Popular bakery Union Special is expanding to downtown Raleigh. Here’s an inside look.
When Raleigh’s downtown workers return to offices, one of the city’s most popular bakeries will be waiting.
The Raleigh bakeshop Union Special Bread is expanding downtown this fall with a second location, opening at 401 Fayetteville St. That space had been Wilmington-based Tama Tea, which was among the pandemic’s many restaurant closings over the last year.
With a downtown spot, Union Special owner Andrew Ullom said the bakery hopes to be part of the city’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, which largely emptied out buildings and offices for the past year.
“We’re going to be poised to be part of the reopening of downtown,” Ullom said.
Union Special opened in 2019 in redeveloping Gateway Plaza, serving pastries and breads and a weekend brunch. Among the bakery’s stars are its blue corn cookies, a signature breakfast sandwich and using a croissant as the cone for soft serve ice cream.
Lots of cookies
The downtown location will follow the same path, Ullom said, serving pastries and cookies, grab-and-go sandwiches from a panini press, plus a coffee program with espresso and pourovers.
“We’re not trying to reinvent what we’re doing,” Ullom said. “There will be some things you can get at Gateway that you won’t be able to downtown, and stuff we’ll do downtown but not at Gateway.”
Downtown items could include muffins and scones, Ullom said, plus an “inordinate” amount of cookies.
Union Special started as a bakery pop-up in downtown Raleigh, often selling out its cookies and pastries in minutes. Now its breads and buns are on many of the menus across the Triangle, as it has built up its wholesale program.
A downtown location, though, with downtown rent, wasn’t in the cards, Ullom said. As the pandemic has softened some downtown rents, Union Special found a space.
“The allure has always been there, but the pricing was never something we could approach,” Ullom said.
While only a couple miles apart, the Gateway and downtown markets will be vastly different. The downtown location will thrive on the ebb and flow of breakfast and lunch cravings from downtown workers, while Gateway will feed its neighbors.
Delivery an option
Union Special will also start using delivery app DoorDash, which will deliver within a five-mile radius of each location.
Once a restaurant opens a second location, the question of others will follow. Ullom said he’s content with the two cafes and Union Special’s wholesale business, but couldn’t rule out a future in Cary or Apex.
“We’re not in a rush to go really crazy,” Ullom said.
The downtown Union Special will be open Monday to Friday, adding weekend service once conventions and visitors return to Raleigh. On evenings when Red Hat Amphitheater has concerts, Ullom hopes to set up a hot dog cart and a keg of beer.
At that point, Raleigh will have reclaimed much of the life it once know. Ullom said that’s something the new cafe hopes to be part of.
“I think downtown will come back,” Ullom said. “It might be a little slower than folks hope or expect. But we want to be there when it comes back.”
This story was originally published April 7, 2021 at 1:34 PM.
