Acree Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Retail

Epona & Oak and Bakery Coming Soon to City Market

Several changes are coming to City Market in the form of retail.

First, a speciality boutique called Epona & Oak, run by three sisters—one, a Raleigh “Handmaiden,” another, a massage therapist—will soon offer items for sale by independent designers and artists as well as massage therapy.

Other than the “wellness area,” the concept feels similar to Knockabout, the little land of wonderment and delight that resides on Blake Street. Last week Knockabout moved just two doors down, reportedly to make way for a “German bakery.”

I’ll echo the cries around here of retail, retail, retail! downtown, and express disappointment at Consignment Music leaving a couple of months ago and Peche Chocolates relocating to Glenwood South.

Also, Metro Cafe is selling to a new owner. If anyone can shed some light on the dungeon-ish Metro Cafe and its business model I’d be much obliged. They are a coffee house but actually a bar that occasionally hosts erotic poetry readings?

All in all, it seems like a wash for City Market retail, but I’ll wait and hope for the best.

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Read More: Retail, Other posts by Acree.

Filed Under: City Market, Cobblestone Hall, Consignment Music, bakery, Epona & Oak, Peche Chocolates, Knockabout, Metro Cafe, Greenshields, Peculiar Pets

  • hackles1003/04 12:38 PM

    bakery downtown is always good news!

  • Annie03/04 12:43 PM

    Guglhupf maybe? Please?

  • RaleighRob03/04 02:24 PM

    I hear great thinks about Knockabout and keep intending to stop by.  Glad they’re staying in the area.

    A bakery downtown would be the best thing in a while!  I can hardly think of any good independent bakeries ITB since Big Sky closed.  (Well, there’s the Cupcake Shoppe, but that’s not a full bakery.) 

    And yes….retail, retail, retail.  I’ve often said if Glenwood South is the main dining & entertainment focus of downtown, and the Warehouse District is the dance club focus, then City Market/Moore Square should be the shopping focus.  It’s perfectly suited for great window shopping if only a good mix of business could get there to attract people.  The galleries and Artspace are great, but they can’t do it alone.

  • arthurb303/04 05:12 PM

    Yes, RR. I would like City Market to stay a location for shops and such and leave the big old wharehouses for the clubs, bars, ect. Its funny to think that places like CCs (The Capital Coral) has been in the Wharehouse district location for 30 years but people think the area is like a new found location for clubs and retail!

  • Micah03/04 10:08 PM

    THE CC.  The Capital Corral.

  • Chris03/07 07:57 AM

    You can’t forget about Square Rabbit, a great bakery that has been downtown for years.

  • RaleighRob03/12 10:06 AM

    ^Since Square Rabbit is never open when I pass by, I don’t know much about it.  Is it a full-blown bakery (like the long-lost Big Sky was) or a specialty shop, like The Cupcake Shoppe?  (I’m thinking the latter.)

    Speaking of Knockabout I just noticed that they’re now in the space that was once the Native American Company.  Hate to see that store gone!  :-(

  • MMI03/12 07:22 PM

    CC’s stands for Capital Corral?  Never knew that.  Then again, I don’t think I am their target audience.  That counts as my new nugget o’ knowledge for the day!


    Say, is it one of the apparent new breed of western-themed gay bars?  I also noted the 3-Legged Cowboy in Atlanta—my vote for funniest new bar name.


    We now return you to your regularly scheduled topic…

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