Tepuy Donuts’s first brick-and-mortar anticipated to open in November
If you dig doughnuts, chances are you know Alejandro Contreras—or have at least gone glazy for his battered brilliance. Raleigh’s very own “doughnut guy” has made quite the name for himself in the community with his Tepuy Donuts—the name an ode to Venezuela’s flat-top mountains in Canaima National Park that played a transformative role in shaping him.
Now, the Venezuelan-born baker is taking things to the next level—while making his doughy delicacies even more accessible—with the opening of his first brick-and-mortar on Capital Boulevard in November.
The new storefront answers the call for Tepuy’s thriving fan base, which has exponentially grown from his pandemic start baking doughnuts out of Mandolin—where he was working at the time—as part of the restaurant’s contactless family-style meal deliveries. Clearly tapping into a communitywide untapped hunger—at a time when doughnuts weren’t even having a moment—he broke out his treats beyond the Mandolin kitchen, selling wholesale (and often selling out) almost on the daily at spots like Idle Hour, Madre and Pine State Coffee—to name but a few.
“Ever since my first visit to a Krispy Kreme, I knew I wanted to dive into doughnut culture,” says Contreras, who cut his teeth baking cinnamon rolls in his home country before honing his skills and scaling his business in Argentina. “I’ve had a goal to reinvent the doughnut scene,” he adds, “and Mandolin was a stepping stone to make that goal a reality. Now, with Tepuy Donuts’ brick-and-mortar location, I look forward to creating a place for the community where everyone can enjoy a sweet treat.”
Tepuy’s storefront will dish cases full of Contreras’ delish handmade dough, including his signature sourdough brioche doughnut (richer and lighter than the traditional cake counterpart), plus flavors like Boston cream, s’mores, raspberry and salted caramel. He’ll also sprinkle in seasonal specialties with the likes of corn custard with blueberry filling, a Black Forest cake-inspired op and more—including fan fave pumpkin spice creme brulee. And, adding to Raleigh’s brewing scene, coffee and tea will fuel you via a collab with Pine State Coffee.
While the 1,500-square-foot space will serve up some indoor seating and a covered outdoor patio to take pause over pastry perfection, Contreras sees it being most ideal for grab-and-go—whether a midday caffeine and sugar boost or snagging a dozen for an event (or to house down yourself—no judgment!). And in a full-circle moment, Mandolin chef/owner Sean Fowler is a silent partner in the venture as well. So, truly a hole-in-one for all. @tepuydonuts
Neighbors band together to give Boylan Bridge iconic “it” factor.
Like the “Golden Gate” of our fair city—Boylan Bridge is a Downtown Raleigh icon. And she’s finally getting the care and attention she deserves via a splashy and significant coat of paint.
Enter local nonprofit Friends of the Boylan Bridge, founded last year by Bloomsbury Estates and Boylan Heights residents in an effort to improve the bridge. “It’s an iconic destination in Raleigh, but it doesn’t necessarily live up visually to what it could be,” says Christina Coffey, a founding member of the Friends.
The group’s first initiative? Beautifying the bridge, natch. They tapped local artist Jonathan Massullo—of Smoky Hollow and at A Place at the Table brushstroke fame—to splash a mural across the structure featuring four distinct cohesive designs on the pedestrian walls of each corner that slide from historic to modern.
On the Boylan Bridge side find architectural elements of Boylan Heights homes, trains of yore and the old truss bridge that was torn down in the ’70s nodding to the NC Railroad’s momentous 175th anniversary. Transitioning more mod, find bridges and “funky stuff” facing Wye Hill, shares founding member Alex Sawaia.
“To me, the bridge is more than infrastructure; it’s a destination unto itself,” says the master muralist. “It’s probably the best view of Downtown”—a space for contemplation and family strolls, never mind the meeting place for photos feting weddings, grads, birthdays, first dates and beyond, he continues. “The most enjoyable part has been witnessing all these actions play out, and knowing I’m making a mark on a beloved Raleigh location.”
Sawaia stresses the project—and the nonprofit as a whole—was a collaborative effort. “There were a lot of people involved in making this happen,” she maintains—from private donations and community events to local businesses who contributed raffle items to savvy neighbors who worked to score city grant funding.
While setting its sights on future projects, the Friends nonprofit’s ultimate goal is to continue collaborating with the city and railroad to improve the bridge and make it more visually appealing and safer for pedestrians. Translation: “We want it to look like an iconic bridge you would see in Europe,” says Coffey.
❤️ The City of Raleigh’s heart is beating. Raleigh had its best month for downtown visitation since the pandemic in June with almost 2 million visitors!
📈 NC’s still standing on business—named the No. 2 best state for business in the country and marking the fifth consecutive time (!) NC has secured a top-three ranking.
🏓 King of a big dill: Swing Racquet + Paddle has officially broken ground on its 44-acre Sportstainment campus featuring pickleball, padel, tennis, beach tennis/volleyball courts, and a pingpong lounge.
👤 Turns out being a loner is trendy. Solo dating is the newest wellness fad, emphasizing deepening your relationship with yourself and focusing on your own wants and needs over others’. Aw, love!
💼 Start ’em while they’re young! Teen jobs are making a comeback thanks (?) to Gen Z, with 38% of youths 16 to 19 either working or looking for work—a 14-year high.
🚌 Tickets, please! GoRaleigh is resuming fare collection Sept. 1, though youths ages 13–18 and seniors 65+ will still ride for free.
🚫 City Council did not approve a measure that would classify the Blue Ridge Corridor as a Municipal Service District (MSD) and thus result in an additional tax to keep the area growing, safe and clean.
WHAT’S NOT
🌧️ Apparently, when it rains, it pours. Raleigh saw its wettest July yet with a record 9.11 inches, compared to the average 3.91 inches.
Stop being scared of voicing your concerns at a restaurants.
Let’s be real—no one wants to be that person who sends their food back at a restaurant. While nobody wants to be a complaining “Karen” because your order is prepared wrong, cooked incorrectly, contains allergens, or is just simply not what you ordered, forcing yourself through a miserable experience for fear of speaking up or insulting the restaurant is just as bad—if not worse.
In fact, the general consensus among a range of industry folks we tapped on the matter—from servers to managers to owners—is they actually want you to voice your concerns (just not after you’ve already finished half your meal or because you’re looking for a freebie). After all, their bread and butter is literally hospitality—and their primary goal is ensuring guests have a top-notch experience.
While mistakes are no doubt inevitable—even in the finest of establishments (if you’ve worked in any restaurant or seen The Bear, then you know)—ultimately, honesty is the best policy.
So if there’s an issue, Wye Hill co-owner Sara Abernethy emphasizes, “I absolutely want to know so we can address it immediately! I would so much rather have the opportunity to correct an error than have a disappointed guest who may be more prone to sharing negative feedback online later.”
Abernethy’s team utilizes what she calls a “two-bite check” for checking on guests so they are more likely to speak up if they need something or have a concern. “I think waiting too long to address the issue creates resentment,” echoes MOFU Shoppe Restaurant Operations Manager Darany Samountry.
In line with that approach, Mulino/La Terrazza server Tim Pinner stresses it’s a server’s job to make the guest feel comfortable voicing concerns at restaurants. “I try to put them at ease so they’ll tell me anything we can do to improve, or possible complaints with food, wines, etc.,” he says.
Sarah Santoro, marketing director of Hummingbird, agrees that customer communication and feedback are crucial to ensuring a business’ standards are met. The linchpin is really more about the delivery. “Feedback should be given honestly but tactfully,” she maintains. “Kind and respectful comments/questions are always well-received and accommodated.” Translation: Be honest—but don’t be a jerk.
Honesty “should also come with a good helping of understanding,” agrees Samountry, “and it doesn’t have to include belittling or disrespect. Mistakes happen—and they aren’t personal.”
That said, “There is a difference between trying something new that isn’t to your taste and an item not being cooked correctly,” says Santoro, “and if the business doesn’t advertise as an ‘all-you-can-eat buffet,’ then it isn’t one.”
The takeaway? Samountry says the key is to air an issue with clear expectations that allows the server/chef to make it right. So, less “My steak isn’t cooked right,” and more: “I don’t mind waiting for a new one,” or “I would not like a new one, and please take it off my bill.”
After all, “we are in the service industry,” says Sassool’s Simone Lawson. “We’re here to make sure our guests are full and happy. It’s the most frustrating when we don’t realize we’ve given a guest the wrong thing and then they post a horrible review on Yelp when we would’ve loved to make it right for them and turn the experience around.” So go on, be that person—in the end, it actually makes everyone happy.
The proof is in the pizza as Timber Pizza Co. brings its Michelin status to Raleigh.
Raleigh’s aspiring Michelin gravitas is rising—literally. DC-based Timber Pizza Co. is opening its first NC location in the former Ladyfingers space at High Park Village Oct. 15, and bringing with it major clout. Read: a five-year Michelin Bib Gourmand Award—not to mention a nod as Bon Appetit’s Pizzeria of the Year a mere year after its initial brick-and-mortar splashed on the scene. So, clearly, you’re gonna wanna slice of this.
Founded by two friends with a passion for pizza looking to escape burnout from the corporate desk jockey grind, Timber originally operated out of a parked ’67 Chevy truck from which the duo cranked out pies in a used wood-fired pizza oven at farmers markets, wineries, breweries and the like. Their signature crust, created from New York- and Neapolitan-style dough recipes they found online, is still used today—now at the hands of executive chef Dani Moreira, who joined the operations in 2015 to add a little pizzazz to the pies post-grad from The Culinary Institute of America in New York.
Fast-forward to now, and Timber is making its first expansion outside the DMV right here in Raleigh. CEO Luke Watson promises a welcoming neighborhood pie shop that at once fits right in with the surrounding community while boosting our city’s thriving food and bev offerings to boot.
“We just felt Raleigh checked all our boxes. We spent a lot of time [here] and realized it had the right feel for us, and we think we’ll be meaningful contributors to an already great community,” he emphasizes, adding the city is an attractive choice for Timber for its growth, warm vibe, and prolific population of college students and families. “[Raleigh] has an awesome food scene, so we’re just happy to be a part of it.”
To wit, Raleighites are already spoiled with great pizza joints (looking at you, Oakwood Pizza Box, Trophy, Lilly’s Pizza, and the like), and the Timber team acknowledges that, with Watson adding: “It’s America’s favorite food. There’s a lot of people eating pizza, so I think there’s room to share the space a little bit.”
Now, that space will include Timber’s Michelin-lauded hype, bringing a “Neapolitan-ish”-style ’za to the local lineup with a unique mixture of high-quality toppings and flavor profiles not usually seen at your average dough destination. Think chorizo, soppressata, Peruvian sweet peppers and spicy honey on The Bentley—its most famous pie, according to Watson—and The Green Monster, topped with pesto, fresh mozzarella, feta, zucchini and kale.
Those are just two of the 10 popular pizzas Timber’s Raleigh locale will feature—a few of which are seasonal and boast of-the-moment produce—churned out of that wood-fired oven, now the highlight of the restaurant. Additional pickings include empanadas and fresh salads—plus a full bar with both local brews and DC favorites.
Naturally, with pizza comes a signature friendly come-as-you-are vibe that Watson hopes will attract all walks of life—whether with the fam, kiddos, group of friends or a date. “We pride ourselves on appealing to everyone,” he maintains. “You can show up in sweatpants or a tux and either way you’ll feel really comfortable.”
Because, ultimately, Timber’s MO goes deeper than just serving up great slices. “People’s faces light up when they talk Timber—and that’s just the experience we’re trying to give,” says Watson. “We’re not just focused on serving great pizza, we’re focused on amazing experiences.” timberpizza.com
