A modern diner will close in downtown Durham. There’s still time for giant pancakes.
Jack Tar, the modern diner in Downtown Durham inspired by the blue plate special, will close this month after five years.
The restaurant announced the closing Wednesday afternoon on its social media accounts, pointing to March 12 as its last day of service.
From the owners of Pizzeria Toro and Littler, Jack Tar and its narrow sister bar The Colonel’s Daughter opened in late 2017 beneath the Unscripted Hotel in the heart of Downtown Durham.
Initially serving lunch and dinner and a weekend brunch, Jack Tar became known for its contemporary takes on classic diner dishes. Fried chicken was tossed Hot Chicken style in Szechuan oil, the burger was a griddled double patty monster, the spaghetti was lamb bolognese. For brunch, the pancakes were so massive gasps could be heard as they passed through the dining room.
From Thanksgiving to New Years, the Colonel’s Daughter transformed into a popular holiday bar serving some of the area’s top egg nog.
In a 2018 review, the former News & Observer dining critic Greg Cox awarded Jack Tar three and a half stars, loving the restaurant’s burger and finding comfort and richness in the baked spaghetti with blistered dollops of ricotta cheese.
Co-owner Gray Brooks said the pandemic’s direct and indirect impacts led to Jack Tar’s closing.
“The well ran dry,” Brooks said. “We were essentially losing money, burning through PPP funds as slowly as we could. Basically COVID killed the restaurant. I know it’s quote, unquote, over for most folks, but the downtown offices are empty, there’s nothing at the conference center, there’s no film festival.”
Brooks said Jack Tar, which had relied on breakfast and lunch as its main meals, was doing 10 percent of its pre-pandemic sales.
“It’s a ghost town,” Brooks said.
In its social media announcement the owners thanked the restaurant’s fans for making it a regular part of Durham’s dining scene.
“With great sadness, we inform you that Jack Tar & The Colonel’s Daughter will close its doors on March 12th,” the post said. “We are all immensely grateful to all who have dined with us in the past five years and to our staff for their hard work making Jack Tar a restaurant in which we can take great pride. Although we will be sad to say goodbye to the delicious pancakes, hot chicken and our beloved burgers, it is the people that have made this restaurant so special, and we will miss seeing all your smiling faces the most.”
This story was originally published March 1, 2023 at 3:34 PM.
