A beloved Durham sandwich shop and one of the Triangle’s most popular breweries are the first restaurant additions of the Raleigh Iron Works development.
Eastcut Sandwich Bar and Ponysaurus Brewing will join Raleigh Iron Works, a massive development north of downtown that is converting a former steel mill and warehouse space into apartments, restaurants and offices.
For Ponysaurus, the expansion means growing the Durham brewery’s sour beer and barrel-aged offerings, plus the addition of another pizzeria from Oakwood Pizza Box’s Anthony Guerra.
“The expansion of our sour beer and barrel programs has been years in the making,” said Nick Hawthorne-Johnson, co-owner of Ponysaurus, in a release. “The creativity and intention that is being poured into Raleigh Iron Works make it the perfect fit for our barrel room and restaurant.”
Ponysaurus growth
This will be the third planned taproom for Ponysaurus, which is also working on a downtown Wilmington bar and pizzeria. Ponysaurus has grown into one of the Triangle’s signature breweries, making staples like a popular IPA and pale ale, plus the famous Don’t Be Mean to People saison.
In Durham, Ponysaurus is know for its two level taproom with a rooftop terrace and roomy beer garden. It looks like the brewery has found a similar spot in Raleigh, with plans to build its 3,780 Iron Works location with a two-story slide and outdoor patio.
Eastcut Sandwich Bar helped kick off the Triangle’s gourmet sandwich trend when it opened in 2018 in the former Durham Finch’s Diner location, which had previously been a garden center. Owned by Brad Bankos and Steve Wuench, Eastcut specializes in chicken cutlet sandwiches and cold cuts, with above-and-beyond flourishes like housemade mozzarella.
The shop draws sandwich lovers beyond downtown Durham’s busy food scene, attracting the lunch crowd with a tented garden patio and breezy porch.
The owners said the built-in residents and restaurant community at Iron Works attracted them to the development.
‘Energetic, exciting property’
“It’s a really exciting jump for us to go from a standalone store that is more along the lines of a destination to an energetic, exciting property with office, retail, apartments, and other dining options that align with our customer base,” said Wuench in a release. “Our customer base is mainly young professionals and families, and we feel Raleigh Iron Works fits that.”
Beyond beer, pizza and sandwiches, Raleigh Iron Works is also adding wellness company F(X), which offers personal trainers, physical therapy and acupuncture. There will also be the new entertainment concept Jaguar Bolera, which plans to offer duckpin bowling lanes and karaoke rooms.
Built by Raleigh-based developer Grubb Ventures and designer Jamestown, Raleigh Iron Works plans to open next year at 220 Atlantic Avenue, across the street from Dock 1053 and across Capital Boulevard from the Mordecai neighborhood. The development plans 220 apartments, 500,000 square feet of office space and another 90,000 of retail.
This story was originally published August 1, 2022 3:40 PM.
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