All Up In Your Business, Nov. 1

Southern Rail serves coffee

Southern Rail expanded its services Monday by opening a coffee shop in front of its restaurant, located at 201-C E. Main St. in Carrboro.

Jim Smith, the restaurant’s director of operations, said the addition will help accommodate the working public and student population in the area.

“We are all coffee achievers in this generation,” he joked. “With the coffee shop, we are really rounding out our services to a wider range of people.”

Smith said the shop is already popular among locals.

“There’s so many more people here in the mornings and late at night than there were last week,” he said.

In addition to coffee, Smith said the shop also serves homemade baked goods, desserts and sandwiches.

The coffee shop will have a grand opening on Monday.

New pizza, old owner

Frequenters of the old Chapel Hill staple Franklin Street Pizza & Pasta who have been craving its signature pink basil sauce might be in luck — the restaurant’s former owner Craig Samuels is opening up a new pizza venture in Carrboro.

Carrboro Pizza Oven will be located at the former site of Rita’s Italian Ice inside Carr Mill Mall at 200 N. Greensboro St.
The restaurant is tentatively set to open the week of Nov. 15, Samuels said.

Following the sale of Franklin Street Pizza & Pasta in February, Samuels said he was drawn to potential restaurant opportunities in Carrboro.

“Carrboro is very restaurant-friendly,” he said. “I have lived here for 20 years, and the eateries are always busy in this town, so I figured it would be a good opportunity.”

Samuels said customers will likely discover some of his old dishes on the menu, including favorites such as the Carolina pasta.

Restaurateur goes American

Following the closure of his Asian eatery, Spice Street, in mid-March, George Bakatsias decided to try a new approach with fresh, upscale American dining.

After reopening his restaurant in April under the name City Kitchen, Bakatsias loaded the menu with local ingredients.
Emma Dunbar, the City Kitchen general manager, said the menu was designed to widen the restaurant’s appeal.

“We wanted the restaurant to feel deeply immersed in the community, almost like a local neighborhood tavern where people could gather to eat and drink,” she said.

Dunbar said the restaurant, located near the entrance of University Mall, has not lost its elegance since switching to American fare.

“The space and elegance of the restaurant speak for itself. Our job is still to give great service and deliver high-quality local food,” she said.