A wave of new restaurants is hitting the Triangle. From a burger joint at a popular mall to the local debut of a beloved Texas doughnut shop, gear up for expanded food and drink options. We’ve rounded up our latest reporting about seven spots’ plans to serve Raleigh-area customers.
Here are key takeaways:
Botiwalla by Chai Pani, a counter-service restaurant from the acclaimed Asheville restaurant group, opened at Raleigh Iron Works this summer. The Indian street food spot recently launched lunch service after starting as dinner-only. Its signature okra fries feature ribbons of okra fried until the tips are crispy and charred.Madeleine Coffee + Bread, a Nordic-style bakery and cafe, will fill the recently shuttered Tucker Street Diner space by the end of this year. Owners Bryan and Reghan Haven say the space in Raleigh’s Smoky Hollow development will be about three times the size of their Iris Coffee Lab.Five Guys Burgers & Fries opened at Crabtree Valley Mall on July 23, replacing a McDonald’s that closed earlier this year. The Crabtree location is notable for opening at 9:30 a.m. and serving breakfast sandwiches. 
The new Five Guys has opened in the food court at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh. bcain@newsobserver.com Brooke Cain Texas-based Shipley Donuts plans to open two Raleigh shops, with the first expected in 2027. Founded in Houston in 1936, the chain operates nearly 400 locations in 13 states.Chicken Salad Chick opens its third Triangle location in Durham on Aug. 4 at the Renaissance Center shopping plaza on Fayetteville Road. The first 100 customers in line on opening day will receive free chicken salad for a year. Franchise owners Mike Saccone and John Schuster hope to have eight to 10 locations across Wake, Durham and Orange counties.A new Dunkin’ opened July 28 in the Mini City Marketplace on Capital Boulevard in Raleigh. The location is operated by George Ross of Coastal Franchising LLC, which runs 145 coffee and doughnut shops across the Carolinas and Virginia. Another Dunkin’ is set to open nearby at 3907 Capital Blvd. in the coming weeks.Drive-thru chain 7 Brew Coffee held its grand opening in Smithfield on July 11, marking the franchise’s first location in this part of the state. Founded in Arkansas in 2017, the brand offers more than 20,000 drink combinations.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
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Drew Jackson writes about restaurants and dining for The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun, covering the food scene in the Triangle and North Carolina.
