Downtown retail: Beyu Caffe to Snow Bldg., whiskey bar nearly done, Garden Salon to Erwin Rd., Tire King moves

There's quite a bit happening of late on the downtown retail scene, which despite the economic doldrums sees a couple of previously-announced projects moving right along.

One of those: Beyu Caffe, a coffeehouse in the works from Duke grad Dorian Bolden that promises to bring espresso, coffee, a full bar, plus music, spoken word and other entertainment. Bolden's been working on his planned opening for some time, a project that's included a couple of starts and stops on finding a site for the business.

A search that's now ended, with word from Bolden that his start-up has signed a lease to occupy the ground floor of the historic Snow Building, near Toast and Center Studio Architecture on W. Main Street. No word on upfit times or opening dates at this point. (See the forthcoming issue of Durham Magazine for more on Bolden, profiled as one of Durham's young entrepreneurs for BCR's inaugural column in the bimonthly.)

Also making progress: the previously-reported whiskey bar underway in the one-time Five Points Cafe space next door to Toast.

The building's windows have been covered for most of the last year or so since the onetime Steve Matherly joint began its transformation; a peek through the recently-uncovered glass, however, finds its transformation well-underway:

A stately wood bar, dark wood floors and leather-trimmed furniture now mark the former cafe. Stairs to the second floor of the retail space are evident, but no idea of the state of the upstairs space, or a final opening date or name for the project.

With the two additions comes one subtraction: The Garden Salon, which has left its second-story space on W. Main St. for the Duke-area pastures of Erwin Rd., becoming the latest tenant to sign on at the Pavilion at Lakeview complex.

Salon owner Shea Davis Prospero noted that the salon, headquartered downtown since 2003, has grown to a staff of eight, with the owners designing the new location themselves and executing the new space concept with the help of Durham-based general contractor Greg Pool of Angle Construction.

Finally, one lateral move. Just Tires on Morgan St. near Rigsbee closed its doors earlier this year, but the space doesn't seem to be staying closed very long.

Tire King, which has long had its downtown outlet just north of the Center for Senior Life, appears to be upfitting and moving into the old Just Tires space on the downtown loop. We at BCR haven't been there in a few years since trading in an older car, but Tire King always did very fast, very reasonably-priced work on our car -- so it's good to see the family-owned local chain moving into what looks like a nicer facility.

(Oh, and hold on to your Durham Bulls ticket stubs on a night when the Bulls pitch well, since Tire King offers an an oil change discount promotion based on the number of strikeouts the Bulls' pitcher makes in an evening.)

Comments

[Phil]

My office is at Five Points and I hope the whiskey bar will be a nice after-work place to meet with clients and friends.

Pinhook is friendly though it can be stereo loud. Revolution is nice but my cheap soda water too easily turns into "oh, I might as well have dinner here". While you do get a lot of bang for you buck at Revolution, it's usually still more than I want to spend for impulse snax. If only we had a pizza-by-the-slice place downtown. (And where have I heard that before?)

BTW: I can't hear "Tire King" without adding "Ingold Tire Ingold Tire Ingold Tire!" I have no idea how good Tire King is, but as long as Ingold continues to take care of me and my peeps as they do, I'll never find out.

[Jonas]

I've been following the Beyu story for a while now. I'm so excited to see this project moving forward, we so need a real coffee place downtown! I'm also looking forward to checking out the Whisky Bar downtown since they also own the Federal...another great spot in Durham!!!

[ianp]

As far as i know only one of the owners of Federal is involved with the Whiskey bar next to toast. It sounds like something good for the downtown area.

[NilssonSchmilsson]

With this and the whiskey bar downtown, I don't think there's a street left on Main St. without a few cool night spots...we've reached a level of critical mass and things can only get more exciting from here.

[sara]

Rhys, one of the Federal guys, is the owner of the whiskey bar. its name is just plain Whiskey (actually, I don't know if it'll have the 'e' or not) and it's beautiful inside. he's talking about the second floor being a cigar bar eventually, but that would be some time after the opening of the downstairs. Rhys said that it should open sometime in June, depending on city permitting.

[Phil]

BTW, the reflected folds of skin at the top of the (fingers? eyesockets?) are really freaking me out :-)

[Mike D.]

Basically a hole in the wall bar, but worse! A very customer unfriendly hole in the wall. I was meeting a group of people and one of the closest bars to DAC was Whiskey. Two people had already arrived and were complaining about the prices and poor service. When I went inside (they were outside even though it was a hot summer night) I was told that I couldn't be served because I had a shirt on with no sleeves. I said even sitting outside? Yes, I couldn't even sit outside on a hot summer night in a sleeveless shirt! Now this shirt wasn't trashy, It cost $80, had a v neck and was very dressy and I had on a nice pair of slacks (way to dressy for this place anyhow). Other strangers I meet outside commented they were not returning due to poor service. My friends and I left to go up the street were I had no problem with my dress.

I guess they just don't want the business of the 14 people in our group. We certainly didn't have to spend money there! If you want a real downer to your night (and spend to much for a drink), by all means go there first!