Union Special Bread closes downtown Raleigh location, new tenant set to move in

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Popular downtown Raleigh restaurant Union Special Bread on Fayetteville Street has closed.

The restaurant's last day of operations was March 15.

"Walking away from a space is never fun," explained Andrew Ullom, owner of Union Special Bread. "We put a ton of time, we put a ton of effort, we put a ton of money into this place and this is not something that happened overnight. So we kind of took our time and made sure that we were processing things properly. And so January was kind of an emotional hole for us."

The downtown Raleigh location was the second for the Raleigh restaurant which plans to continue operating at the Gateway Plaza location near Capital Boulevard and Crabtree Boulevard.

Ullom opened Union Special Bread on Fayetteville Street during the pandemic in 2021

"We were just certain that offices were going to come roaring back," Ullom said.

Ullom said he and his team worked hard to continue operating in tumultuous economic conditions and learned a lot in three years.

"This is a decision that we really made towards the beginning of the year," Ullom said. "And, you know, the reason that we closed at the time that we did is because we were working on lining up a new tenant to make sure that the space didn't sit idle for very long and there is somebody coming in right behind us. So, as far as everything goes, you know, we still believe in downtown."

Ullom said he is passing the keys along to a locally owned and family-operated restaurant, Bisto 401, which will feature expanded hours, a diverse menu, and the addition of beer and wine.