An icon in Southern food will close its doors in Chapel Hill. What we know so far.

A legendary Chapel Hill restaurant that helped give a national voice to traditional Southern cooking is closing its doors.

Mama Dip’s Kitchen on Rosemary Street in Chapel Hill announced it will end its 48-year run next month. The restaurant’s last day will be Aug. 17.

“For the past 48 years it’s been our honor to serve the Chapel Hill community,” according to a video posted on the restaurant’s social media pages. “But on Aug. 17 our doors will be closing as we move into our next phase of business.”

In its farewell message, Mama Dip’s encouraged fans to stop in for goodbye meals at the restaurant, but said the move is part of a new chapter, though it didn’t reveal any specifics of what the future holds.

“This is not a goodbye,” the post continued. “But we wanted to take the chance to thank everyone who has graced Mama’s kitchen these last 48 years and the whole community for supporting us along the way. We cannot wait to see you in our next adventure.”

Mildred “Mama Dip” Council opened her famed restaurant in 1976 with just $64 for groceries and change. By lunchtime, the restaurant had made enough money to buy ingredients for dinner service, never looking back for the next five decades.

The restaurant has been cherished for its Southern cooking and desserts, particularly a beloved sweet potato pie.

Restaurant property for sale

The restaurant’s property at 408 W. Rosemary St. was put up for sale last spring as the restaurant’s owners pursued a new style of Mama Dip’s. A commercial real estate listing had the property at $3.6 million.

“The property is for sale, but not the brand,” said Spring Council, one of Mildred Council’s daughters, in a phone interview in April 2023. “We’re going to keep the brand and switch it out to do a fast-casual model.”

Last year, Spring Council stressed that Mama Dip’s would operate normally until a sale was finalized.

“We’re continuing our Mama’s legacy of traditional Southern food and getting things ready for the next generation,” Spring Council said. “In business you have to grow, and this is growth.”

Mildred Council died in 2018 at age 89. Her legacy extended well beyond the Triangle, reaching fame through cookbooks, television appearances and visits to the White House.

Since her passing, Council’s children have operated the restaurant, and her granddaughters continue to build on her legacy, with Tonya Council opening a bakeshop in Chapel Hill last year and Erika Council operating Bomb Biscuit Co. in Atlanta.