Top Stories of 2024: Notable Local Business Closings – Chapelboro.com

To reflect on the year, Chapelboro.com is re-publishing some of the top stories that impacted and defined our community’s experience in 2024. These stories and topics affected Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the rest of our region.

Small businesses and chain shops, restaurants and specialty stores, commerce thrives in Orange County. But nothing lasts forever, and some business close their doors for good sooner than others. For this part of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com’s Top Stories of 2024 series, we’ll be highlighting 2024’s notable closures. For more information about what’s happening in the local business scene, consider checking in on Chapelboro’s quarterly business report: “Mind Your Business.”

JANUARY

• 2024 began with news of a closure in the Chapel Hill bar scene. Ownership for Linda’s Bar and Grill announced it would be closing over its financial woes climbing back from changes during the pandemic, holding a final week of business before closing on January 5. But the story may not be finished just yet — as owners of the building, including the bar’s namesake, said it would try seeking a path forward for the restaurant by identifying new ownership candidates. The Daily Tar Heel had those updates first, as reported on January 9.

FEBRUARY

• Craftboro Brewing Depot officially closed in Carrboro on February 17. A month prior, the brewery in the South Green shopping center said it would shut its doors after a string of difficult months and struggles trying to pick up business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Craftboro’s ownership shared an emotional post on social media with the news, crediting “an onslaught of challenges beyond our control that eventually overcame our ability to get back up.” They also shared a final farewell after the brewery’s formal closure.

MARCH

• After choosing to not reopen after the 2023-24 winter break finished for UNC students, the Dame’s Chicken & Waffles location on East Franklin Street formally shut down. The Chapel Hill spot has already been scrubbed from the Dame’s website and social media, where its other locations are continuing operations as normal. The expansion spot opened in early 2021 after several years of rumors and took over the 147 East Franklin Street storefront left empty after [B]SKI’s shut down.

Dame’s Chicken & Waffles, formerly on Franklin Street

• After being open for about a year in the 127 East Franklin Street space, the Chapel Hill location of the sandwich chain Capriotti’s closed on Monday, March 4. The business suffered delays in the storefront formerly home to Waffle House, as it rolled out branding with the hopes of opening in 2022.

APRIL

• The Great Harvest Bread Co. location in Chapel Hill closed after more than two decades of business on April 21. The franchise owners of the from-scratch bakery said it shut down as costs from operations and equipment replacement became too great for the Montana-based headquarters to handle. With the closure, Great Harvest’s owners said the space at 229 South Elliott Road would be put on the market as a potential bakery and coffee shop, if the next tenants choose to follow that path.

• The Chapel Hill shipping business known for housing and helping stray dogs Strays closed its Southern Village shop at the end of April. According to a report from the News & Observer, the business was evicted from its space at 710 Market Street by Bryan Properties, who developed and leases Southern Village, without much publicly-shared reasoning. Bob Gunn owned and ran the store since its opening in 2012.

• After 11 years of operation in Hillsborough, the Hot Tin Roof bar shut down for good at the end of April. The business gave its patrons a two-week notice in order to celebrate with what the bar was largely known for: live music, drinks, and regular weekly activities at 115 West Margaret Lane. Hot Tin Roof faced several challenges in recent years, including the death of co-owner Kim Tesoro and controversy surrounding the presence of hate group affiliates as patrons.

Hot Tin Roof, now closed.

JUNE

• After operating off Buckhorn Road and in the I-40/I-85 corridor for decades, the Buckhorn Flea Market held a final weekend of sales at the end of June. The market shut down in advance of the expected approval by Mebane’s City Council of an R+L Carriers trucking depot. Read our coverage on the development project — and the reaction of the flea market’s vendors about the timeline and communication of its closure.

AUGUST

• Rather unceremoniously, Piero’s Pasta and Wine closed its doors on East Franklin Street toward the beginning of August. According to Carrie Brogren of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Foodies Group on Facebook, though, a restaurant quickly stepped in to take over the space. The Heel and Horn describes itself as a craft kitchen and bar with “made-from-scratch” food — and a menu and atmosphere of a sports bar. Brogren said in August that The Heel and Horn’s ownership aimed to open around the end of summer.

• August 17 marked the end of an era in Chapel Hill — or did it? Mama Dip’s Kitchen closed its doors for dine-in service, moving to simply a take-out model.

• Another long-time Chapel Hill staple announced it would be permanently closing its West Franklin Street location, with Schoolkids Records announcing August 19 it would shutter by the end of the year. Owner Stephen Judge said in a heartfelt post that he’s turning his focus to Schoolkids’ Raleigh location and continuing the in-house record label — but it would come at the expense of the 405-C West Franklin Street storefront, which had been around for decades. Judge described it as a “heartbreaking” decision and “like a death in the family.”

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

• The story of what happened, and is happening, to the space formerly home to CommunityWorx is a long and winding road. Along the garden path, we saw efforts to stave off foreclosure, visions of potential futures for the space and the organization at large, and finally a last-minute intervention and influx of capital that made all the difference. For what happens next, keep up here on 97.9 The Hill, Chapelboro.com, and CommunityWorx’s website.

DECEMBER

• A release shared by Orange County Living Wage leadership said the volunteer-driven group — which has highlighted Orange County businesses that pay a living wage and supported the workforce seeking such jobs — will close up shop on Tuesday, Dec. 31. The change comes, according to the announcement, as Orange County Living Wage has been unable to secure the necessary funding amid more grants being devoted to direct services for nonprofits and workforce advocacy groups.

• After operating for more than a year on West Franklin Street, Ay Por Dios! Mexican Bistro fully closed to customers. Owner Edy Barahona confirmed the restaurant’s closure to Chapelboro. Barahona — who is also a partner of Kahlovera Mexican Bar & Grill in Meadowmont Village — told Chapelboro he is not giving up on the space itself, and a new restaurant concept could soon use the building instead. According to Barahona, the aim is for a business with a new name, menu and leadership to be up and running in 2025., after Ay Por Dios! had been closed during its normal hours the prior week.

The former location of ‘Ay Por Dios!’ on Franklin Street

• Radius Pizzeria & Pub, located at 112 North Churton Street in downtown Hillsborough, will permanently close after more than 11 years of business, according to owners Kate and Mick Carroll

“Over the years we have been honored to be a part of countless celebrations, gatherings, and everyday meals with our valued patrons,” the Carrolls said in a release. “The decision to close was not made lightly or easily. Radius has been our lives for these past 11 years, and while it has been a source of joy, connection, and community, Radius has also kept our family from doing many things.”

The Carrolls said their family will not be leaving the Hillsborough community and will instead be spending more time with family.

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