A Dix Park landmark gets a new round of hospitality.
Dix Park has always been home to golden-hour strolls, tail-wagging laps around the dog park and miles on the greenway—but now, there’s a new reason to linger. Enter Flowers Cottage, the park’s freshly reimagined historic gem, which reopened its doors in August for double-duty service as Cottage Coffee and Park Bar.
Photo by Mark Terry
Behind the counter are two familiar faces in Raleigh’s booming hospitality scene, Jeff Clarke and Justin Pasfield, the duo behind some of the city’s most beloved neighborhood haunts: Person Street Bar, Natural Science and Big Cat.
The pair landed the project in 2024 after winning a bid from the City of Raleigh, then worked with the city and Dix Park Conservancy to bring this vision to life. And while the setting may be new, the ethos isn’t: For Clarke and Pasfield, Flowers Cottage is another extension of the neighborhood-first hospitality that has long defined their spots.
Photo by Mark Terry
“In all the projects we work on, we’re always focused on community and gathering,” says Pasfield, “and this is the ultimate place to do that because it’s a perfect space for people of all different backgrounds.”
The renovated space splits the difference between cafe and cocktail hour: Cottage Coffee occupies the upstairs, slinging locally roasted coffee, tea, soft-serve and baked goods, while Park Bar operates below on an expanded back deck, offering craft beer, wine and nonalcoholic options with a front-row seat to the Downtown Raleigh skyline.
“We’ve been longtime fans of Dix Park,” muses Pasfield, “and for us to have a chance to do a small business inside the park was obviously a really exciting opportunity to connect with the city.”
Whether stopping in after a run, seeking out Thomas Dambo’s whimsical troll sculptures with a side of sips or simply looking for a spot to linger in nature, Cottage Coffee and Park Bar’s invitation is simple: Pull up a seat, sip and stay awhile.
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.
Mark Terry
Mark Terry
Mark Terry
Mark Terry
Mark Terry
Mark Terry
First and foremost, the reinvented cottage draws visitors in with a classic Southern front porch featuring a pair of cafe chairs—an ideal perch for taking a load off amid the park’s natural surrounds. 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, matcha and housemade sodas by day and beer/wine in the evening, plus snacks and 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.
And we’ll all drift on OK at recently bowed DRIFT at Horseshoe at Hub RTP, thanks to the coastal-inspired cafe’s new in-house coffee roasting program and nourishing breakfast/brunch/lunch eats like sandwiches, burritos, salads and bowls. P.S. A second Raleigh location is also coming to The Weld development just south of Downtown (!).
Give it up for Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern! The longtime Raleigh staple was named one of Tripadvisor’s 10 best restaurants in the U.S.
Slice, slice, baby! V Pizza sister concept Veloce Italian Market is now open in the City Plaza jewel box formerly occupied by Happy + Hale. The new concept slings pizzas, paninis, wings and provisions (think: pizza kits, housemade vodka sauce, dry pasta, fried chicken cutlets and more), plus a grab-and-go section of sandos and salads.
Veloce
A hole in one for bagel lovers: Benchwarmers’ Rockway outpost is now open, slinging the same freshly baked bagels, bagel sandos and java we all know and love—this time out of a light-filled indoor/outdoor space.
Chow 🤝 ciao. Fan-fave casual Urban Food Group spot shuttered its Creedmoor Road doors after 15 years following unsuccessful lease negotiations with the landlord.
It’s brunch o’clock at Foxcroft Food & Wine, where spirited mimosa flights and spritzes join forces with classics like shakshuka and hash brown quiche—plus chicken & waffle or smoked salmon boards (!).
New space, who dis? The Merchant’s on the move. The sultry DTR speakeasy has opened its new haunt on East Hargett Street in the former Architect bar spot.
Levant Bistro is so back—the OG Lafayette Village cult fave is reviving its Lebanese flavors and housemade pastries this spring on Six Forks Road (near Vinnie’s Steakhouse).
Old-school spirit, new-school hang: Grog Alley is in the works next door to the new Merchant digs, boasting 1800s tavern vibes, hidden patio, gourmet grilled cheese (!), live music and trivia.
A little buzz is brewing at Dix Park’s historic Flowers Cottage, percolating into a new coffee shop with an extended deck, covered outdoor hangout and all the park-day vibes.
Pinkies up! Raleigh’s next wine-fueled hang has arrived as Sixty Vines pours into North Hills Main District, uncorking 60 vinos on tap and bites—from build-your-own charcuterie boards to handtossed pizzas, burgers, meat and seafood entrees, and desserts.
Sixty Vines
Game on, Raleigh. Massive Olé Sports Bar & Lounge is lighting up South West Street in the rising West End District with a wraparound bar, TVs galore, pool tables, arcade games, outdoor hangs and food truck eats.
Mami’s chickens are crossing the road—to Salvage Yard, where a new spot will hatch early 2026. Till then, hit up the Wake Forest Road outpost to get your fix.
Pouring up all-day sips behind Johnson Street Yacht Club in DTR is Vino Wine Bar, specializing in Black & White Coffee by day and Euro wines by night—plus charcuterie and fresh paninis.
Order up! La Farm on Glenwood South is leveling up with added seating and a full cafe menu made for on-site sipping, snacking and savoring.
Fast-food is having a moment in Raleigh—and we’ve got moves like Jaggers. … The Texas Roadhouse spinoff is setting up shop on Glenwood in the long-shuttered Mami’s Latin Style Rotisserie Chicken with a drive-thru dishing burgers, chicken sandwiches, tenders, salads and shakes.
Raleigh, meet your maker—of pizza. After nearly 40 years, Godfather’s Pizza is back on Glenwood (across from Pleasant Valley Promenade), slicing that “pizza you can’t refuse” with its signature thick crust and throwback faves.
Godfather’s Pizza
Say what?! Cult-classic Texas-based Whataburger is taking over the former Applebee’s on Six Forks Road by Midtown East—joining 10 NC locations, with more on the way in Garner and Wake Forest.
Let’s taco ’bout it: Cook Out sister concept Taco Roos—known for casual quesadillas, burritos, nachos and more—is replacing the Subway on Western Boulevard.
Pour it up at Foxhole Coffee, Gussie’s new morning cafe slinging breakfast classics, craft coffees/ espressos and seasonal standouts.
It’s giving big scoop energy. Andy’s Frozen Custard is adding a second Raleigh spot on Six Forks Road—serving Concretes, Jackhammers, sundaes and banana splits on repeat.
Brew-tiful news: Jubala’s DTR space is now percolating on the daily with an expanded coffee and food lineup—think breakfast burritos, new sandos and salads, plus the signature pours you love.
When life gives you Lime & Lemon… go to Apex. The Indian Grill & Bar is back in the limelight with samosas, chana masala, tikka masala, cocktails and more.
Quiet luxury? Loud arrival. Rimal Coffeehouse opens soon in Raleigh with refined design and elevated sips.
Cluck, yeah. Cult-fave chicken-finger chain Guthrie’s has opened a new locale on Wake Forest Road across from Wegmans—marking its third NC outpost to open this year. And those tenders, sandos and crinkle-cut fries are just as irresistible as they look.
Guthrie’s
Cary’s in its clean-girl era. Mahana Fresh is serving its Florida-born bowls, smoothies and desserts to town—keeping it fresh, literally.
Dix Park is a destination meant to be biked—here, tips on how + where to explore.
If you’re not biking to Dix Park, you’re doing it wrong. And man-about-town Nick Neptune agrees. As director of outreach for the Dix Park Conservancy, board chair and president of Oaks & Spokes Raleigh’s bicycling and sustainable transportation advocacy nonprofit), and commissioner and vice chairman of the City of Raleigh’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, Neptune’s biggest passions are Dix Park and biking. He also works with the City of Raleigh, donors and volunteers to ensure Dix continues to thrive as a remarkable space for all, no matter how you get there.
Here, the passionate pedaler merges his two callings, showcasing Dix Park as a biking destination and providing a plethora of reasons to roll up to the 308-acre campus on DTR’s western edge.
How accessible is Dix Park by bike from all directions?
Dix Park currently benefits from connectivity around its northern and eastern edges courtesy of Raleigh’s Capital Area Greenway system, and, specifically, the Rocky Branch Trail—which has access to Pullen Park, Boylan Heights and a number of shops and spaces along Downtown Raleigh’s southernmost edge. To the west, Dix Park is buffered by NC State’s Centennial Campus, including the Centennial Bikeway Connector running along the perimeter.
At the southernmost edge along Lake Wheeler Road—from the State Farmers Market to the intersection at South Saunders—the city is leading a massive improvement project including the addition of sidewalks, shared paths and bike-only facilities. Various other features like roundabouts and raised medians will help slow vehicular traffic, with construction slated to begin in spring 2025.
Fave pit stops on these different routes?
Between Boylan Heights and the southernmost edge of Downtown Raleigh, favorites include:
Rebus Works for cafe selects and grocery options 🛒
Tell us about the NCMA to Dix Park bike connection and why it’s important?
It’s just over 5 miles and about a 35-minute bike ride spanning Rocky Branch Greenway and Reedy Creek Trail. NTM biking is affordable, healthy and sustainable, thus, ensuring and improving bicycle connectivity between NCMA and Dix Park is as much about reinvesting in our collective civic health and social cohesion as it is about simply sharing the joys, pleasures and benefits of art and the natural environment.
Nick Neptune
Any updates on the connection between Chavis Park and Dix Park?
The Chavis-Dix Strollway, a vastly improved multimodal, people-oriented corridor connecting two significant Raleigh landscapes, is also intended to contribute to a citywide bike system as a safe connection for cyclists traveling east to west through this area along the southern edge of Downtown.
The project design will be influenced by a current study of the overall mobility and active transportation networks of Downtown Raleigh, along with the planned expansion of the Raleigh Convention Center. Following the final recommendations of the Downtown Mobility Study (expected spring 2025), more progress can be anticipated.
Note: Anyone interested in participating in Raleigh Transportation’s Downtown Mobility Study should join the first touchpoint and public engagement session May 29 at Raleigh Union Station from 4–7pm.
How do you recommend first-timers spend their initial visit to Dix Park?
Starting in June, stop by the Gatekeeper’s Cottage to get oriented via maps, program guides and helpful staff. The cottage is also one of three historic buildings on campus undergoing a $5 million preservation and restoration project being led by the Dix Park Conservancy, in partnership with the City of Raleigh, with financial support from the State Employees’ Credit Union and Foundation.
The Chapel (open weekends; features an ornate mural in the lobby illustrating the landscape’s past, present and future by NC artist Christopher Holt; public restrooms available)
Many longtime visitors to Dix Park continue to be surprised by our Hammock Groves tucked away in the trees in three serene locations across the park. Another little-known treat for veteran visitors would be the celebrated garden in the back of The Chapel. Maintained by a dedicated group of volunteers, the garden has been a beloved and calming space for many since its original planting in the late 1950s. To boot, The Dix Park Conservancy, in partnership with the City of Raleigh, is spearheading an update and renovation later this year to transform this space into a fully modern Healing Garden.
