Parker & Otis is NOW OPEN!

Parker and Otis (now open)

For decades, Durhamites and visitors alike have flocked to Parker & Otis for a casual breakfast with friends, a business lunch, a first date dinner, and everything in between.

Now located in the heart of American Tobacco, Parker & Otis is at home within the campus’ historic walls and ready to accommodate the more than one million workers, visitors, and residents that come to the campus each year.

With a full-day menu of southern-inspired dishes, there is something for everyone and anyone who enjoys delicious, scratch-made, and high-quality local fare.

Come for the Shrimp BLT and stay to work in the cafe or browse their eclectic and inspired retail shop.

Just look for the bright pink P&O sign calling you home.

Duke Performances Brings Music Back to the Lawn

This summer and fall, we’re proud to announce we’re partnering with Duke Performances for a series of concerts on the beloved American Tobacco Campus Amphitheater lawn!

Featuring an eclectic and diverse slate of local artists, the concert series will offer something for everyone:

  • Wed, Sep 15: The Dead Tongues
  • Wed, Sep 22: Rissi Palmer
  • Wed, Sep 29: Skylar Gudasz
  • Fri, Oct 1: The Veldt

Make sure to mark your calendars and plan your visit now! To-go menu items will be available from all restaurants and there will be plenty of space to stretch out on the lawn.

ATC Live Music P’s and Q’s

  • No glass allowed
  • Leashed and well-behaved pets are welcome
  • Please be mindful and courteous of other guests. Aim to leave the now customary six feet of space between you and those outside your party.
  • Duke University has instituted a mask mandate for all outdoor events over 100 people.
  • The City of Durham has instituted a mask mandate for all businesses. Masks must be worn indoors at all restaurants and other businesses, including lobby areas and restrooms.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Coffee, Crepes, & Cocktails Coming to Campus!

Press, a coffee and crepe concept that catalyzed Downtown Graham, will open its second restaurant in American Tobacco’s Diamond View III this summer.

With a promise of “European Inspired, Carolina made,” the casual eatery will serve the campus’ 3,500 daily workers and more than 1.2 million annual visitors a menu of scratchmade, local breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner items seven days a week. The menu for their Graham location can be found here.

In addition to a full menu of both sweet and savory crepe options, Press aims to translate its status in Graham as a welcoming “third place” coffee shop that serves as a gathering spot outside of work and home for telecommuters, families, friends, and business meetings. 

Press joins a recent slate of American Tobacco news including the launch of a new website and visual identity as well as the recent opening of Boricua Soul and Parker Paper Co.

Press is completely renovating and remodeling the space formerly occupied by The Bullpen in Diamond View III (359 Blackwell St, Ste 135, Durham, NC 27701). Restaurant hours and exact opening date to be announced. 

Parker Paper Co. is NOW OPEN!

The shop is now open in American Tobacco’s Diamond View III!

Parker Paper Co. is a standalone extension of the popular retail shop within Parker & Otis’ acclaimed restaurant. 

Parker Paper Co. focuses on those items dedicated to the tactile experience of putting pen (or pencil) to paper as well as gifts and grab and go sandwiches from the restaurant’s beloved menu.

They will soon offer craft beer and wine to continue the tradition of Parker & Otis’ extensive and curated stock.

Stop on by today to grab a sandwich or some stationery! 

Hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Monday through Friday

Junior League One of Three Winners of ATC’s Next Big Event Competition

Durham-Orange Counties Branch of the Junior League to Offer Community Health Fair in June


(Durham, NC) – January 28, 2020 – American Tobacco Campus (ATC) has announced the first winner of its Next Big Event competition. The Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties will host its Community Health Fair at the historic and innovative campus on Saturday, June 27, 2020.

The fair will be free and open to the public with a focus on healthy living and include stations like hearing and vision checks, vaccinations, school sports physicals, fitness demonstrations, a blood drive, and more.

“The goal of the Community Health Fair is to utilize the dynamic space of the American Tobacco Campus to offer a fun and engaging event targeted to local children and their families,” says Rebecca Mason, Co-Chair, Junior League of Durham & Orange Counties Health Fair Committee. “We’re honored to have been picked for this amazing opportunity.”

In 2019, American Tobacco flipped the script and instead of programming all of their annual events for the million-plus visitors the campus sees each year, they allowed the community to propose events to host on campus.

More than twenty large community event submissions came in and three winners have been selected. The Community Health Fair is the campus’ first event to announce with others soon to follow.

“American Tobacco offers a one of a kind setting and platform to reach our entire community,” says Adam Klein, strategist, Capitol Broadcasting Company. “The Next Big Event competition represents one of the many new innovations we’re bringing to campus to start this exciting new decade.”

The winners of the next big event competition join American Tobacco’s recent announcement that Parker Paper Co. (a subsidiary of Parker & Otis) will open on campus in March 2020 and a new brand and web design for the historic campus.

Keep an eye on AmericanTobacco.co for more information about the Community Health Fair as well as future announcements, including additional Next Big Event winners.

 
About Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties
More than 500 members strong, the Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties is a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop the potential of women, improve the community and promote volunteerism.

Durham Retail Favorite Expands to American Tobacco Campus

Parker & Otis’ Parker Paper to Open March 2020 with Stationary, Gifts, Grab & Go Food and Beverage

(Durham, N.C.) – January 16, 2020 – One of Durham’s most beloved institutions, Parker & Otis, is planting a permanent flag at American Tobacco Campus after participating in the historic district’s PopUp series back in August 2019.

As an extension of the popular retail shop within Parker & Otis’ famed restaurant, Parker Paper Co. will focus on those items dedicated to the tactile experience of putting pen (or pencil) to paper as well as gifts and grab and go sandwiches from the acclaimed restaurant’s beloved menu. They will also offer craft beer and wine to continue the tradition of Parker & Otis’ extensive and curated stock.

A photo of the pop-up store is ​here​. Photos of ATC are ​here​.

“I am so excited and grateful for the opportunity to open our shop at American Tobacco,” says Jennings Brody, owner, Parker Paper Co. and Parker & Otis. “What a lovely place to work!”

Parker Paper Co. extends Parker & Otis’ retail offerings alongside sister stores Tiny and Chet Miller. The shop will be located in the Diamond View III building along Blackwell Street.

The shop also continues a new tradition of high performing PopUps opening permanent retail presences. Parker Paper Co. will join ATC’s expanded retail and restaurant offerings that includes fellow PopUp alum Boricua Soul which opened in fall 2019. This week, American Tobacco also launched a new website and brand identity for 2020 designed to showcase the history and legacy of the campus while also setting the stage for new announcements to come in this new decade.

“Parker Paper Co. and Boricua Soul are great examples of the trajectory we see American Tobacco taking in 2020 and beyond,” says Adam Klein, strategist, Capitol Broadcasting Company. “I’ve had the privilege of knowing Jennings for a while and she’s one the best retailers in the Southeast. We couldn’t be more excited to have her sharing her knack for amazing stationary, gifts and food with ATC and beyond.’”

Parker Paper Co. will operate in 359 Blackwell Street in 625 sf of retail space. The shop will open in March 2020 with specific hours to be announced.

About Capitol Broadcasting

Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. is a diversified communications company which owns and/or operates WRAL-TV , WRAL Digital , WRAZ-TV , WRAZ Digital, WRAL-FM, WRAL-HD2, WCMC-FM, WCMC-HD1, WDNC-AM , WCMC-HD2, WCMC-HD3 , WCLY-AM , WCMC-HD4 , Microspace , CBC New Media Group and Wolfpack Sports Properties (a joint venture with Learfield) in Raleigh, NC; WILM-TV, WILT-LD and Sunrise Broadcasting in Wilmington, NC; The Durham Bulls Baseball Club, Bull City Hospitality and Bull Durham Beer Co., and the American Underground startup hub in Durham, NC; Holly Springs Salamanders in Holly Springs, NC; and real estate interests including the American Tobacco Historic District in Durham, NC, and Rocky Mount Mills in Rocky Mount, NC; and Professional Builders Supply (an equity partnership) in Morrisville, NC.

Campus Cocktail Culture

While Nanasteak is justly renowned for its filets, rotisserie-roasted chicken, grilled fish and other mouthwatering entrees and appetizers, its libations are also worth a toast. The offerings include a robust wine list and a tantalizing line-up of cocktails. 

Nanasteak is particularly well-suited to sensational sipping.

“Our approach to wine and cocktails has always been to share with people great ingredients with a slight twist,” says Brad Weddington, who manages the restaurant’s handsome bar. “We find that it’s about taking what people like and enhancing their pallet.”

An example is the venerated Old Fashioned. “We get a lot of love for that drink,” says dining room manager Graham Weddington. “We perfected the recipe.” And in a rave review, one of the region’s most influential restaurant critics reported enjoying a “20-year-old tawny port.”

To find the right refreshment match for each customer, the brothers are always happy to talk through the options. “There are a lot of different types of wines and beverages and sometimes it can be intimidating,” says Brad. “It’s about getting people what they like.” 

Nanasteak is particularly well-suited to sensational sipping. Founded by James Beard Award-nominated chef Scott Howell, the elegant eatery nestles at the nexus of the bustling Durham Performing Arts Center and Aloft Hotel, popular with business and pleasure travelers. In other words, Nanasteak serves up delights at the crossroads of culture — cocktail and otherwise. Cheers. 

Boricua Soul Brings “New Ideas and New Flavors” for Durham

Boricua Soul, one of the first businesses to occupy American Tobacco’s popular PopUp @ ATC space, opened its first brick and mortar location in the American Tobacco Campus’ Crowe Building in November. 

Tastemakers Toriano and Serena Fredericks — who, previous to their pop-up experience, ran Boricua Soul as a much-in-demand food truck — created a restaurant and event space as unique as their southern soul, Carribean flair, Euro-African roots cuisine.

In addition to lunch and dinner fare, the space will also serve as a gathering spot for Durham’s acclaimed creative class with regular live music, poetry and other events scheduled both in the restaurant and into the campus’ Down Under thanks to floor to ceiling windows that turn this restaurant into an indoor-outdoor hot spot. 

Says Serena, “With a comfortable space designed to share delicious food amongst family and friends while you experience live performances in a world-class setting like the campus, I believe we’re creating a restaurant that will become a home for repeat customers.”

Boricua Soul is open in the Crowe Lobby Monday through Saturday – 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. 

Burt’s Bees ATC Cabin

Near the source of the Old Bull River sits a seemingly inexplicable small cedar shake cabin among the renovated American Tobacco Campus.

On closer inspection, a visitor quickly learns that this is no ordinary cabin, but rather a historic monument to the creator of one of America’s greatest brands.

The cabin of Burt’s Bees founder Burt Shavitz, relocated from his beloved Maine, marks the entrance to the global headquarters of the company he co-founded, Burt’s Bees.

Burt’s Bees employees operate the beloved natural personal care brand as well as conduct research and development for new products in their historic, refurbished office and lab space that has become a model on campus and beyond for office design.

And, recently, the company’s parent, Clorox, doubled down on its investment in Durham by creating a hub for its global IT operations on the campus. In fact, since its acquisition by Clorox, the number of Durham employees has grown six-fold in the past three years with plans to add even more.

So, the next time you grab your lip balm or give your baby a bath, know there is an ace team committed to the brand promise of founder Burt Shavitz right in the heart of the Bull City.

Gourmet — and flavored — cotton candy comes to Durham’s American Tobacco Campus

“Talking to Jackie Morin, owner of gourmet cotton candy company Wonderpuff, you might get a contact sugar high, even over the phone.

Wonderpuff is the September tenant of the American Tobacco Campus’ pop-up space on Blackwell Street, a residency for small businesses who want to give it a go at a brick and mortar store.

Wonderpuff deals in sugar highs, but this isn’t the cotton candy you’ll find at the fair. Morin said Wonderpuff’s creations are made from scratch, all organic and vegan. The flavors are derived from extracts and sugar she creates with her husband Rem.”

Read more in the News & Observer.

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