AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
A beloved restaurant is closing in Durham, but its food will still live on.
Lula & Sadie’s, a favorite for Southern cuisine is shutting its dining room after six years in business. Owner and chef Harry Monds cited rising product costs and declining customer foot traffic as reasons behind the closure.
Read more Teen girl went missing 49 years ago. Her remains were finally identified in NC
“Your support has meant more than words can express,” the business wrote Wednesday, Sept. 9 on Instagram. “Even though we are closing our restaurant, our catering services will continue.”
Here’s what we know about the closure, including the last day you can eat at the restaurant.
Lula & Sadie’s is located at 2022 Chapel Hill Road, in the Lakewood neighborhood of Durham. The restaurant got its start at the Durham Food Hall before moving into its current space three years ago.
“I’ve had my eye on this building for quite some time,” Monds told The News & Observer in 2023. “I remember it when it was Davis Baking Company. My parents would bring us here for a treat and get our birthday cakes.”
The new location continued to serve the popular Nashville-style hot chicken sandwiches and red velvet waffles. Monds — who named Lula & Sadie’s after his grandmothers — also added a pimento cheese burger and other dishes to the menu after the move to the historic building.
“I’m really pleased with the fact that we were able to bring a little bit of homage to that legacy, and also provide a place that people felt similar feelings about,” Monds told The N&O in a Thursday, Sept. 10 phone interview.
Now, time is running out for customers to enjoy sit-down meals at Lula & Sadie’s. The family-run restaurant will stop serving customers after Sunday, Sept. 20.
Read more Judge tells former cop he can’t make police investigate Durham rental scam
“After much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors,” the business wrote. “Serving this community over the past six years has been an honor.”
The move comes as the business hopes to downsize. Monds said the restaurant faced higher product costs as people seemed to have less disposable income.
“Where they’re finding a way to cut costs, they cut out some extracurricular things,” Monds told The N&O.
Though Lula & Sadie’s didn’t face rent challenges that have plagued other struggling businesses, it could trade its brick-and-mortar location for space in a commissary. Monds is hoping to find jobs for his workers as the focus switches to catering.
For future updates on the catering operation, check Lula & Sadie’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
“It’s vital for the survival of small local businesses for them to be patronized,” Monds said.
Questions about life in North Carolina? Or have a tip or story idea you’d like to share? The service journalism teams at The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer want to hear from you.
Read more 49ers Star Christian McCaffrey Says Australian Barber Called Him ‘Cracker’
You can submit your question by filling out this form.