Merritt’s Grill, whose BLT sandwiches have been a staple of the Chapel Hill culinary scene since the restaurant opened in 1992, is opening a second location at Finley Golf Club. The restaurant will provide dine-in, to-go and catering services inside the newly refurbished Finley clubhouse and will be open to both players and non-players. An on-course beverage cart and halfway house will also be available.

“As we move through our long-term vision and strategic plan for the future of Finley, there is no better partner to accelerate the quality, service and performance of our food and beverage operations than Merritt’s Grill,” said UNC deputy athletic director and chief revenue officer Rick Barakat. “Their staff is incredible to work with and we are excited to bring a taste of Chapel Hill inside the clubhouse at Finley.”

This is not the first time Merritt’s will have partnered with an official UNC venue. The restaurant opened a concession stand – dubbed “Merritt’s in the Pines” – inside Gate 2 of Kenan Stadium in 2025 and plans to continue operations there in 2026. It also formerly occupied a space in the bottom floor of UNC’s Lenoir Dining Hall. The Finley clubhouse space will be the restaurant’s first full-time location outside of its flagship property at 1009 South Columbia Street.

Rob Jeske, general manager of Finley Golf Club, called the opening of the new space a “milestone in the transformation” of the club. Finley began a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2021 and eventually reopened to the public in 2023 with an altered course layout and two new holes. Improvements to the club, including a new team building for the Tar Heel men’s and women’s golf programs, are still ongoing.

“Merritt’s Grill is proud to continue our longstanding relationship with UNC Athletics and is excited about our new venture with Finley Golf Club,” said part-owner John Toogood. “We look forward to providing the same Merritt’s quality food and service with outstanding southern hospitality.”

In addition, another business will be opening soon in the Eastgate Crossing shopping center. The Einstein Bros. Bagels chain is set to open its first-ever Chapel Hill location Thursday, Aug. 13 at the former Bruegger’s Bagels space. Bruegger’s was forced to permanently close its location in Eastgate after taking extensive flood damage during Tropical Depression Chantal in the summer of 2025.

Image via Chapel Hill Media Group/Andrew Stuckey

 

Featured image via Chapel Hill Media Group/Brighton McConnell

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