The national southern-style breakfast chain, Flying Biscuit Café, is set to open in mid-January at University Place. The new restaurant hopes to bring southern hospitality and fluffy biscuits to the Chapel Hill community.

The franchise owner of the new restaurant, Tahir Rafiq said opening his own breakfast place was something he and his wife have always dreamed of.

“The funky artwork, the hospitality and the food itself are all things we wanted to bring to our community,” Rafiq said.

A mural inside the Flying Biscuit Café in University Place combines the funky art style of the chain with iconic symbols of Chapel Hill.

Rafiq has been in the hospitality industry for 15 years. He previously served as the Vice President of Operations at IHOP. He said his previous experience in the breakfast world will help ensure the success of the franchise.

“I want to bring my expertise to make a difference in the community,” Rafiq said.

As a Chapel Hill resident for the past six years, Rafiq said he is grateful to have a great place for his four children to grow up in. Now, he said he hopes Chapel Hill will help nurture his fifth kid: the Flying Biscuit Café.

“This was our dream that is becoming reality,” Rafiq said. “This will be our baby, basically. We want to nourish it and grow it.”

Construction and design of the building have been ongoing for the last four months, since Flying Biscuit Café is moving into brand new space that’s part of University Place’s Phase 1 of redevelopment. Rafiq said there have been challenges opening the restaurant due to COVID-19 and national supply chain issues.

“This is a little block. Without these things we would have opened a couple months ago,” Rafiq said. “But now we are almost there.”

A mural inside the Flying Biscuit Café depicts jazzy sunflowers, an homage to the psychedelic style of the restaurant.

The café hopes to open in mid-January. Rafiq said the restaurant still needs to hire more staff and sort out delivery logistics before it can open.

The menu will feature many traditional southern breakfast favorites like biscuits, grits and sausages. The Chapel Hill location also offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options.

The café will be located between Hawkers and Bartaco at University Place. Rafiq said its location is ideal for the people of Chapel Hill.

Once fully operating, the café will seat about 110 patrons indoors and about 30 people on its outdoor patio.

“This is a place for all of Orange County, whose trust and satisfaction we hope to achieve,” Rafiq said.

An emphasis on businesses with exterior entrances has been a priority of University Place as it prepares for more redevelopment. Ram Realty, who purchased the mall in 2018, aims to transform the property into a more walkable mall with blends of retail and residential options. The latest update on the redevelopment plans passed through Chapel Hill’s Community Design Commission in October.

 

Note: 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com are a tenant of University Place.

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