A pickup truck crashed into the glass front doors and windows of the planned Raleigh Soul Kitchen location at 2822 New Birch Drive, shattering the entrance and leaving one person with minor injuries. The building, which was vacant at the time, was planned as an expansion of the beloved soul food restaurant.
Raleigh police officers responded to the scene, and the crash left glass window and door sections shattered, with metal casings twisted and ripped from their attachments, according to cbs17.com. Inspectors later deemed the building unsafe following the wreck, the outlet reported. WRAL reported that the driver suffered minor injuries.
Accounts differ slightly on timing: WRAL reported the crash occurred around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, while cbs17.com put the time at around 1:20 p.m., according to the Raleigh Police Department. WRAL's reporting adds that the driver was treated for minor injuries by EMS at the scene and was okay after the crash.
Owner Says Opening Timeline Now Unclear
For Raleigh Soul Kitchen owner Antoine Spates, the crash has thrown a wrench into plans for an opening that was expected soon. “It's supposed to be happening real soon, but now I don't know what's going to happen,” Spates said, per the same cbs17.com report.
The restaurant planned to expand into the New Birch Drive building near Rock Quarry Road, but with the structure now deemed unsafe, the timeline for opening the new location is unresolved. No estimate for repairs or a new opening date has been released.
Investigation Continues, No Arrests Made
Raleigh police had not released information about how the crash happened or whether the driver would be cited, cbs17.com reported. WRAL similarly reported that police officials continue to investigate the incident and that no arrests had been made as of Saturday.
With the cause of the crash still unconfirmed and the building deemed unsafe, neighbors near Rock Quarry Road are left waiting alongside Spates to see what comes next for the soul food spot's second location.
