Three longtime Triangle restaurants are shutting down in August, from a Chapel Hill diner padlocked over unpaid rent to a Village District café wrapping up 30 years in business. Here’s a look at which spots are closing and why.
Here are key takeaways:
- Georgina’s Restaurant & Pizzeria in the Morrisville Market shopping center will close Aug. 31 after 20 years, with New York natives Roe and Tom DeMattia telling customers on Facebook it’s time for their family to “close this wonderful chapter and move on.” Wake County pizzeria, known for pies by the slice, classic Italian pastas and weekly live music, is operating takeout-only this week before returning to full service ahead of its final day at the end of August.
- Breadman’s in Chapel Hill was padlocked Thursday, Aug. 6, by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office after its landlord successfully sued the Elliott Square restaurant in small claims court over more than $72,000 in unpaid rent. Court records show rent ran about $8,500 a month, suggesting owner Omar Castro’s family had not paid the Atlanta real estate firm — which bought the Elliott Square property in November 2025 for nearly $21 million — for roughly eight months. Breadman’s opened as “Breadmen’s” in 1974 at 324 W. Rosemary St. and was a favorite of UNC-Chapel Hill students for generations before Castro bought it in 2020, relocated to Elliott Square and slightly changed the name.
- Cafe Carolina & Bakery in Raleigh’s Village District will close permanently Aug. 31, ending a 30-year run that once included four locations, with owner Ron Hines saying the business fought hard to pivot through menu changes, a move and delivery options. Hines founded the cafe at 401 Daniels St. in 1995 and relocated a block away to 2130 Clark Ave. in 2023; earlier locations in downtown Raleigh’s Wells Fargo building closed in 2017, followed by the Cary and Chapel Hill shops in 2021.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
Cherished Raleigh lunch and coffee spot closing final location after 30 years…