AROUND TOWN
Walgreens, Gallery,
Restaurants Debut
On Franklin
Walgreens has opened a drugstore in a space previously occupied by the Gap on East Franklin
Street. With the building’s gracious white
pillars — dating from when it was the site
of the Carolina Theater — the store
expresses Southern charm not usually
found in drugstores. The theater, which
opened on the site in 1927, made way in
the mid-1990s for the Gap, which closed
in spring 2004.
Walgreens is not the only drugstore in
the heart of Chapel Hill; Sutton’s, which
calls itself “a Carolina tradition since 1923,”
is an independent drugstore also known for
its hot dogs and cherry Cokes.
Walgreens has proposed a similarly nontraditional design for its next drugstore in
Chapel Hill, planned at East Franklin Street
and Estes Drive. Walker’s BP, now at that
site, is expected to be razed to make room
for a two-story store that will utilize daylighting and other features to ensure that it
meets the LEED silver level environmental
standards. That store is going through the
town’s approval process and will not break
ground anytime soon.
Walgreens, 108 E. Franklin St., Chapel
Hill, (919) 918-3801
SARAH MCCARTY ARNESON ’ 96
national artists on consignment.
Frank Arts Gallery, 109 E. Franklin St.,
Chapel Hill
Kildare’s Irish Pub on West Franklin Street serves up such fare as boxtys (rolled and stuffed potato pancakes) and bangers and
mash. For dessert, there’s ice cream floating in Guinness stout and topped with blackberry brandy. Kildare’s is one of several
businesses that have opened recently on Franklin Street.
Gallery Takes Over Kerr Space
Across the street from Walgreens, in
what once was a Kerr drugstore, Michael
Brader-Araje has signed a deal with the
Franklin Street Arts Collective to open the
space as Frank Arts Gallery. Brader-Araje
bought the building in 2007 and wanted to
find tenants that would draw visitors to
downtown, other than another restaurant
or UNC-themed souvenir shop. The 25-
member nonprofit artists’ collective borrowed $40,000 from the Small Art Business
Loan Program jointly sponsored by the
town and the Chapel Hill Downtown
Partnership.
The 3,400-square-foot street-level
gallery was expected to open in February.
In addition to work by artists in the collec-
tive, it will show work by 50 regional and
Inihaw Fires Up Its Grill
The aroma of grilled chicken and vegetables likely will draw visitors east along
Franklin Street to Inihaw. Owner Hernan
Escutin closed his Quiznos franchise near
the end of last year and reopened as an
independent restaurant. Originally from the
Philippines, Escutin brings influences of
Korean, Thai, Mediterranean and Spanish
cuisines to his rotisserie grill as well as a
selection of subs. He offers a daily special
for $6.39, and his most popular items are
barbecued chicken or pork on a stick; marinated chicken abobo on white rice; Hong
Kong siopao buns stuffed with meat; and
pancit molo, a meat-filled-dumpling soup.
Inihaw, 169 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill,
(919) 929-2395
items its customers want in stock.
Wentworth & Sloan continues to oper-
ate a location in University Mall.
Franklin Street Market, 167 E. Franklin
St., Chapel Hill, (919) 967-7768
Kildare’s Pub Serves Irish Fare
West Franklin Street, fast becoming
Restaurant Row, offers cuisine from yet
another part of the world with the opening
of Kildare’s Irish Pub. The space that once
housed Buffalo Wild Wings BW3 now
serves fare such as Tower of Pretzels with
cheese dip and whiskey honey mustard,
vegetable flatbread, boxtys (rolled and
stuffed potato pancakes), and bangers and
mash, as well as more traditional burgers,
salads and sandwiches. For dessert, try
vanilla ice cream floating in Guinness stout
topped with blackberry brandy, brown
sugar and whipped cream.
Kildare’s Irish Pub, 206 W. Franklin St.,
Chapel Hill, (919) 932-7734
Convenience Store Fills
Former Jewelry Shop
A gem of a convenience store has opened
on Franklin in the former Wentworth &
Sloan jewelry store space. Franklin Street
Market stocks snack foods, including frozen
pizza and items easily prepared in a dorm-room microwave; and beverages, running the
gamut from milk, juice and soda to beer
and wine. The store sells lottery tickets and
keeps a pot of gourmet coffee brewing day
and night. As the store settles into its niche,
owner Tekin Guler is taking requests for
Twisted Noodles
Enters Eastgate
An Asian air lingers in what was once
China Chef at Eastgate. Twisted Noodles
opened in time to greet returning students
last fall and serve them savory and affordable
Thai meals. The menu features crispy fish
balls; steamed or fried noodles; sautéed ginger or cashews or glass noodles; and red,
yellow or green curry as well as the needs-no-explanation forest fire curry. Almost all
the dishes, meat or vegetarian, are under $10.
