Avoid the wait and beat busy crowds with the local WhereT app.
Picture it: You finally drag yourself out of bed (those that get it, get it) to go out to eat or to get drinks with friends, only to be stuck standing around waiting to be seated. Or maybe you paid a cover to get in somewhere, but it’s overcrowded—or undercrowded!—and it kills the vibe. In short, going out can already be a headache—and it’s only made worse by situations like these.
Enter WhereT, “the app you don’t know you need until you do need it,” says CEO and co-founder Brandon Lewis. Based in Raleigh, the global app (available in 170 countries!) uses geofencing GPS technology to showcase real-time information on how busy local businesses are, so users know what to expect before they go—and plan the best time to visit.
The idea for WhereT naturally was born after Lewis got tired of arriving at places only to wait, or going to a barely bumping club. Seeking more venue transparency, he launched the app while still in college in 2022 with partner Patrick Loussaint and CTO Ridwan Faniyi to deliver an “innovative way for businesses to market to the consumers while streamlining that process,” he says.
WhereT also helps users arrange rides, order tickets or food, pay for parking and view online content directly through the app, whether for a restaurant, bar, club, store, event—even airports and the DMV office (!). And it’s a win for businesses as well, as by using WhereT they can cut associated commissions with companies like DoorDash and Grubhub while hopefully benefiting from additional clientele, Lewis explains.
To further market WhereT, Lewis launched a separate brain child, Busy Brew Lager, earlier this year in partnership with Lonerider Brewery owner Sumit Vohra, who also became somewhat of a mentor figure to the app founder. Another win-win, the brew offers a tasty sipper “crafted for every palate” and links directly to the WhereT app by a QR code on the can, making it “the only beer that has the technology behind it to market your venue as well,” maintains Lewis.
So, consider those excuses to not get out of bed nixed—and the perfect excuse to leave your house found. Hey, another win for all!
Exciting changes and new local businesses coming to Raleigh’s cherished Five Points area.
Nestled between Downtown and North Raleigh, Five Points is a historic gem. Rooted deep in Raleigh’s identity with its 1920s-era architecture and long-standing outposts (think Hayes Barton Cafe & Dessertery, Lilly’s Pizza, and NOFO, to name a few), the area has long remained relatively—and arguably delightfully—unchanged. Now, however, Five Points has some reinvigorating reconstruction and concepts coming down the pipeline. … And before you flip—no, there won’t be high-rises.
First and foremost, the city is poised to up the safety factor for those who live there, frequent it, and those passing through by foot or on wheels. While Five Points is considered by most as a rather quiet part of town, the neighborhood is also infamous for the accident-prone intersection where Glenwood and Glenn avenues and Fairview and West Whitaker Mill roads all meet. From May 1, 2017, to April 30, 2022, there were 143 reported crashes within 300 feet of the intersection, 22% of which resulted in a reported injury, including one fatal crash.
As a result, the city kicked off a Five Points Streetscape and Safety Study in 2022—expected to be complete this fall—to keep both drivers and pedestrians safe in the charming district. Three different concepts are currently under consideration for the intersection. The first includes traffic signal/left turn improvements—specifically adding separate signal movements for Fairview Road and Whitaker Mill Road; extending the curbs at Glenwood Avenue and Fairview and Whitaker Mill roads; and converting the flashing yellow arrow on Glenwood Avenue into fully protected left turn signals. Second, a single-lane roundabout; and, finally, a multilane roundabout.
But “combining elements of the three into a preferred alternative is possible,” says City of Raleigh Department of Transportation Senior Transportation Planning Supervisor Jason Myers.
“The roundabout alternatives have the benefit of slowing every driver through the intersection, even during off-peak travel times when Glenwood Avenue isn’t busy,” Myers explains. “Roundabouts are also proven to reduce the frequency of serious crashes, and when installed in situations with sufficient street capacity, they also respond flexibly to different traffic patterns throughout the day.”
Myers notes, however, that both roundabout alternatives are expensive and disruptive projects to implement, and, once the design and construction of the project is funded through the city’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP), would take three to five years to go through the necessary processes, with the traffic signal/left turn improvements concept on the shorter end of that timeframe.
Concepts Coming
The potential intersection improvements will anchor a handful of other highly anticipated hot spots coming online in Five Points, including recent ventures like Uncle Jessie’s Honkytonk, Loop (coming soon) and the reopening of the Rialto (slated to start shows as early as July). On that same block, Lonerider Brewery also recently shuttered, spurring buzz around what may take its place. We’ve heard rumblings other restaurateurs are interested in and touring the space—stay tuned for updates.
To boot, there’s the emerging district on the backside of Five Points, dubbed Five Points East (think of it like Midtown and Midtown East), with a cluster of new spots in the works. Cheetie Kumar (of now-shuttered Garland fame) is opening her new concept Ajja in the area this summer directly beside Anisette Sweet Shop, which will certainly serve to bolster the community, drawing in locals and out-of-towners alike.
On the heels of Kumar’s announcement—and neighboring Ajja—is Trophy Brewing Co.’s sixth location, Trophy Brewing Outpost, opening in the former Electric Supply Co. building in 2024. “We’re excited to join our good friends Cheetie and Paul in this great neighborhood,” said Trophy co-owner Chris Powers in an exclusive interview with Raleigh Magazine when we first shared the news in June.
Clearly, Five Points and the surrounding area are on the comeup, and rest-assured these new changes and concepts won’t take away from the OG Raleigh friendly and welcoming vibe for which the district is known—but, instead, bring it into the next era and make it more attractive and in line with our fast-growing city.
With gorgeous historic homes, long-standing sup spots, spirited bars and breweries, and more, the historic Five Points district just outside DTR boasts hip old-school Raleigh vibes.
Mosey into Lonerider for $2 IPAs all day long. We rec the brawny IPA for Outlaws flavored with simcoe and citra hops, or the oh-so-citrusy Pastel IPA. If skipping out on work to have a beer is wrong, we don’t wanna be right… (Just don’t tell your boss we influenced you!)
Channel your inner trophy wife energy with this hip brewery’s OG Trophy Wife IPA, or crack open a can of the Juneberry, a double IPA made with locally grown fruit and named for the rare month that all the best berries are in season. Bottoms up!
Hot off the presses is Crank Arm’s hazy IPA Mechanical Mystic, released Aug. 1. Be one of the first to try either on-site or on your couch at home—and prepare to be mystified…
Let Big Boss Brewing’s Trail Guide guide you through a delish concoction of Pacific Northwest hop varietals Cascade and Chinook (it’s giving major PNW vibes with citrus and pine notes) and El Dorado hops that provide a subtle tropical fruit backing. Tree-mendous!
With Belgian IPAs as its specialty, Neuse River’s Saturday Morning hazy IPA or Wide River IPA are must-sips—best accompanied with European bistro-inspired fare like duck poutine, fish and chips, or croque-monsieur.
