Winston‑Salem chef Freddy Lee will open Fablewood, a steakhouse at Mount Airy’s Spencer’s Mill redevelopment, betting on small‑town dining as local restaurants close.

Barley & Burger’s Hillsborough Street restaurant closed after three months; owners returned the space and a leasing sign went up in the window.

LongHorn Steakhouse opened at Eastfield in Selma, bringing the chain’s first Johnston County location and roughly 90 jobs to the I‑95 corridor.

Soif opens at 331 West Main in Durham: a 13-seat coffee-by-day, spritz-and-cocktail bar with no Wi‑Fi and a single‑bartender setup.

The Station at Person Street will close March 8 after 12 years. Owners say a full renovation begins March 9 and a new concept will take the space.

Woody's Bar‑B‑Q is set to open its first North Carolina location at Oxford Commons in Durham this March, offering Carolina-style vinegar barbecue and family feasts.

Fare & Fellow will close its Park Point RTP café this week after under two years; the downtown Durham location will remain open. Local reporting says the shop announced the move on social media.

Jean's By the Sea soft‑opened in Old West Durham, taking over the former Wimpy’s spot with oysters, Calabash baskets and coastal cocktails.

Raleigh’s Longleaf Swine is taking over Luna’s downtown Carrboro spot and plans to open a Carrboro outpost later this year. The move brings the whole‑hog smoke to the Chapel Hill‑Carrboro scene.

JP's Pastry, a certified gluten-free bakery from Benson, will open at 7072 Highway 751 in Durham with a March 14 grand opening featuring giveaways and free samples.

Whataburger will open at 2265 Cross Pointe Dr in Rock Hill, with a targeted April 30, 2026 opening as part of the chain’s Carolinas expansion.

The MICHELIN Guide names Charlotte’s Lang Van and Raleigh’s Brewery Bhavana as top North Carolina spots for Lunar New Year dishes like fried spring rolls and dim sum.

Terminal 1 at RDU has added new restaurants and retail — from Raleigh Beer Garden to an upgraded ACC American Café — as part of the airport’s $2.5B Transform RDU plan.