A Raleigh BBQ favorite is expanding into a Triangle ‘barbecue desert’
A popular Durham restaurant will close its location in Carrboro after six years in business, making way for a new-school barbecue favorite.
Luna Rotisserie & Taproom announced over the weekend that it will close its Carrboro location in March. The last day for the Carrboro Luna is Sunday, March 8. Luna Rotisserie and Empanadas in Durham remains unaffected.
“After many months of trying to find a path forward, we’ve made the very difficult decision to close Luna Rotisserie & Taproom,” owners Shawn Stokes and Anthony Kofler wrote on Luna’s social media accounts. “If you’ve been saying, ‘We need to get back to Luna soon,’ this is your moment. Bring your people. Order your favorite. Let’s make it loud one more time. Thank you for every memory inside these walls.”
The original Luna opened on Main Street in Downtown Durham nearly 10 years ago, serving a heavily South American-influenced menu of empanadas, Peruvian-style chicken and popular grain bowls.
In Carrboro, Luna took over the former Milltown gastropub, which catered to Cat’s Cradle concert-goers for more than a decade. In their closing announcement, Luna’s owners noted the many intersections of experiences that brought guests into the taproom, from first dates, family dinners and drinks after the game.
Recently, Luna’s owners opened Hops & Flower, a new neighborhood bodega near Ninth Street in Durham.
As Luna winds down its run in Carrboro, we already know what the future holds for 307 E. Main Street.
Barbecue joint opening in Carrboro
Later this year, Longleaf Swine will move into the space, opening the modern barbecue joint’s third Triangle location. Owner Adam Cunningham confirmed the move in a phone interview Monday, saying Longleaf saw a part of the Triangle that needed some barbecue love.
“It’s not a food desert, but it is a barbecue desert,” Cunningham said. “We’ve always loved that area —Milltown was an iconic spot back in the day, I remember going there after shows at Cat’s Cradle.”
Longleaf Swine is already in the midst of an expansion in Raleigh. The barbecue brand is opening a second location in North Raleigh, taking over the former Sawmill Taproom space. Cunningham expects that project to open later this year after a renovation to the building.
The Carrboro Longleaf Swine could also open in the fall, Cunningham said, with the space not needing such an extensive renovation. Look for the covered patio to be expanded when the new restaurant opens, plus the addition of a smoker. Of the three, Cunningham said Carrboro can expect a “divier” Longleaf, perfect for after-show drinks.
“Each Longleaf is going to have its own character and persona,” Cunningham said. “This one just screams dive bar.”
Another quirk for Carrboro, Cunningham said this Longleaf Swine will expand its vegan and vegetarian options, building on the current menu’s collard melt and smoked carrot soup.
Look for Longleaf pop-ups to begin in Carrboro in March.
