As development fills in St. Albans Drive, the space between North Hills and The Exchange could become Raleigh’s next walkable entertainment corridor.
For years, the stretch of St. Albans Drive between North Hills and The Exchange has felt like more of a divide than a destination. But as cranes rise, apartments take shape and new restaurants begin filling in the gap, two of Midtown’s biggest developments are starting to grow toward each other.
And Patrick Shanahan—of Noble Experiment Hospitality fame, alongside partners Robby Opperman and Frederique Leonard—is betting big on the space between them. With Capulet, Peregrine and soon-to-bow Cafe Royale under their belt on The Exchange side, the hospitality group is putting down roots in North Hills with the district’s first dedicated cocktail bar, Little Saint.
Robby Opperman and Patrick Shanahan | Photo courtesy of Capulet Cocktail Club
Joining newly opened Standard Beer + Food and Benchwarmers Bagels, Little Saint—anticipated to open next year on the ground floor of St. Albans Lofts—adds another piece to an emerging entertainment corridor that could eventually connect North Hills to The Exchange by foot, food and beverage.
“Between what Dewitt’s doing at The Exchange and what Kane’s doing at the North Hills Innovation District, it just feels like we’re in the epicenter of something,” says Shanahan.
In an effort to connect his concepts at The Exchange with ever-growing North Hills, Shanahan approached Kane about the Little Saint space with his broker Jeremy Deckelbaum at Elm Partners, immediately falling for its visibility—and the other projects growing around it.
He envisions a series of experience-driven concepts from NHID to The Exchange joining Little Saint in the future, creating a corridor of sorts with connectivity and walkability between the two destinations—where one could, say, take a class at Dose Yoga, grab lunch at Standard, walk over to The Exchange Park and then grab a drink at Capulet.
“Because I’m so invested in The Exchange, finding that home at North Hills, for me, draws this line,” emphasizes Shanahan. “I just see so much potential from here to there.”
Kane Realty Corporation Executive VP of Commercial Operations Stacey Buescher shares that vision, pointing to Shanahan’s involvement with the two developments as forming a natural connection as Midtown continues to grow. Not to mention Kane’s boardwalk-esque pedestrian bridge will further that connectivity, linking wooded trails and an on-street urban greenway that will eventually extend to the city’s planned multimodal bridge over I-440.
“We love seeing these destinations complement one another, and we think Little Saint will be another great addition to the area as a whole,” she says.
As North Hills’ first dedicated cocktail bar (read: no food, just drinks), Little Saint spearheads entry into nightlife. The concept will pay homage to Shanahan’s Irish roots, but, he maintains, it will not be a pub.
Telling the story of his family heritage via tall ceilings, cathedral arches and stained glass, Little Saint will feature two distinct bars. The first leans light and bright, transporting patrons to Ireland with stonework, living moss accents and a 30-foot bar; while the back bar—with its low ceilings, velvet curtains, tile, rich emerald greens, and dark and moody atmosphere—draws inspiration from both catacombs beneath a church and an abandoned New York City Subway station, a subtle nod to where Shanahan studied film and fell in love with cocktails.
“It’s a balance of light and dark—which is where design happens: the balance of light and shadow, color and contrast,” notes Shanahan. “I say you can be as good or as bad as you’d like to be at Little Saint.”
Spotlighting bubbles, vodka and gin in the front and darker liquors like whiskey, cognac and scotch in the back—plus Guinness on tap and NA options—Little Saint will lean into a public house nature, even opening in the early afternoon for business meetings.
“We’ve been watching NHID really come into its own, and it felt like the right time to add something a little different to the mix,” says Buescher, nodding to the—until-now—lack of a dedicated cocktail bar at North Hills. “Little Saint felt like a natural fit—it will have its own personality and feel, and it adds another option for people… to come to North Hills and stay.”
And as more pieces fall into place along St. Albans, the space between North Hills and The Exchange could soon become a destination in its own right.
Canes defenseman Jaccob Slavin is entering the restaurant biz, partnering with local pitmaster Christopher Prieto on Prime STQ, the barbecue-meets-steakhouse concept on track to open at Horseshoe at Hub RTP next spring.
If you thought mezcal maven Lily Ballance was done—think again. The Willco and La Veladora owner recently announced she’s planning another concept in the former trophy shop next door, with a lab area for prep and fermentation.
Biddy Thomas
Moves are finally being made at Garden West, HM Partners’ upcoming development across the street from 400H. Enter Quin, a brand-new restaurant from Raleigh chef Connor Johnson, anticipated to open sometime next year.
There’s nothing plain about Plain Jane’s—full stop. Now open on Hillsborough Street in the former Green Monkey space, the watering hole is like a time capsule of all your favorite old Raleigh bars—with a pool table, lounge areas and nostalgic signs galore to boot.
From the heart. Cora Kitchen & Cocktail Bar is now open on Person Street, an all-day player serving Spanish-inspired breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner—plus cocktails, wine and beer.
Bon appetit! Get a taste of the Italian lifestyle at Pranzo, recently opened at The Exchange with lunch and aperitivo offerings—think Barolo braised short rib, smoked burrata, spicy prawns and beef carpaccio—complemented by a handpicked wine program prioritizing small vineyards, organic producers and women-owned wineries.
Pour one—or three—out. Flavor Hills closed its DTR location after two years, pivoting to catering and private events, while Asian restaurant CO and Foxcroft Food & Win both shuttered in North Hills.
The Sharky’s strip is leveling up—and you’re gonna want a ~pizza~ this. Turning Stone Bar & Pizzeria is opening soon in the former TheMixx space in Duraleigh Corners with Neapolitan-style pies, craft cocktails, cold beer, music and good vibes.
Smashing reset: Smash Raleigh temporarily closed its doors to rework the concept, with LM Restaurants teasing some changes to come.
A once-quiet strip of West Cabarrus Street is gaining new momentum via Pizzeria di Territorio—an elevated Italian restaurant specializing in Neapolitan-style pizza and fresh pasta—plus speakeasy Stoccaggio, featuring specialty cocktails, wine and small plates, both slated to open early next year.
All in: Biddy Thomas is now serving lunch, brunch and dinner at Gateway Plaza. Think Southern-meets-NOLA fare like chicken and sausage jambalaya, fried seafood, po’boys, and more.
I scream, you scream… Local ice cream shop Ladybug Creamery is expected to open at Glenwood Place this month.
Twirl it up—Torii Noodle Bar by Kanki reopened at Crabtree Valley Mall with ramen, Japanese-inspired small plates and elevated comfort dishes for lunch and dinner.
Torii Noodle Bar
Caviar Clause, anyone? Local restaurateur Scott Crawford has announced a new venture, Crawford Caviar Company, set to debut this holiday season.
In the name of health, prepared-meal brand Project LeanNation is opening a new 1,230-square-foot cafe at Seaboard Station in early 2027. Expect smoothies and other grab-and-go good-for-you snacks.
Flying into North Raleigh is another location of Flying Biscuit Cafe, aiming to bow on Falls of Neuse Road early next year with all your classic breakfast and brunch faves.
New biz in the box: The Pudding Man and KatSushi have joined the lineup at Boxyard RTP—the former slinging handcrafted pudding and the latter, the latest concept from Top Chef alum Katsuji Tanabe and Anthony Rapillo, spotlighting made-to-order Japanese hand rolls, rice bowls and cocktails.
The 1920s called… now dialing into downtown Durham is the first NC location of Red Phone Booth, inviting guests to step back in time with handcrafted cocktails, premium spirits and a curated 150–200-cigar program.
Fullsteam Brewery is returning to Durham with a massive 9K SF restaurant and brewery at the Boiler Room at the historic American Tobacco Campus feat. beer, cider, wine, NA offerings and NC spirits—plus Southern and American-style bar food.
Bringing the coastal mindset to downtown Cary is the newest outpost of K38 Baja Grill with a seafood-forward menu—plus fan-fave queso, margs and burritos.
Joining the lineup at Cary’s Waverly Place is H&H Bagels’ second NC location, Eastcut Sandwich Bar’s third Triangle location, and South Block’s first Raleigh location—with Eastcut slated to open this year and H&H bowing in early 2027.
You can now sip and stroll in Chapel Hill thanks to its new University Place social district dubbed UP Social. Cheers!
Crispy, salty and insanely craveable, Raleigh’s french fry game is elite. Whether you like them handcut, crinkly or doused in truffle oil (the ultimate format), there’s a joint in town delivering peak fried-potato perfection. Here, the local fries we’d happily steal off someone else’s plate.
Three friends turned their love of Japanese cuisine into a growing trio of restaurants.
What started as a small ramen shop in Cary has quickly grown into a budding Japanese food empire. And now, Raleigh is next.
Founded by three friends who moved from the Bay Area to NC three years ago, the female-led Shinmai brand now consists of Shinmai Shokudo and Shinmai Kumo in Cary, with Shinmai Moku opening Sept. 26 in Raleigh’s Quail Corners shopping center. Moku marks the trio’s biggest and most high-end concept yet—a crowning achievement of sorts, and a bold entry into Oak City.
From left: Jayden Chen, Mingmin Jin, Stacia Zhong
Each of the three women plays a specific role: Chef Mingmin Jin is the brains behind every dish across all three locations; Stacia Zhong handles the finance/operations side of the biz; and Jayden Chen leads marketing and assists with operations. Together, their shared love of the restaurant industry—and desire to bring their own takes on Japanese cuisine to the Triangle—led them to move across the country.
Zhong was the first to explore Oak City’s Japanese offerings, and immediately clocked an opportunity: While sushi, ramen and hibachi were well represented, there’s an untapped market for less expected interpretations of Japanese cuisine. “We feel that RTP is a really good area for the business,” she says.
The team started small, opening the 32-seat, 1,500-square-foot Shokudo—which translates to “eatery”—in March 2024, leaning into Japanese homestyle comforts like ramen and bento boxes as they got familiar with local diners.
“When we first came to North Carolina, we wanted to start with something familiar and approachable,” recalls Jin. “That’s how Shokudo began—a casual neighborhood restaurant centered around something I knew very well from my previous experience.” And locals ate it up right off the bat—with customers even telling the team the food reminded them of what they had while traveling to Japan, adds Chen.
A year later came Kumo (aka “cloud”), giving Jin a canvas for Japanese-Italian fusion, which she experienced in Japan but didn’t find a whole lot of here in the States. An artist by trade who has worked in restaurants her whole life, she saw parallels between the two cuisines.
“Japanese and Italian food actually have some natural similarities… so [it] didn’t feel like two random cuisines we’re forcing together,” emphasizes Jin, pointing to both culture’s strong relationship with noodles, sauce, quality and technique. “At the same time, the Triangle was becoming more diverse and modern, and people were becoming more open to new concepts.”
Now, Moku (meaning “wood”) marks the latest addition to the Shinmai family, an izakaya featuring grilled meat and veggie skewers cooked over charcoal (see “Burn Notice” below), shareable small plates, ramen and rice bowls—with both a yakitori bar facing the grills where Jin will cook, and the brand’s first full cocktail bar.
The third concept found its home in Raleigh—a “really good fit,” notes Chen, thanks to its location and proximity to customers already traveling from places like Wake Forest to visit their Cary restaurants.
For Jin, it’s a dream concept: an izakaya where people can come together to finish the workday or settle in over drinks, food and conversation in a warm, relaxing and intimate environment.
“Moku brings together two things I really love: cooking with fire and bringing people together,” shares Jin. “I want the food to be taken seriously, but I don’t want the experience to feel serious.”
As for what’s next, Chen says they’ll likely take a break, though franchising Shokudo and Moku is something they may consider down the line.
For now, though, the trio is focused on letting each concept stand on its own—less about growth for growth’s sake and more about building on what they’ve already created.
“Each restaurant represents a different part of our journey,” says Jin. “They’re different, but they’re connected by the same philosophy: food, service and atmosphere. We want people to eat well, feel comfortable, enjoy the people they’re with and want to come back.”
Sean Junqueira
Burn Notice The highlight of Shinmai Moku’s grilling program is binchotan, a specialized Japanese charcoal traditionally used for grilling. It burns at a very high, consistent heat with minimal smoke, adding depth to the latest restaurant’s already ~fire~ yakitori offerings. “Fire is unpredictable, and that’s what makes it fun,” says chef Jin, who says grilling over charcoal requires constant attention and adjustment. “When I’m grilling, I become completely focused. It’s almost like being in a flow state.”
Done deal or not? Contrary to recent reports, City Council has not formally tabled Raleigh’s proposed youth curfew, per At-Large Jonathan Melton. “Council continues to engage the community about a teen curfew and has a forum Oct. 12,” he told RM. “No official vote has taken place.”
That said, council members appear to have reached consensus behind the scenes. Some have signaled the curfew is headed for the chopping block, others say the conversation isn’t over. District A’s Mitchell Silver sets the record straight, telling RM that council simply placed a pause on coming to a decision until the public meeting, after which they’ll come back together and decide how to move forward. Additionally, an open-to-the-public vote must take place before council can adopt a new policy.
So, for now: Raleigh teens and residents still get their say. The October community forum at Five Points Center for Active Adults remains on the books, giving people a chance to weigh in on the curfew and pose broader questions around teen safety and community.
