Downtown Raleigh’s grocery lineup is getting an upgrade. Wolfside Urban Market is set to move into the former DGX space at 149 E. Davie St., where owner Vishal Patel plans a gourmet grab-and-go market and deli with a deli counter for made-to-order sandwiches, a selection of beer and wine, and curated goods from small local vendors. The target is a tentative opening sometime this fall.
Patel, who previously worked at Bulldega Urban Market in downtown Durham, created Wolfside Urban Market last week and listed the business as a "Gourmet Grocery Store" in recent corporate filings. He told reporters the market could aim to open in November and that shelves will feature gourmet foods, grab-and-go items and gifts from local vendors, according to The News & Observer.
Space and location
The 4,774-square-foot retail unit sits at the corner of East Davie and Blount streets and offers roughly 80 feet of window frontage, which makes it well suited for light food-and-beverage use. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance listing highlights the space’s proximity to multiple residential towers, steady nearby foot traffic, and adjacent parking options, per Downtown Raleigh Alliance.
Filling a downtown grocery gap
The building has been empty since Dollar General closed its DGX store there in December 2024, which removed one of the few downtown options for fresh produce and basic groceries. That vacancy, combined with the earlier closure of nearby Raleigh Provisions, has left a demand for smaller-format grocery and prepared-food options in the area, as reported by The News & Observer.
What to watch
Wolfside’s plan to combine a deli counter with curated grocery shelves and local products places it squarely in the micro-market trend growing across the Triangle, although Patel said specific vendor lists and precise opening dates are still being finalized. Observers will be watching permitting activity, build-out progress, and new signage at the corner as the project moves toward a fall launch, and details are expected to be updated as they become available.
