Tonya’s Café and Bake Shop, a Chapel Hill destination continuing a renowned local legacy, is closed for the foreseeable future following a fire Saturday morning.
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Owner Tonya Council and her staff are safe, according to a statement released by the bakery. While the full extent of the fire’s destruction is being assessed, the restaurant and bakery sustained significant fire, smoke and water damage.
“We plan to rebuild but for now are focused on retaining our staff and honoring our catering, bakery, and other commitments to our customers,” the business said on its website. “The reality is we have no idea how long the process of rebuilding will take so are planning to launch a GoFundMe to help us through this difficult time.”
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Located in the Galleria shopping center on South Elliott Road, the business is a modern continuation of another restaurant in Chapel Hill. Council is the granddaughter of the late Mildred “Mama Dip” Council, the celebrated founder of Mama Dip’s Kitchen.
Council launched Tonya’s Cookies in 2009 after perfecting a gluten-free pecan crisp, similar to her grandmother’s famous pecan pie. The treats earned national acclaim, eventually landing on the “Oprah’s Favorite Things” list in 2021. Council opened the brick-and-mortar bake shop in 2023 and expanded the café in 2025.
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