Richmond-based Big Kitchen Hospitality is lining up a second Raleigh restaurant, zeroing in on GlenLake Office Park just up the hill from Crabtree Valley Mall. If the deal sticks, the group's Granite Grill concept will slide into a busy office-and-retail stretch that has seen its fair share of tenant shuffles and fresh arrivals.
According to Triangle Business Journal, the hospitality group is targeting space inside GlenLake for the new Granite Grill. The outlet notes it would mark the company's second restaurant in Raleigh.
Big Kitchen Hospitality already runs local brands such as Tazza Kitchen and Conejo, and it recently debuted The Granite Grill & Bar in Richmond's Bon Air neighborhood. Richmond BizSense reports that Granite leans into American-grill comfort food, with steaks, grilled seafood and smash burgers at the core of the menu.
GlenLake Office Park sits between I-40 and I-440 just north of Crabtree Valley Mall, a cluster of Class A office buildings with adjoining retail that keeps weekday lunch hours humming. Property listings say the layout and tenant mix make it an appealing landing spot for operators chasing both the lunch rush and the after-work crowd. Highwoods Properties describes the complex as a major suburban office hub near Crabtree.
What to expect
The Granite brand in Richmond pushes approachable, updated American-grill fare with a full bar, patio seating and private-dining options, features that would fit neatly into GlenLake's office-heavy setting if replicated in Raleigh. Richmond BizSense notes that the Bon Air location has quickly become a neighborhood draw since opening.
Why this spot
With a dense concentration of offices plus nearby retail and hotel traffic around Crabtree, GlenLake hands new restaurants a built-in base of daytime workers and out-of-town visitors. Property literature and leasing notes indicate that developers and employers keep pouring money into GlenLake's retail amenities, which helps explain why concepts like Granite Grill are circling the park. Highwoods Properties plays up the site's connectivity and tenant roster as key selling points.
Timing and next steps
The report from Triangle Business Journal did not include an opening date for the Raleigh outpost, and the project appears to be in early planning or leasing phases. The outlet is the first local publication to flag the move, with permit filings or a formal company statement expected to fill in details like timing and square footage once they hit the city's system.
