Award-winning pizza place opens first NC spot & sneak peek into huge Raleigh climbing gym

A pizza chain founded in the Washington, D.C. area has opened its first North Carolina restaurant in the Triangle.

Timber Pizza Co. opened recently at 627 E. Whitaker Mill Road in Raleigh . The restaurant is in the HighPark Village shopping center, which also houses High Park Bar & Grill, Taste, Hunt & Gather, J. Betski’s and Seaboard Wine, among other retailers. The German and Polish restaurant J. Betski’s and wine store Seaboard Wine were both formerly located at Seaboard Station in downtown Raleigh.

The Raleigh pizza place joins Timber locations in D.C., Annapolis, Arlington and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Timber also has food trucks in D.C. and Richmond, Virginia.

A recipient of the Michelin Bib Gourmand award, given to eateries serving quality, easy-to-eat foods at reasonable price points, Timber was recognized for its flavorful food and wide variety of pizzas . The food publication Bon Appetit also named Timber Pizza Co. Pizzeria of the Year in 2017. Bon Appetit writer and former deputy editor Julia Kramer said of the restaurant, “This is not pizza purity; it’s just pizza perfection.”

Timber’s menu features empanadas, salads, desserts and pizzas with green, red or white bases. Traditional favorites such as cheese, pepperoni and margherita are available, along with more unique selections. The Worthy, for example, is a white pizza topped with barbecue chicken, red onions, sliced applies, barbecue sauce, micro cilantro and a cheese blend.

Here’s what else is happening in the local retail world.

Details on Triangle Rock Club’s biggest facility yet

Triangle Rock Club is making final preparations on its newest and biggest gym , a 40,000-square-foot building at Salvage Yard , near Raleigh Iron Works.

The gym will have bouldering terrain, including a top-out feature and an arch that allows climbers can hang upside down while maneuvering from one side of the terrain to the other. There will also be tall walls and and top-roping walls, plus dedicated spaces for weight lifting and fitness classes, a cold plunge, a sauna, a retail store offering climbing equipment, a patio and places to hang out.

This is Triangle Rock Club’s sixth facility, joining locations in Morrisville, Raleigh, Fayetteville, Durham and Richmond, Virginia.

Triangle Rock Club is opening its largest facility yet. Here’s what members can find inside

Fifth Season Gardening announces new store in Raleigh

A garden center with three locations in North Carolina and Virginia is expanding in the Triangle.

Fifth Season Gardening , which has a store in Carrboro, plans to open a location in Raleigh in mid-November . The company will also add a 2,500-square-foot outdoor nursery in 2025, offering organic vegetables and herbs, native perennials, annuals, trees and shrubs.

The store is known for its organic gardening products, houseplants, pots and indoor growing products.

Raleigh locals may recognize the brand from when it operated a small hydroponic gardening store near the State Fairgrounds for nearly 15 years.

Popular salad shop opens soon in North Hills

Sweetgreen , a fast-casual healthy food chain, is opening a new Raleigh location soon.

The shop will celebrate a grand opening Tuesday, Oct. 29 , at 4158 Main at North Hills St. , in the Main District. Sweetgreen will donate a meal to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, for every meal purchased at the location on opening day.

This is the LA-based salad chain’s second North Carolina location , following the restaurant in Charlotte.

It’s taking the place that formerly housed pizza restaurant Pieology, and is located between Tecovas and Monkee’s of Raleigh.

Speaking of North Hills, the popular shopping destination is getting a new luxury tenant. Chanel Fragrance and Beauty is expected to open in 2025.

Fitness studio joins new Raleigh development

Boutique Pilates studio BK Pilates is the newest tenant to announce plans to join the Rockway mixed-use development.

Expected to open in 2025 , the studio will offer reformer-based workouts, group classes and private sessions. It will be the first Triangle location for the fitness brand, which operates locations in North Carolina, New York and South Carolina.

Popular local bakery Benchwarmers Bagels is also opening at Rockway, located at 925 S. Saunders St. near Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park , The News & Observer previously reported .

Plans for Rockway, which offers easy access to the Rocky Branch Greenway Trail, include multifamily residential options in addition to retail space.

Hobby Lobby opens new Triangle stores

The popular arts-and-crafts retailer Hobby Lobby expanded in North Carolina with two new locations.

In October, the Oklahoma-based company celebrated the grand opening of two stores in Raleigh and Selma .

The Raleigh store is located in Six Forks Station Shopping Center, near Strickland Road and Six Forks Road. The Selma location is in the new Eastfield development, at 660 Saint Mark Ave.

With the recent expansion, Hobby Lobby now operates 40 stores in North Carolina.

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New gardening store offering houseplants, pots & more will open soon in Raleigh

New fitness studio to join development near downtown Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park