Fenton in Cary NC: What’s open, List of retail, restaurants

Cary’s long-awaited Fenton development has opened with a limited selection of shopping options.

Much of the multiplex is still under construction. Of its anticipated 345,000 square feet of stores, restaurants and entertainment spaces, only three retailers are open, or plan to open within the next week: Athleta, Sephora and Southern Tide, which will open Friday, May 13.

Fenton is located on Cary Towne Boulevard and Trinity Road between I-40 and SE Maynard Road. The $850 million project is one of the largest retail-driven projects under development in the country, according to Hines, the international real estate investor building Fenton in partnership with South Carolina’s Columbia Development. Construction delays and supply chain challenges forced the duo to delay a grand opening.

But construction is on track to be completed by June.

“This period is a true first look at the project,” the company’s said in an emailed statement to The News & Observer. “…(W)e encourage anyone who visits in April or May to return in June for the full Fenton experience.”

While the site is officially open to the public, Hines advises patrons to be careful when navigating ongoing construction.

“As retailers open their doors leading up to grand opening, please note that Fenton is still an active construction site as we put the finishing touches on Cary’s newest mixed-use community, and we appreciate your patience,” a spokesperson told The N&O.

Restaurants’ opening plans

The restaurants at Fenton look to open this summer, but at different stages.

The cocktail bar Dram & Draught, sushi bar M Sushi, Italian restaurant Colletta and Honeysuckle Gelato all expect to open their doors for the grand opening in June.

Ford Fry’s Superica and Cru Food & Wine Bar expect to open in July.

The giant sports bar Sports & Social will open later this year.

Crawford Brothers Steakhouse, the next project from acclaimed Raleigh chef Scott Crawford, is delayed until 2024. Crawford said the delay moves the restaurant’s opening closer to the opening of Hotel at Fenton, the boutique hotel project that will be next to the steakhouse.

“We didn’t want to open with the hotel under construction,” Crawford said. “When I chose my location at Fenton, I chose a free-standing building next to the hotel. I chose that because I thought it would be the perfect fit for the business traveler to stay and dine with us next door.”

Crawford recently opened his newest restaurant, Crawford Cookshop in Clayton, and just announced a restaurant project at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Crawford Brothers Steakhouse will be Crawford’s largest Triangle restaurant by far at 4,500 square feet. It was also one of the first restaurants to sign on to Fenton, announced in October 2018. Crawford said the steakhouse is still in its design phase, but that he’s looking forward to its unveiling.

“It’s a minor setback,” Crawford said of the delay. “We wanted to open with everyone else, but there will be several phases. It’s not the end of the world for us. We feel just fine about it.”

List of Fenton stores, restaurants

Here’s an updated list of all the shopping, dining and entertainment options we know of so far. Bold names will open in May or June, according to Hines.

Retail

• Altar’d State
• Archer Paper Goods
• Arhaus Furniture
• Athleta (open)
• Bailey’s Fine Jewelry
• Free People
• The Gatorbug
• Lululemon
• Madewell
• Nike Live
• Pottery Barn
• Sephora (open)
• Southern Tide (opening May 13)
• Vestique women’s clothing
• Williams Sonoma

Movie theater

Restaurants

• Colletta, an Italian restaurant from acclaimed restaurateur Steve Palmer. Opening in June.
• Crawford Brothers’ Steakhouse, from award-winning chef Scott Crawford. Opening in 2024.
• CRU Food & Wine Bar. Opening in July
• Dram & Draught, a whiskey bar and tap room, already a local favorite in Raleigh and Durham. Opening in June.
• Honeysuckle Gelato. Opening in June
• M Sushi, from renowned Durham chef Michael Lee. Opening in June.
• Sports & Social, which will open as the Triangle’s largest sports bar at 22,000 square feet. Opening later this year.
• Superica, Tex-Mex cuisine from Atlanta-based chef Ford Fry. Opening in July.

Services

• Club Pilates
• LunchboxWax
• The Joint
• Radiant Waxing
• Von Kekel Aveda Lifestyle Salon Spa
• Zen Nail Bar

Grocery store

To be announced. Developers haven’t announced a grocery tenant after Wegmans withdrew plans to open there.

Office space, hotel and residential

• The mixed-use community will include The Offices at Fenton, 200,000 square feet of office space. Compass — the country’s largest independent real estate brokerage — will occupy 8,260 square feet. The firm is Fenton’s first office tenant, and will likely open in the fall.
• A 175-key boutique hotel
• The Allison, a 357-unit luxury apartment community

This story was originally published May 4, 2022 3:40 PM.