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We're in the planning stages of opening a restaurant/bar catering to, at least on the bar side of the house, a 30+ crowd. The restaurant side would serve every demograph. We're looking for locations to operate, and one thought is near the S. Miami/54 area.
Since we've only visited for a short time and don't really know the area too well, the question is are there any places open nearby? More so, with it being centrally located in the middle of the Triangle, our thought is we could attract people from Raleigh/Cary, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Do people currently, and do you think people would, go after work for happy hour and on weekends?
I've asked a few questions here before with great responses, and promise once we open, I'm buying the 1st round. Thanks all.
FYI - Alcohol Happy Hours aren't legal in NC. You must offer the same drink price all day. You can have food happy hours.
Quote:
Q: What are the rules for Happy Hour Specials?
A: Drink specials must be offered from the time the business opens to the time it closes to not be in volation of ABC laws. Free drinks or reduced price drinks cannot be offered during limited hours. NCGS Rule. 2S.0232
There are 50,000+ people who work in RTP and adjacent office parks, but nearly all of them have a drive home that's at least 5 miles -- many of them 10-15 miles. Not only is RTP usually deserted on weekends, it also empties out early on weeknights.
That said, there is more residential property within 5 miles of RTP than there once was, and you also have business travelers as potential clients.
Miami/54 would be dead for a bar. You'll kill it for lunch and get a few drinks on the way home types but after 8:00 it would be empty, unless you had some real different angle on food (like Mez, the high end Mexican place on Page rd near Miami blvd. Maybe closer to Cary and morrisvile would be a touch better unless you don't need the later crowd.
There are plenty of happening bars and restaurants in downtown Durham. And Chapel Hill. And Cary. And Raleigh.
Not to be a naysayer, but for some of the reasons mentioned, there just isn't much demand for that I would think around RTP. That demand that exists does get picked up well at Mez -- often very busy right after work -- or at Serena's on Miami Blvd. Would be worth checking those places out.
Downtowns do well because college-agers, young professionals, empty nesters and others head out looking for a destination-draw with multiple options in walking distance. And suburban locations in places like Cary and Apex do well because they have large residential populations near them. Not really sure RTP today fits that.
The Park *is* redoing its master plan and, I suspect, will want to become denser and add residential, but you're looking a decade out or more.
So basically nobody wants to be reminded of work when having a night on the town.
People are staying close to home a/o going out to those hot spots. That's understandable. I thought that with the central location, and being about 10-15min from the Ale House (I heard a popular place), people would come.
OK then so a breakfast/lunch place could do well, and the bar/rest we want to do will have to be somewhere else. I'd imagine Raleigh/Cary would be best?
OK then so a breakfast/lunch place could do well, and the bar/rest we want to do will have to be somewhere else. I'd imagine Raleigh/Cary would be best?
Don't neglect downtown Durham--that's probably the fastest-=growing "nightlife" area besides downtown Raleigh.
True, true. I really haven't checked out Durham. What is it, 9th St that's popular?
As well as Brightleaf Square, American Tobacco Campus, and Five Points is really growing.
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