Among Fuquay-Varina’s most celebrated amenities are the two downtown districts, historic downtown Fuquay and Varina. Local entrepreneurs continue to invest in these areas, creating unique businesses, tasty restaurants, and ample foot traffic. It’s no stretch to claim that both districts are booming.
Downtown Fuquay has seen one mixed-use development, The Q building, completed and occupied with El Cantarito Bar & Grill, Maren May’s and Ruby James boutiques, Happy’s Country Club, and others. And a second mixed-use concept on Main Street isn’t far behind, set to complement longstanding small businesses like Ashworth’s Clothing, The Mason Jar Tavern, KnB’s Marketplace, and Stick Boy Bread Company.
Rise and ride with an early cycle class at Rebel Cycle.
Refuel with a smoothie bowl from SupaBowlz Cafe and a caffeine boost from Bolt Drinks and Coffee.
Stroll and browse the shops along Broad Street, including Lollipops Children’s Boutique, The Vine Natural Health Shoppe, The Southernly Place, Flowers on Broad Street, and SUR Furniture.
Rent a remote-controlled car and race around the in-house racetrack at RC Hobby — only $10 for 30 minutes.
Meet friends for lunch at Nil’s Mediterranean Cuisine or Aviator Smokehouse.
Enjoy a fresh blowout or lash lift at The Lux Loft or Big Chat Salon.
Pick up pizza for dinner at J&S New York Pizza or Aviator Pizzeria & BeerShop.
Finish the day with a sweet treat: an ice cream flight from Pints Ice Cream & Beer or a Banana Bread Old Fashioned or Key Lime Pie Martini at Moonlight Liquor Lounge.
“There’s so much opportunity for new growth in downtown Fuquay,” says Jeff Stevens, branch manager at First Federal Bank and board chair for the Fuquay-Varina Chamber of Commerce. “Downtown Varina is just a little bit smaller, all right there together, and gives you the classic smalltown downtown feel.”
Stevens and his wife, Krista, opened Lollipops Children’s Boutique in Varina last October, drawn to the charm and walkability of the street as well as the community feel.
“The small business community … it’s pretty incredible, very tight knit,” says Stevens. “We just felt like being downtown somewhere was the best place for us.”
Stevens says the store’s first three months far exceeded expectations, including even the typically slow month of January.
Lollipops Children’s Boutique was one in a string of Varina store openings in the last half of 2023 that punctuated an already lively district with new retail and hospitality destinations — The Southernly Place, SupaBowlz Cafe, and Moonlight Liquor Lounge among others.
The Fuquay-Varina Chamber of Commerce held more than 10 events, including ribbon cuttings, business after hours, and business exchange breakfasts in the Varina district alone in 2023.
“We’re very fortunate to have businesses coming in like we do right now,” says Dustin Williams, president of the Fuquay-Varina Chamber of Commerce. “Almost every storefront (in Varina) has a business in it. For anybody that’s working downtown right now, they’re loving that because it creates more foot traffic.”
Both Stevens and Williams point to support from the town government as one of the proponents of growth, in particular the town’s new — free — parking lot that opened in November behind Kimi’s Carpets Plus.
“You talked to anybody 5, 10 years ago and they would tell you, no, don’t open a business down there because you can’t park. That issue has been solved,” says Stevens.
Wake County’s population growth is attracting new entrepreneurs and customers to the area as well. Wake County Economic Development reports that the county grows by 64 new residents each day, comprising 43 people moving to the area and 21 new births. While those numbers represent the entire county, Fuquay-Varina and Holly Springs continue to receive a sizable share of that growth.
“If you think about our economy right now, to have a thriving downtown is a huge asset for our town,” says Williams.
Downtown Varina
“As fast as we’re growing here, (Varina) still has that small-town charm. It’s so cool to see people eating outside, shopping, and walking around down there,” says Williams.
Mark Doble, founder of Aviator Brewing Company, was charmed years ago by downtown Varina, opening Aviator TapHouse in 2009 in the old Varina train depot.
“We are attracted to cool buildings. That place just needed to be a bar,” says Doble of the historic depot.
Since then, the Aviator brand has become an anchor of the Varina district, with Aviator Smokehouse and Aviator Pizzeria, BeerShop & Rooftop Bar flanking East Broad Street.
Doble also cites the population growth for Varina’s current boom, but the Aviator methodology is consistent, he says, in the lean economic times as well as the plenty.
“We love live music, food, and beer. We do what we are passionate about, and the people can see that.”
Aviator’s next phase, a new brewery mega-campus — the Disneyland of beer, Doble says — is under construction on North Street, one block off of Broad Street, where beer, food, and live music will again feature.
Doble lists a German biergarten, two restaurants, a concert venue, farmers market, cooking classes, and a vintage airplane on display in the plans.
“You can buy beer everywhere, but here you can go, sit, eat and drink, and have these experiences,” he says.
Look for the biergarten to be open this summer, with the balance opening late in the year.
Also planned for downtown Varina is a new Indian shopping and cultural experience that will include an Indian grocery store, bakery, clothing and accessories boutique, a bar, event space, cafés, and service vendors. Slated for the Stephens Hardware building on Broad Street, this project, dubbed “Largest Indian Mall” on their Facebook page, expects to open later this year.
“I can’t tell you how many people walk in (Lollipops) and say, ‘I drive up and down this road every day, and I never knew you were here,’” Stevens says. “I would definitely encourage everyone to make a trip down one day. Take a second to slow down, walk up and down the street, and see what all the downtown district has to offer. There’s a lot there.”
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