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Eduardo Velez sells Franklin Street staple Joe’s Joint

Ivan Renteria has been working at Joe's Joint for nearly six months now. 

Nephew of Joe
Ivan Renteria has been working at Joe's Joint for nearly six months now. Nephew of Joe

Those who know Joe’s Joint for its deliciously greasy burgers and cheap late-night food might notice something missing from the cozy Franklin Street restaurant.

Eduardo Velez — the man many know as Joe — has decided to sell Joe’s after years of owning the classic diner.

Velez could not be reached for comment after multiple calls.

Ivan Renteria, a nephew of Velez, said his uncle is selling Joe’s for personal reasons.

“He was tired of working here, so he was trying to sell it, and somebody else came and bought it,” Renteria said.

The new owner of Joe’s is Jake Beatley, Renteria said.

But Renteria will be in charge of Joe’s under the new ownership, and the restaurant will mostly stay the same — only a few additions to the menu will be brought in.

“They’re going to add some more stuff to it, like hot dogs, and try to make them different ways,” he said. “Other than that they want to keep it the same stuff.”

John Woodard, pharmacist and owner at Sutton’s Drug Store, said running a business in downtown Chapel Hill can be very difficult.

“We’ve got too many handicaps — primarily the high pricing of parking on Franklin Street as well as in the deck,” he said. “I learned that when I first came here.”

Velez had everything he needed for continued success at Joe’s, Woodard said, but he dealt with health issues personally and in his family.

“It wasn’t that he didn’t have a good product, it was just the personal problems he had health-wise,” Woodard said. “He had the work ethic.”

And Woodard said Velez’s health issues gave him little choice but to sell the restaurant.

“He had no choice but to make a move,” he said. “He couldn’t continue to work himself to death.”

Karly Brooks, a senior at UNC, said she had not heard of the change of ownership at Joe’s, but she remembers eating solid fare there.

She said she appreciated the lower profile of Joe’s compared to other late-night Franklin Street destinations.

“There has only been like one time when I’ve been there when the line’s been out the door,” Brooks said. “It’s good when you are out late on Franklin and you need somewhere you can just walk in.”

city@dailytarheel.com

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