Durham restaurant closes after more than 5 years, is ‘grateful for the support’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Bull City Solera and Taproom on University Drive closed after five and a half years.
- Owner Seth Gross posted news of the closure on Jan. 26.
- The Durham space, formerly a Chick-fil-A, is available for event rentals.
After more than five years, a Durham restaurant and bar has closed its doors.
Bull City Solera and Taproom, located in an old Chick-fil-A on University Drive, announced on social media that it had poured its last beers.
“For five and a half years, we have been part of your nights out, quick stops, celebrations, conversations, and everything in between,” the restaurant wrote in a post Monday, Jan. 26. “We are incredibly grateful for the support, the memories, and the community that showed up here again and again.
“Bull City Solera and Taproom has officially closed its doors, but the love, support, and community that showed up here will always be part of its story.”
Owned by Seth Gross, the restaurant also posted a photo of a sign that notes they “hope to reopen one day with a new concept.”
“We hope this is not goodbye forever, just goodbye for now,” the restaurant wrote in the post.
No reason for the closure was provided in the social media post. However, the space is available for event rentals, according to the post.
Bull City Solera and Taproom’s evolution
The restaurant’s name, Solera, referred to the barrel-aging and blending technique that combines beers of different ages.
When Bull City Solera opened, Gross had planned a menu featuring “Mexican Pizza” and “Italian Tacos,” plus gluten-free and vegan options — dishes different from those available at his other concepts, Bull City Burger and Brewery, and Pompieri Pizza.
But as time passed, the restaurant changed. At the end of its life, the menu focused on burgers, burritos and, as ever, beer.
Gross’ Bull City Burger and Brewery, on East Parrish Street, remains open, but Pompieri Pizza, which was located in a former fire house, has been gone for years.
Known for its Neapolitan-style pizzas, Pompieri closed in 2023 after nine years in business. The restaurant said at the time it was unable to make a new lease agreement with the landlord of the building at 102 City Hall Plaza, The News & Observer previously reported.
At his concepts, Gross, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, favors locally sourced ingredients and scratch-made foods.
The News & Observer’s Drew Jackson contributed reporting.
This story was originally published January 29, 2026 at 1:57 PM.
