Chapel Hill, Carrboro businesses in transition, and a chance to own a neighborhood bar
As one community watering hole announced it is closing next week in Carrboro, the owner of a Chapel Hill bar is still looking for the right person to take over his business.
Local chef and business owner Sam Suchoff said this week that he hopes selling his PiggyBack bar at 630 Weaver Dairy Road will give him more time to nurture his restaurant and Lady Edison, a deli meat producer that “grew much bigger than I ever expected.”
The decision to sell is still “emotionally taxing,” because it was a hit to his self-confidence, Suchoff told The News & Observer.
But “it is a great place,” he added. “And I say that without taking any of the credit, because it has shaped itself really ... The regulars have made it their place, and the bartenders have made the regulars, the regulars.”
Suchoff has been a mainstay at Weaver Dairy Courtyard since opening The Pig nearly 15 years ago. In 2018, he brought in Gary Crunkleton, owner of The Crunkleton bar in Chapel Hill, to help him open a bar next door.
In 2019, he added Deli Edison to the mix, selling handmade bagels and gourmet foods. The deli closed in 2023.
PiggyBack still attracts a regular clientele, but the bar is just breaking even, despite a talented manager and staff, Suchoff said. It’s been listed with a broker online for about six months as a fully stocked, turnkey operation for someone who can invest $74,500.
The right person will be able to nurture the bar and be a good neighbor, Suchoff said, noting he also might be interested in partnering with someone to keep selling food from The Pig to bar customers.
There have been suitors, he said, and he would be surprised if a new owner isn’t found in the next few months. The bar comes with a lease option for another five years, a great staff and a good location, he said.
“That community right there is just solid, and I’ve got the best mix of clientele, from Chapel Hill foodies to folks who are doing road work down the street,” Suchoff said. “I feel very lucky to have such a great mix of clientele that’s supported us and the staff that’s been with me for a very long time.”
401 Main closing in Carrboro
Meanwhile, in Carrboro, an upscale, family-owned dive bar will close on Feb. 4 after nearly six years at the corner of East Main and West Franklin streets.
Chris Baldwin, owner of 401 Main, announced the decision to close Tuesday on the bar’s Facebook page. It has been a popular, local hangout for live music, special dog treats and ample people watching, Baldwin told The News & Observer in December, but the lack of on-site parking and fewer people going out hurt their bottom line.
In December, his wife started a fundraiser to keep the business going, but it raised only a portion of their $15,000 goal.
The staff at 401 Main is “proud of what we have accomplished together,” even though “the journey was not what we expected,” the Facebook post said. “As we look back over the last 5 years, we are grateful for every challenge and triumph that has shaped us at 401 Main. The connections we have forged and the memories we have created are the true essence of this little spot in the heart of Carrboro.”
“So many of you have become family,” it said.
Other business news
▪ Lynn’s Hallmark Shop at Eastgate Crossing shopping center closed Jan. 17 after decades in business. It was one of more than a dozen that Ralph and Daphne Ashworth owned in the Triangle region, since opening the first Hallmark store in 1969 in Cary’s Ashworth Drug store. Daphne Ashworth died in 2018; her husband closed the Cary drug store last year.
▪ J.Crew Factory is bringing a new clothing retailer to Eastgate Crossing shopping center at 1800 East Franklin St. The lower-cost factory store will combine two spaces: Lynn’s Hallmark Shop and the Pink Pearl, which closed in 2024. An opening date has not yet been announced for the J.Crew Factory store, located between Dollar Tree and Petco.
▪ Also at Eastgate, Options Medical Weight Loss Clinic is joining a group of personal services businesses next door to the Aldi grocery store. Options Medical will fill a vacancy left when Wild Bird Center closed in 2023.
