DURHAM, NC (WNCN) – A new restaurant is popping up in downtown Durham despite concerns from nearby business owners about the lack of foot traffic.
Wednesday was the grand opening of Anjappar Chettinad Indian Restaurant. It seems like new businesses are popping up all the time in town, but not all of them are successful.
“A lot of people don’t come to town to spend their money and that affects our businesses,” said Durham County Commissioners Chairwoman Nida Allam.
The former Copa restaurant on West Main Street, along with 321 Coffee, closed in August. They are part of a list of restaurants and businesses in Durham city that have closed so far in 2024.
“The way we can improve that is to support our local businesses,” said Allam. “And not just for us as a county, but for all of our residents to see these restaurants, these small shops, are part of our community.”
Now, Durham’s leaders are trying to strengthen the “vibrancy” of the city. As part of the effort on Wednesday, Anjappar Durham opened up inside one of the district’s administrative buildings. This space remained empty for almost six years.
“It will take us some time to settle down and find out what people need, what people want, what kind of food they like, what spices they want,” said Anjappar Durham owner Prakash Sambath. “It’s going to take time. I’m not giving up.”
While restaurant owners report low footfall during the week, Sambath said he is bringing something new to the market.
“It will be different,” he said. “We hope our downtown crowd will support us, as well as our construction workers from the region.”
Other plans to add traffic to the city include the redevelopment of the old Durham police headquarters on West Chapel Hill Street, bringing additions such as apartments and shops.
