Around Town: Bull’s-Eye and Bull’s Head

Posted on Sept. 14, 2017

As the fall semester got underway, students and the rest of the University community were greeted with a new major shopping option in downtown Chapel Hill and a top-to-bottom renovation of a campus hub.

Target Debuts at Carolina Square

Construction on UNC’s Carolina Square mixed-use project in downtown Chapel Hill entered its final phases this summer as its Target anchor store opened for business.

The store fronting West Franklin Street is the retailer’s first in North Carolina with its “flexible format,” meaning it is smaller than the Target stores found in suburban shopping centers but still offers a wide mix of products and services. Its 21,000 square feet of shopping space is filled with attractions for the student market, including a Starbuck’s station with seating, CVS pharmacy, grocery staples, home goods and decor designed for dorms and apartments, electronics and Carolina apparel. There is parking in the rear with a multi-level deck.

Shortly after the July 18 opening, store manager Ryan Kelly said the biggest challenge had been keeping up with demand for UNC T-shirts.

Carolina Square replaces University Square and spans the block from University Baptist Church on South Columbia Street to Panera Bread at West Franklin and Mallette streets. The development includes three buildings next to Granville Towers and includes 159,000 square feet of office space, 43,000 square feet of retail space and 246 market-rate apartments. Also in the complex will be two restaurants and a new performing arts space for Carolina Performing Arts, Core@Carolina Square, which will debut its first production in February.

Carolina Square is owned by a subsidiary real estate corporation established by the UNC at Chapel Hill Foundation Inc., which collects private donations and manages the University’s endowment.

Target hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-11 p.m.; and Sunday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. In-store CVS pharmacy hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Target, 143 W. Franklin St., Suite 120, Chapel Hill, 919-590-4925

 

Student Stores Renovation Invites Visitors to Linger

For some time, UNC Student Stores has been as much of a central campus pass-through for students and others headed north or south as it has a shopping destination. Now, General Manager Michele Gretch-Carter says, it wants to entice visitors to stay a while.

Barnes & Noble College took over management of the facility last year, and among the renovations unveiled in August are moving the Bull’s Head Bookshop from the middle floor to the top floor and expanding its stock to as many as 70,000 titles, twice as many as before. An enclosed reading room looks out over the Pit, and the area includes an LED fireplace with a large-screen TV mounted above. Also on the top floor is a post office, print shop, computer store, tech shop and a pharmacy operated by Campus Health Services.

The main floor on the Pit level has an expanded cafe with seating for 100 and a menu of sandwiches, soups and pastries. Shoppers also will find clothing and other UNC-branded merchandise.

The bottom floor houses textbooks, school supplies and a convenience store.

Net proceeds from Student Stores sales will continue to support need-based scholarships; Barnes & Noble College has guaranteed a minimum payment of $3 million annually for the first two years.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, noon-6 p.m.

Student Stores, 207 South Road, Chapel Hill, 919-962-5066

 

New Owners Usher in New Era for Carolina Coffee Shop

Operating continuously since 1922, the Carolina Coffee Shop has long appealed to diners who appreciate its heritage, with its original walls, booths and back bar. New owners now plan some updates while keeping the shop’s familiar ambiance.

Jeff Hortman ’06 and partners — UNC soccer standout Heather O’Reilly Werry ’09 and her husband, David Werry ’06 (a former UNC lacrosse player), and Clay Schossow ’08 and his wife, Sarada Schossow, co-founders of the Carrboro-based New Media Campaigns tech company — purchased the shop at the end of June. “Legacies need to be maintained,” Hortman said. “We believe in giving back to the places we care about. Plus, there’s a connection there between multiple generations. But great spots sometimes need some love.”

Plans call for new flooring, updated lighting and wall decor and possibly sidewalk dining. The menu is being pared down to introduce a few new dishes, including healthier breakfast options.

The shop will close over the University’s winter break, Hortman said, for work to open up the front windows, possibly take out the drop ceiling, refurbish booths and benches and install new cushions, and renovate the bathrooms.

Hours, Sunday-Monday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tuesday-Wednesday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Carolina Coffee Shop, 138 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, 919-942-6875

— Don Evans ’80

---