More Chantal-shuttered stores are reopening in Chapel Hill. Here’s what we know.
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- Great Outdoor Provision Co. will reopen late October after flood repairs.
- Multiple Eastgate and plaza businesses rebuild; insurance and aid remain limited.
- Community fundraising and Chamber events support reopenings and employee relief.
Everything that didn’t float was destroyed, but Great Outdoor Provision Co. could finally reopen at Chapel Hill’s Eastgate Crossing shopping center later this month.
Meanwhile, look for more details to come about Aldi, Kipos Greek Taverna, and The Loop, representatives said.
Great Outdoor Provision Co., a local business that started in the back of a Carrboro bike shop in 1972, didn’t have insurance to cover the nearly $1 million in lost merchandise and sales after Tropical Depression Chantal hit in July, said Chuck Millsaps, co-owner and president.
They ripped out the wood floors that creaked with every footstep but curled after the flood, replacing them with concrete that should be easier to clean if there’s another big storm, General Manager Chad Pickens said. They moved the electrical outlets and equipment to a higher spot.
The store reopened Oct. 24.
“It really looks great. It’s going to look a lot like it did before, but it kind of freshened things up a little bit — new paint, new walls,” Pickens said. “The thing I’m most excited about though is getting our people back.”
Some got by working in the company’s warehouse or offices, he said. Others had second jobs to sustain them.
Employees could also return to Kipos and The Loop by the end of the year, the restaurants confirmed.
The Loop will hold a Spirit Night Benefit on Oct. 28 to help its Chapel Hill employees “bridge the gap until we reopen,” a spokesperson said. It’s from 4-9 p.m. at The Loop’s Durham location, 1116 Broad St., with 20% of all proceeds going to employees.
Aldi could reopen its busy budget grocery store early next year, a spokesperson said.
“We look forward to welcoming the community back and providing convenient access to affordable groceries and quality essentials,” the spokesperson said in an email.
Stores closed and moved by the storm
- Rise Chicken and Biscuits is not reopening at Eastgate, said Brian Wiles, chief operating officer. Another store is on East Main Street in Carrboro.
- The Soap and Shine closed at University Place. Owner Brianna Cherner still sells her all-natural bath products online and at the South Durham Farmer’s Market.
- Style Brows Threading Studio moved to SOLA Salon Studios at Ram’s Plaza.
- Talbots is not reopening, a spokesperson said.
- MedFirst moved to 1728 N. Fordham Blvd.
- Blo moved to a temporary pop-up space at Salon Lofts, 201 S. Elliott Road.
Eastgate Crossing recovery slow
Chantal slammed into Chapel Hill on July 6, dropping up to 10 inches of rain in some places in just a few hours and forcing water up to 5 feet deep into homes and businesses.
Eastgate Crossing, University Place and Mariakakis Plaza reported $17 million in damages, and few businesses had insurance to help recover. Some who did said the insurance didn’t help.
Federal disaster aid was approved in September, and state hazard mitigation funding is still pending.
Kite Realty brought stormwater engineers in after the storm, but Eastgate’s options are limited, Pickens said.
“We remain in a floodprone area, and anything we can do to flood-harden the shopping center is high on our priority list,” he said.
Most shops are open on Eastgate’s northern end: Chopt, T-Mobile, Chipotle, Trader Joe’s, Guglhupf, McPherson Cleaners, winestore., Olmaz Jewelers, and Waxing the City.
But over two dozen across the parking lot remain closed and under construction, behind metal barricades, construction tape, and temporary trailers and work trucks. Anyone wandering into the area is stopped and told to leave.
He is a little anxious about how long neighboring stores could be closed and if it deters customers from his store, Pickens said.
“When we reopen, we are really reliant on the symbiosis of our shopping center, where all our shops are pulling people into the shopping center. They’re coming to Shake Shack. They’re coming to The Loop to eat lunch, and then they pop in and buy something from Great Outdoor,” he said.
The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill and Carrboro is holding a grand reopening at Great Outdoor Provision Co. on Nov. 20, Pickens said, as part of its regular Business After Hours events. The party is free for Chamber members and $20 for non-members.
A Kite Realty spokesman did not return calls and emails seeking comment.
University Place, Mariakakis Plaza updates
Around the corner at University Place, Stoney River, Silverspot Cinema, and other businesses reopened in August and September. A handful closed or moved, and a new business recently opened — Serpentine Salon — in a ground-floor suite at 900 Willow.
Three stores have returned to Mariakakis Plaza on Fordham Boulevard, including The Shoe Repair and The Catering Company of Chapel Hill. Signs Now and Occasions Engraving could be back later this year, an employee said.
Zartiques moved to its online rug store, and Yarns Etc. owner Mary Stowe has been raising money to recover in a new space. Stowe announced on Oct. 22 that her store will be reopening in November at the Glen Lennox shopping center on Raleigh Road.
A community also helped 82-year-old Cinderella Riggsbee reopen, donating over $20,000 to The Shoe Repair through a GoFundMe started by her granddaughter.
Johnny Mariakakis, owner of Mariakakis Plaza and Mariakakis Fine Food & Wine, said his tenants are small businesses, not corporate stores with deep pockets.. Those who had insurance, including Riggsbee, weren’t able to get any help, Mariakakis and others said.
Mariakakis rode out the storm in his store and has spent long days rebuilding and helping his tenants with their losses. His church, St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in Durham, raised over $16,100 via GoFundMe.
Mariakakis reopened his store, a longtime family business, in September.
Chapel Hill stores that are still closed
- Petco: Company officials said the store will reopen, but no date has been set.
- Starbucks: A company spokesperson said no additional information is available at this time.
- Ulta Beauty: The store will reopen in 2026, a company spokesperson said.
- Jersey Mike’s: The shop is still considering its options, owner Charlie Farris said.
- Corepower Yoga: There is no timeline for reopening, an employee said.
- Shake Shack: Reopening Nov. 19, with a fundraiser for PORCH Chapel Hill.
Plans for these businesses could not be confirmed:
- Restore Hyper Wellness
- Club Pilates
- Massage Envy
- Snooze
- Dollar Tree
- Rose Nails
- Twisted Noodles
- Clean Juice
- Bruegger’s Bagels
Check back for updates.
This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 10:40 AM.