Built on the concept of community, Birdie’s will have you flocking to 150 Fayetteville Street from sunrise to moonrise for any and every reason and season or no reason at all when she spreads her wings Oct. 7.
Gorgeously outfitted, every ornate inch of Birdie’s is an ode to Raleigh’s stunning future and rich Southern hospitality. From suits to sneakers, all are welcome. “Our North Star for Birdie’s to be the table our community gathers around as we work to revitalize and reinvigorate Fayetteville Street, our Main Street of Raleigh,” says Amber Moshakos, president of family-owned LM Restaurants. “We are very thoughtful and carefully planning for how Birdie’s will remain approachable to our neighbors and our community.”
Suggesting a new era in hospitality behind decades of decadent concepts dishing tiny food and big bills countrywide, Birdie’s joins La Terrazza, Timber and a wave of upcoming concepts in Raleigh cooking up a new-age recipe blending accessibility with good food and approachable prices, all against a beautiful backdrop demonstrating equal-opportunity elevation. Read: With attainability at its very core, the grab-and-go meets full-service come-as-you-are-for-whatever-you-could-desire outpost is versatile and viable for everyone. A space where workout ’fits, weekday wardrobes, weekend attire and even wedding garb (think rehearsal dinner in the private dining space) are all wonderfully welcome for snacks on the go, drinks at the bar, a Birdie’s Backyard hang or business meeting.
A love letter to North Carolina, flavors and partnerships—including plans in the works for local coffee—intentionally nod to the great North State and Raleigh.
You may even find your likeness on Birdie’s wall as brilliant local muralist Autumn Cobeland took inspiration from passersby as she painted, incorporating them into her Main Street mural. “We are thrilled with this collaboration as her style brings a colorful and vibrant perspective of Fayetteville Street,” says Moshakos, nodding to Cobeland’s brushstrokes around town from the library to the walls of REI.
Photo by Sean Junqueira
Bringing to intention Highwoods SVP and Raleigh Market Leader Skip Hill’s longtime promise to energize and activate “the most important street in NC,” and, specifically, the north end (making it “the cool place to be”), Birdie’s Backyard delivers with that first day of summer feeling all year long. Flowing from the rollup garage door behind the bar, the patio is complete with shaded space, fans and heaters—where green grass, tables, swings and casual cool vibes merge blue skies. An alfresco oasis just waiting to be everyone’s new fave hang, look for live music, movies and plenty more reasons to hang out in DTR under the night sky(scrapers).
And bridging the gap for every meal, meeting and moment, Birdie’s private dining answers the call for elegant private dining, business and meeting space in the Central Business District via versatile space accommodating up to 24 under a glinting chandelier and against the beautiful backdrop of Blue Ridge Mountain-inspired wallscape.
An ode to the Ella Fitzgerald-ness for which she’s named, Birdie’s is a vibe that promises to unite the community and resurrect the Capitol end of Fayetteville Street with one fell swoop. birdiesraleigh.com
Birds of a feather flock together to imbibe and vibe at Fayetteville Street’s newest bar and restaurant.
If Ella Fitzgerald was a restaurant, it would be Birdie’s Barroom & Kitchen. While LM Restaurants’ and Highwoods Properties’ summer-debuting dining + drinking destination on the ground floor of the 150 Fayetteville Street building won’t be 1920s-themed, it will lean into the trailblazing jazz singer’s big personality and “hostess-with-the-mostess” vibe, with the name a nod to her bird-themed songs “A Hot Canary” and “Lullaby of Birdland.”
“We’re sitting on Fayetteville Street; Downtown Raleigh has all this history; our building has this art deco lean—so we really gravitated toward Ella Fitzgerald,” says LM President and owner Amber Moshakos. “And when we’re talking about revitalization, we’ve got to talk about the energy it takes to make it big, and that’s who she is. … So in the heart of North Carolina, along the main street of Raleigh, we are reawakening our sense of place.”
Taking a cue from Fitzgerald’s MO of being a larger-than-life joymonger and life of the party who connects people—turning strangers into friends—the resto will be a hub for social interaction: a true watering hole and meeting house for reconnecting and reigniting community over great food and drinks.
The all-day dining and imbibing experience will boast a morning barista-led cafe nicknamed Breakfast at Birdie’s; a grab-and-go section, online ordering and full-service dining for lunch; and sit-down dinner service. To boot, the American grill will feature a central bar-in-the-round with ample outdoor seating and a private event space.
“We are committed to providing the most exceptional workplace experience we can for our customers,” says Highwoods SVP and Raleigh Market Leader Skip Hill. “And we believe if we can stimulate them at the start with coffee, nourish them at noon with lunch and then hydrate them at happy hour, they’ll be able to achieve together what they cannot apart. Our decision to partner with Amber and LM Restaurants was a deliberate one, as we could think of no better homegrown purveyor of exceptional experiences to realize the collective goals for North Carolina’s Main Street.”
And what better character to revive Fayetteville Street than Fitzgerald, who was known for her legendary parties, joie de vivre, personable grace and charm, and overall warm hospitality—which will certainly be echoed at Birdie’s.
“If you’re at Birdie’s, Birdie knows you,” maintains Moshakos. “And that’s the beauty of Birdie’s being this place of moxie and spunk and grit—because that’s what Raleigh is. Through grace and moxie, from sunrise to moonrise, all will be welcome at Raleigh’s next living room.” @birdiesraleigh
Slated to bow on the first floor of the landmark 150 Fayetteville Street building this summer, Birdie’s will deliver an all-day dining and drinking experience—from sunrise to moonrise—with a morning barista-led cafe nicknamed Breakfast at Birdie’s; a grab-and-go section, online ordering and full-service dining for lunch; and sit-down dinner service. To boot, the American grill will feature a central bar-in-the-round with ample outdoor seating and a private event space.
“Being a Downtown restaurant, it’s so critical to us to be approachable and useful to that guest at any time,” LM President and owner Amber Moshakos told Raleigh Mag. “Being able to meet the guest where they are—whether that’s through online ordering or grab-and-go or sit-down dining—that’s where Birdie’s needs to transform throughout the day.”
More than just a restaurant, Birdie’s will act as a true watering hole for connections to foster between both patrons and employees, with a welcoming environment “catering to everyone from suits-to-sneakers,” maintains Moshakos, adding: “We are thrilled to bring the vision of a meeting house to life in the heart of Raleigh, where every guest is not just a customer, but a newfound friend and member of our extended family.”
A beacon of warmth, hospitality and fellowship, the upcoming location will be go-to for casual drinks, lunch meetings, celebratory dinners and everything in between.
“We are committed to providing the most exceptional workplace experience we can for our customers,” says Highwoods SVP and Raleigh Market Leader Skip Hill. “And we believe if we can stimulate them at the start with coffee, nourish them at noon with lunch and then hydrate them at happy hour, they’ll be able to achieve together what they cannot apart. Our decision to partner with Amber and LM Restaurants was a deliberate one, as we could think of no better homegrown purveyor of exceptional experiences to realize the collective goals for North Carolina’s Main Street.”
And a Main Street destination it will certainly be, embodying “the spirit of the quintessential hostess-with-the-mostest, infusing every interaction with grace, moxie and charm”—just like the street it’ll call home.
