What's new in downtown Fayetteville? Comings, goings and opening soon

Downtown Fayetteville has seen several changes in the past year.

Among the newest additions are an outpost of an Atlanta-founded restaurant and lounge, the city’s only rooftop bar, an all-day brunch restaurant, a coffee shop and a permanent Social District, where alcohol can be sold to-go.

There are several new businesses on the way, including an arcade bar, a food hall and a brewery with a rooftop patio. There were closings, too, including boutiques and a restaurant.

Here’s a look at the comings and goings in 2023 and what’s in store for 2024.

Businesses on the way to downtown Fayetteville

Sol’s Arcade + Taproom

Sol’s Arcade + Taproom is set to open in May at the former AIT building at 425 Maiden Lane, according to a Jan. 4 post on the business' Instagram page. The bar will offer games like shuffleboard, pool, darts and cornhole; state fair style arcade games, such as skee ball and basketball; shooting simulators, where players shoot animated figures like zombies on projection screens; and a wall of beer, cider, wine and seltzer taps, owner Cameron Carlotti told The Fayetteville Observer in September. He said he plans to have indoor and outdoor seating, with food provided by a rotating stable of food trucks.

Southern Pines Brewing on Hay Street

Southern Pines Brewing on Hay Street will soon be the Fayetteville outpost for one of the most well-known craft breweries in the state. The three-level rooftop bar at 123 Hay St. will initially open as a cocktail and beer bar this summer and later will serve food, owner Micah Niebauer told The Fayetteville Observer in late December.

Railyard FVL

Railyard FVL is a proposed open-air, two-story dining destination at 415 W. Russell St. in Fayetteville's downtown industrial area. The food hall, which will include about a dozen locally-owned eateries, wine, cocktails, craft beer and a space for live entertainment, is expected to open by the end of the year, owner John Kistler told The Fayetteville Observer in September.

Businesses that opened last year in downtown Fayetteville

The Salad Box & Some

The Salad Box & Some opened in November at 132 Person St., the former site of the Quesadilla Gallery, and before that, the Fried Turkey Sandwich Shop. The all-day brunch spot has roots on Murchison Road. Like its previous location, customizable salads are still part of the menu, but the selection has expanded to include loaded baked potatoes, stuffed peppers and shrimp and grits.

Blanc Coffee Roasters

Blanc Coffee Roasters at 103 Person St., inside The Sweet Palette, opened in August. The military spouse-owned shop sells espresso drinks and coffee to brew at home. Offerings include an espresso roast from Ethiopia, a medium roast from Costa Rica and a dark roast from Colombia.

Hay Street Kitchen & Rooftop

Hay Street Kitchen & Rooftop opened last spring in the city’s historic Kress Building at 229 Hay Street. Steak, cocktails and weekend brunch are served at the restaurant and lounge, which has generated some buzz around its strict dress code and age restriction to patrons 30 and up.

Cru Fayetteville

Cru Lounge, an Atlanta-based restaurant and lounge franchise, opened at 114 Gillespie St. in late August. The Black-owned nightlife chain is one of the largest in the country, with 23 locations throughout the South. It brings elevated bar food, specialty cocktails and brunch to a hip 4,000-square-foot space formerly home to longtime Mediterranean spot Sherefe, then Bourbon New Orleans, a Cajun restaurant that lasted less than a year.

The Stadium Events Center

The Stadium Events Center in the former AIT Building at 425 Maiden Lane has been in operation since the spring. The venue has hosted such events as festivals, concerts, outdoor reggae dances, boxing matches and class reunions. With 4,500 square feet of indoor space plus an outdoor patio, the venue can accommodate up to 860 people, spokeswoman ShaDonna “Mo” McPhaul told The Fayetteville Observer in September.

Downtown Fayetteville businesses that have closed or will close soon

PRESSED – A Creative Space

PRESSED - A Creative Space will close its storefront at 120 Hay St. on Jan. 13 after an eight-year run, but the business will continue to operate at newmoonminerals.com, owner Ashley Thompson told The Fayetteville Observer earlier this month.

Southern Alternative

Southern Alternative, a clothing boutique since 2016 at 420 Hay St. closed in 2023, according to a Cool Springs Downtown District report. The boutique owner did not respond to a request for comment last week.

The Quesadilla Gallery

The Quesadilla Gallery at 132 Person St. closed in August, nearly a year after the restaurant pivoted its concept from The Fried Turkey Sandwich Shop, following a turkey shortage.

Jane Cakes

Jane Cakes closed in early August after a short stint at 107 Gillespie St. this summer. The shop sold individual cake slices and custom cakes made to order. Owner Jane Smith said when she closed the shop that she would continue the business from home.

Other changes in downtown Fayetteville

Alcohol sold to-go made permanent

Late last year, the Fayetteville City Council authorized a trial Downtown Social District, temporarily allowing patrons to sip to-go cocktails, beer and wine purchased from authorized businesses on streets and sidewalks.

In mid-December, the city decided to keep the party going, making the Downtown Social District permanent.

More than a dozen participating businesses have sold tens of thousands of beverages since the inception of the program, Cool Spring Downtown District President Bianca Shoneman told The Fayetteville Observer in December.

Downtown Social District hours are noon to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Outside alcohol is not permitted; only alcohol purchased from participating businesses can be consumed in the Social District.

Beverages can only be consumed within the Social District and on the premises of participating businesses.

Related: To-go alcohol sales in downtown Fayetteville here to stay after split council vote

Downtown ambassador program launched in Spring

The Cool Spring Downtown District launched a program in March that employs two part-time "ambassadors" who carry out a range of tasks that include sweeping the streets, picking up litter, caring for plants and giving directions to passersby.

“They are trained and understand the cultural, retail and restaurant offerings and how to use parking meters,” Shoneman told The Fayetteville Observer in July. “It makes downtown more hospitable.”

The initiative is funded by the Municipal Service District, a tax levied on downtown property. Shoneman said that the ambassador program’s budget of $50,000 is funded by Municipal Service District dollars saved over the last few years.

Related: Fayetteville spends thousands on downtown ambassadors. Who are they and what do they do?

Tens of thousands in downtown gift cards sold

A downtown gift card program launched in 2020 has sold 669 electronic gift cards totaling nearly $40,000 in value, Shoneman said Friday. The cards can be used at about 30 participating businesses, including shops, restaurants, cafes and entertainment. Get the full list of businesses, purchase gift cards or apply to be a participating business at visitdowntownfayetteville.com.

Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com, on Twitter, or Facebook.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: List of new businesses and what's coming soon to downtown Fayetteville