Durham private dining club closes after nearly 40 years. What to know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- University Club of Durham closed March 26 after nearly 40 years of operation.
- Club occupied University Tower penthouse and had seven private rooms.
- This is at least the second private club in the Triangle to close in recent years.
A members-only club in Durham has closed after nearly 40 years.
The University Club of Durham, located in the 17th floor penthouse of the University Tower, closed Wednesday, March 25, the business said in a news release shared with The News & Observer.
“We are deeply grateful to our members, our staff, and our community for the privilege of serving you,” University Club said in a social media post. “Further information has been shared directly with our members and clients. It’s been an honor, friends.”
Club owners Kelly Santel and Jessica Lee cited challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the closure in the news release.
“We have done everything in our power — as so many proprietors across this country have done — to keep this venerable institution open,” the owners said in the release. “Ultimately, the economic wounds of those empty years proved too deep to overcome.”
What is University Club of Durham?
Established in 1987, the dining club spanned 11,000 square feet, including seven private rooms for events.
“The University Club was never just a restaurant or a venue,” according to the news release. “It was a place where Durham’s community showed up for one another.”
The kitchen was most recently helmed by executive chef Robert Solis, who previously worked as sous chef at the club from 2013-14. Solis also recently worked as a sous chef at Chapel Hill’s Bluebird and as executive chef at the catering firm Mitchell Casteel, according to his LinkedIn.
The club offered memberships starting at $400 for residents of Durham, Orange, Wake or Johnston counties age 35 or younger.
University Tower is primarily an office building that houses tenants including law firms and Duke University Health.
This is the at least Triangle’s second private club to close in recent years. City Club Raleigh, located in a Fayetteville Street tower in downtown Raleigh, closed in late 2024 after 45 years.
This story has been updated with a statement from the restaurant.
This story was originally published March 30, 2026 at 11:23 AM.
