corporate jobs to start their own businesses or picking up remote work that allows the flexibility and freedom to work from anywhere, at any time (whether from bed in PJs or from some exotic stay). And, according to experts, this has zero to do with money. It’s just about balance— and gratification.
So, no doubt you’re thinking: life fulfillment, smart move… what’s the big deal? But the ripple effect is creating mass casualties on the business front. And, at least locally, small businesses already have to compete with big companies like Google and Apple coming to the area.
Now, the question for many employers is how to get people to stay in their jobs—or come back to the office as the “Great Return” looms (for many big companies like SAS, return dates are potentially slated for March 1).
The answer, according to Raleigh-based software company Pendo co-founder and CEO Todd Olson, is to create a positive work culture and environment that employees can enjoy day in and day out—compensation (read: money) is indeed the lowest bar, but employers need to do more in terms of differentiating themselves and setting their company apart. This means not only showing appreciation for employees, but looking at where and how we work. Think offering them a workspace that’s exciting—and inspiring—and makes us eager to come into the office. Think reconsidering the long-outdated 9-to-5 model we all still ascribe to (plus the 24/7 plug-in). And the three local companies we tap here have done just that. With their call to action and avant-garde vision, Pendo, Baldwin& and Barringer are setting the bar—and staging the future of the office.
For Raleigh’s Barringer Construction (deemed an essential business)—who never really even left the office—their focus is on evolving the standard work-from-office model while maintaining the necessary parts of the status quo. Like coming to work.
Originally housed in the Industrious coworking space Downtown, Barringer started the pandemic by doing A and B days, where only about six employees would come in at a time… until everyone got tired of working from home, and the A and B days started melding together, and soon everyone was back in the office full time.
Then, in February 2021, Barringer Construction moved into its new space on Dawson Street (after a three-month reno) which—spoiler alert—has a speakeasy-style lounge in the basement (!).
While Barringer was never tasked with the chore of enticing employees to return to the office, staying tuned in to the evolving needs of their people remained important—as did creating a really cool environment that exemplified Barringer’s fun, wild and crazy culture, says Barringer Leed AP Brian DiDiano.
For the construction company, this meant a lounge (which DiDiano calls the heartbeat of the building) with Ping-Pong tables, a basketball hoop, a shuffleboard table and a dart board, which employees are encouraged to play on during the day. “We call it oscillating,” says DiDiano. “In order to stop the burnout, they say that every 15 to 30 minutes, you should take a break and spend five minutes of oscillating—go to the water fountain; go get a drink; play a game of Ping-Pong. … People ask, ‘How do you even get work done?’ … Well, we just do.”
In addition to the lounge, the updated office building gets its spunk from Lego-filled holes in the wall (an idea brought to life by Barringer Assistant Project Manager Carlie Wallin), which translates to the Lego wall, where Legos representing Barringer’s superintendents are placed throughout a map of Raleigh and Durham wherever they’re on the job. Beyond the ever-apt childlike building blocks, the space inspires with movie-themed bathrooms and focus rooms, a mural depicting Barringer’s history and traditions (the brainchild of Barringer Marketing Manager Alexis Raterman), and a conference room lined with caricatures of all of the employees—or what DiDiano calls “our family members.”
“I think space is important, and I think what space works best is when you get the employees to buy in on the space—like Alexis and Carlie,” says DiDiano. “When they buy into what’s in the space and the design, they feel like they own a part of it, and your culture comes out that way.”
Barringer’s pride and joy, however, is perhaps its Knott Easy Lounge, named after Barringer Construction General Superintendent Lenny Knott. The speakeasy-inspired space features leather couches, a massage chair, a TV and a bar stocked with bourbon—so employees can have meetings in the mod den or just go underground (literally) for a change of scenery during the workday.
But DiDiano is adamant that a space—no matter how cool—only does so much; it’s having that right culture and mindset that really brings an office to life.
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PENDO
“The focus on culture has been a big part of our story from day one,” says Pendo’s Olson. “We always know, in order to attract the best people, we have to have the best culture.”
In anticipation of outgrowing its space in the Wells Fargo building at the end of 2018, Pendo—known for its passion, energy and cutting-edge vision—announced it was moving into five floors of Raleigh Crossing’s 301 Hillsborough tower in early 2022, and with that, the software company put together an HQ branding and listening committee in 2021 to solicit feedback from its employees.
What Pendo heard, and what it acted on, was essentially its employees wanted a space that felt more residential, says Trish LaPaglia, Pendo director of culture and employee experience—something that would give them a variety of choices in terms of how they wanted to work (e.g. a workstation, comfy chair—or even one of Pendo’s new quiet rooms, which provide a space to work privately away from others).
But, to be fair, it could be a chicken or egg situation. For Pendo, these plans were in place before the pandemic, as LaPaglia acknowledges. “I don’t think that the pandemic changed [the plans] as much as we thought it would. I think these are things that people wanted,” she asserts. “The pandemic just accelerated the requests.”
Adds Olson, “You can’t think of your office as someplace you need to mandate people to come in to work. That obviously isn’t working. You need to shift your thinking to attract people.”
In addition to comfortable working spaces, Pendo’s new office will attract both current and future employees with rich amenities, including a coffee bar managed by 321 Coffee, a speakeasy, a kitchen and pizza oven (fun fact: Ashley Christensen consulted on the layout of the kitchen and helped spec the pizza oven), and a terrace with a fire pit that overlooks Downtown Raleigh. Clearly a pretty inviting setup.
“You need to rethink your office,” maintains Olson. “If your office is boring—like you have a bunch of cubes—rip ’em down. No one wants to sit in a cube farm; it’s much more comfortable to sit in your home. So think differently about how to create an office that’s actually inspiring and makes people want to go there.”
A beacon of the future, Pendo’s new office provides the majority of comforts that you would get while working from home while also offering the satisfaction of socializing, interacting and collaborating with fellow employees in-person that you would otherwise be missing—so, in essence, the best of both worlds, and ultimately what everyone wants out of their workplace. And while Pendo is making it optional for employees to return to its new office (“We’ve been open, and we’ve always been optional—flexibility is key,” says LaPaglia), why wouldn’t you want to go back to work when you have access to both a pizza oven and a private coffee shop?
In the case of Raleigh-based branding agency Baldwin&, while the offices are employee-driven (more on this below), the emphasis is on how we work—the time aspect of work/life balance we all crave. To wit, employees also get to choose whether or not they want to come back to the office as a result of its anonymous “How Should Work, Work?” survey.
“We’ve talked about mandating [coming into the office], but we decided not to,” says Baldwin& co-founder David Baldwin. “I have been disabused of the notion of an all-day workday, but I don’t see a need for it right now. We’re just going to be flexible about it.”
And while some may think this hybrid model doesn’t really work for a creative company that requires a lot of collaboration between its employees, “so far it’s been great,” says Baldwin. Employees are free to come and go as they please—each of them has a station with a desk in the open office environment—and there are also three phone booths (privacy rooms) for employees to take Zoom calls or sit by themselves and think in quiet, as well as meeting rooms with TVs, community spaces, a photography and video studio, and even a lactation room with a fridge.
It all stems from Baldwin&’s motto of “Give a Damn,” which is reflected not only on a colorful mural within the office itself, but within Baldwin&’s culture.
“A company’s not a building,” says Baldwin. “It’s a group of people. And we’re saying, ‘What do we want’? and ‘How do we work best?’” Essentially, he adds, “we’re asking, ‘What works for the organism?’ … And this is what’s working for the organism right now.”
… And it’s setting the stage for the future of how we work. “So, in five years, maybe the organism goes: ‘You know what, I miss seeing you every day. Let’s do it.’ But for now, we’re just listening to the people.”
Final Thoughts…
Ultimately, Barringer’s DiDiano said it best: “Your employees need to feel like they are open to come and go as they please, that they’re valued being in there, and that they’re treated fairly,” he explains. “So, for us, we’re best when we work together as a team. And the most effective teams are able to collaborate together easily. And this space offers that.”
Then, summarizing the office of the now and the future in one breath, DiDiano adds: “And if you’re having fun all day at work, why would you ever want to leave? You want to get up the next day and come to work because it’s fun.”
From the Cupid-wooed to the singles to the cynics, here’s a list of things to do for Valentine’s, Galentine’s and Schmalentine’s Day this year.
For Valentine’s Day
If the way to the heart is through the stomach then you def can’t go wrong with a resy at one of the more boujee restos in town—you know, the ones you only splurge on for special occasions—think Death & Taxes, Crawford and Son, Second Empire or Angus Barn. So, you spend the dollars and let them figure out how to repay you. Um, score?! Wink, wink.
“The most beautiful view is the one I share with you.” Grab your boo and share sweet skyline views—plus cocktail and dessert specials—before or after your dinner rez with a lil rooftop romance at The Willard Rooftop Lounge. And for your sweetheart, word is there may be some spiked hot chocolate…
We poppin’ bottles in the name of love! If a night-in getting fizzical (had to) is more your speed, treat your boo to some super snuggles and score brownie points with a bottle of bubbly (Cupid shuffle over to Wine Authorities, Raleigh Wine Shop or BottleMixx to snag one!). Or, head to Dram & Draught for a match made in heaven: bubbles and chocolate. Tickets to Dram’s special Valentine’s Day event include a bottle of bubbly and a curated selection of four chocolates from The Chocolate Boutique. Fizz the season!
For Galentine’s Day
“What’s Galentine’s Day? Oh, it’s only the best day of the year.” Made famous by Parks and Recreation’s Leslie Knope, Galentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to ditch your SO or celebrate the single life and get together with your gal pals. So, make like Leslie and “kick it breakfast style” by gathering your girls for brunch (somewhere where the waffles and whipped cream are endless is preferred, obviously). Flip for a chicken & waffle roundup worth the syrup stickiness and sweet memories.
Since spa therapy is the best therapy, what group of gals wouldn’t enjoy some self-care? Make a day out of it at The Umstead Spa, where a luxe sesh promises to melt all your stresses away—and provide the perfect excuse to treat yo’selves.
This one’s for the girls. … Meats and cheeses are the way to any female’s heart. So grab your gals and sign up for a charcuterie design class with Grazin’ Gals to get schooled on how to build your own extravagant charcuterie board—then graze your way to (and through) a GNO at Vidrio with its perennial Galentine’s Day dinner. Will you brie mine?
For Schmalentine’s Day
If you’ve got the Bumble blues, some Singles Awareness is in order. Grab your crew or ride solo to celebrate the single life with a big ol’ box of chocolates (naturally) from Escazu or Videri and queue up a sappy rom-com from the comfort of your own couch.
Sports your one true love? Gather your crew for a Super Bowl party complete with local beers and game day snacks from Ladyfingers (you’ll want to order extra ham rolls, as we can assure you they won’t last long). Or just head out to one of our 2021 Best Game Day Bar winners—or your fave game day spot—to catch the big game with other (sports) lovers.
If your V Day plans lean a little less candlelit dinner and a little more buying up all the holiday cards and watching the lovers panic, maybe channel some of your cynic energy into a workout class—because nothing beats working on your own self. Local gyms are sure to have themed #LoveSucks classes—whether you want to jump on the bike at CycleBar, get shredded at Shred415 or find your Zen at CorePower Yoga, there are a ton of local ops to get your body moving.
Saddle up, Raleigh, because Boulevards’ newest album Electric Cowboy: Born in Carolina Mud drops on Feb. 11. Born and raised in the City of Oaks, Boulevards (aka Jamil Rashad) took inspiration for his new album from Blaxploitation films and Western cowboy movies he grew up watching. And since “there were so many white cowboys and white superheroes but there wasn’t a ton of attention on Black superheroes,” he says he “wanted to make that type of figure and music around that whole idea of an electric cowboy born in Carolina mud.”
Rather than the banjos and fiddles that first come to mind when you think of Western music, the tracks on Electric Cowboy (co-produced by Blake Rhein of Durand Jones & The Indications and Colin Croom of Twin Peaks) feature beautiful melodies, funky beats, lively instrumentation and a psychedelic vibe—plus features from Nikki Lane, Macie Stewart from the band OHMME and Adrian Quesada of Black Pumas.
“I feel like this record is going to make an impact, not just on music and beyond, but obviously in Raleigh, and I feel like people will finally start taking Boulevards seriously—not just as a performer, but also as a songwriter and an artist,” he says. “A storm’s brewing. … We’re really excited about this record—it’s hopefully gonna make a lot of noise.” Hey, you heard it here first. boulevards.band
