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Shipley Do-Nuts, a Texas chain known for its doughnuts and kolaches, is eyeing the Triangle for new locations. 

Why it matters: Texas-style kolaches — a type of pastry roll often filled with sausage or other savory foods — are hard to come by in the Triangle and the arrival of Shipley will give Texas transplants a taste of home.

Shipley's doughnuts are popular as well and have fueled the company into more than 400 locations across the country. Its first North Carolina location opened in Charlotte in 2024. 

Driving the news: Houston-based Shipley has signed an agreement for two franchise locations to open in the Triangle, under the ownership of Plexus Raleigh LLC and local entrepreneur Dana Norman. 

Beyond the kolaches, Shipley's menu includes yeast and cake donuts with a variety of toppings and fillings. But the chain is perhaps most known for its classic glazed doughnuts.

Zoom in: An exact location for the Shipley store has not yet been selected.

The goal is to open the first Shipley in the area in 2027 and a second one in 2028.  

Shipley Do-nuts, a Texas staple, eyes the Triangle for expansion

Shipley Do-Nuts plans to open in Raleigh in 2027.

Interior of a Shipley Do-Nuts shop: red neon sign "Make Life Delicious!" between circular logos; glass pastry display case and red-and-white counter.

Shipley Do-Nuts, a Texas chain known for its doughnuts and kolaches, is eyeing the Triangle for new locations. Why it matters: Texas-style kolaches — a type of pastry roll often filled with sausage or other savory foods — are hard to come by in the Triangle and the arrival of Shipley will give Texas transplants a taste of home.<ul><li>Shipley&#x27;s doughnuts are popular as well and have fueled the company into more than 400 locations across the country. Its first North Carolina location opened in Charlotte in 2024. </li></ul>

Food and Drink

Punch Bowl Social, a national entertainment-and-food company, has submitted permits to take over the former Jaguar Bolera space in the Raleigh Iron Works development. 

Why it matters: Jaguar Bolera — which offered food, drinks and games like duck-pin bowling — was one of the first tenants to open at Raleigh Iron Works, but the entertainment venue flamed out and closed its 23,000-square-foot space nearly two years after opening. 

Driving the news: Permits filed by Punch Bowl Social show the company wants to renovate the existing restaurant, add a new bar and several new arcade games. 

The permits were first reported by Raleigh Magazine. Raleigh Iron Works and Punch Bowl Social have not yet responded to a request for comment. 

Zoom in: Founded in Denver, Punch Bowl Social has a dozen locations across the country. 

Punch Bowl Social and Jaguar Bolera shared many similarities and are part of the growing "eatertainment" trend of bringing together elements of a bar and restaurant with interactive games like bowling, darts, arcade consoles and karaoke. 

Both Punch Bowl Social and Jaguar Bolera were founded by entrepreneur Robert Thompson. 

Punch Bowl Social submits plans for Raleigh Iron Works location

Jaguar Bolera closed its "eatertainment" venue at Raleigh Iron Works earlier this year.

TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Joe Szczesny, US-city-Detroit-auto-debt Patrons exit the new Punch Bowl Social restaurant January 1, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. After the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history, Detroit hopes outsiders will see the city's potential not the history of racial conflict, fina

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Punch Bowl Social" data-vars-click-url="https://punchbowlsocial.com/" data-vars-content-id="2f789930-2dfb-4536-91d6-56ce1b941dee" data-vars-headline="Punch Bowl Social submits plans for Raleigh Iron Works location" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://punchbowlsocial.com/" target="_blank">Punch Bowl Social</a>, a national entertainment-and-food company, has submitted permits to take over the former <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jaguar Bolera space" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2024/05/15/jaguar-bolera-ready-to-open-in-raleigh-iron-works-with-a-top-chef-led-menu" data-vars-content-id="2f789930-2dfb-4536-91d6-56ce1b941dee" data-vars-headline="Punch Bowl Social submits plans for Raleigh Iron Works location" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2024/05/15/jaguar-bolera-ready-to-open-in-raleigh-iron-works-with-a-top-chef-led-menu" target="_self">Jaguar Bolera space</a> in the Raleigh Iron Works development. Why it matters: Jaguar Bolera — which offered food, drinks and games like duck-pin bowling — was one of the first tenants to open at Raleigh Iron Works, but the entertainment <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="venue flamed out and closed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.newsobserver.com/living/food-drink/article315077973.html" data-vars-content-id="2f789930-2dfb-4536-91d6-56ce1b941dee" data-vars-headline="Punch Bowl Social submits plans for Raleigh Iron Works location" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.newsobserver.com/living/food-drink/article315077973.html" target="_blank">venue flamed out and closed</a> its 23,000-square-foot space nearly two years after opening.

A prominent piece of property in downtown Raleigh's Warehouse District is going up for sale. 

Why it matters: The Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh — commonly known as CAM Raleigh — is selling its museum building while the organization determines its path forward in the city.

Driving the news: CAM stopped holding exhibitions at its 409 W. Martin St. space last year, citing difficulty raising enough money to cover the building's operating costs.

For the past year, the museum's board has been working to determine how the organization can best move forward.

The big picture: It's not just CAM Raleigh facing financial headwinds. Arts nonprofits across the country have reported difficulties raising money and keeping up with rising costs over the past half a decade. 

The effort to open CAM Raleigh some 15 years ago took more than a decade of planning and funding. 

What they're saying: Kate Ferguson Boes, vice chair of the CAM Raleigh board of directors, said selling the property will give CAM more time to determine its path forward without rushing. It's been working with a consultant over the past year. 

"We're moving with the headwinds of where we are as a organization, and where a lot of arts organizations are today," she told Axios, noting funding has been harder to come by after the pandemic. "The crux of it is we're selling this building … to invest in our mission, not a mortgage." 

Zoom in: Revenue for the Contemporary Arts Foundation, which runs CAM, has fallen significantly over the past decade, according to financial filings. 

In 2025, the organization brought in around $567,000 in revenue. A decade prior, it had brought in around $1.2 million. 

At the same time, expenses had grown to around $767,000 last year. 

CAM has been in its current building since 2010, when it bought the property for nearly $1.3 million. Its current tax value is $11.1 million. 

What's next: Boes said there's no timeline on when CAM Raleigh hopes to unveil its next steps. But it's exploring several ideas. 

"Do we go to a smaller space? Do we become a museum without walls? Do we partner with another organization and move to their campus, and what does that look like? That's kind of the next step of what we are doing," Boes said.

took more than a decade of planning and funding

CAM Raleigh's downtown building being put up for sale

CAM Raleigh, which has been at the location since 2010, is considering what future operations look like.

Exterior of a modern campus building with a curved glass canopy patterned with circles. A green tree sits in gravel beside a raised planter with large yellow CM letters and RALEIGH on the base.

CAM Raleigh's building in downtown Raleigh's Warehouse District. Photo: Visit Raleigh

A prominent piece of property in downtown Raleigh&#x27;s Warehouse District is going up for sale. Why it matters: The Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh — commonly known as CAM Raleigh — is selling its museum building while the organization determines its path forward in the city.

Development

Culture

Highwoods Properties, Raleigh's largest office landlord, has filed plans with the city for a 13-story office building in downtown. 

Why it matters: The Raleigh office market has been in flux for years coming out of the pandemic, as remote work led to many prominent firms decreasing the amount of space they used. 

Not counting new government buildings from the city of Raleigh and the state government, this could be the first new office building built in downtown since 400H in 2021. 

Driving the news: Highwoods filed the plans for 333 W. Hargett St. on Monday with the city. The Triangle Business Journal was the first to report the filing. 

Highwoods has not yet responded to a request for comment, but the firm has been investing heavily into its office buildings on Fayetteville Street, especially the former Wells Fargo building. 

Zoom in: The new office plans call for more than 390,000 square feet of building space. Nearly 170,000 square feet of the building will be office space and around 5,000 would be for retail. 

Six of the 13 floors of the building would be set aside for parking, while the rest would be for offices. 

The 1-acre property is currently a surface parking lot and a building that was a former Goodwill donation center. Highwoods bought the property back in 2019 for more than $6 million. 

The property had been zoned for up to 40 stories of construction. 

Between the lines: Real estate experts have been watching for when the next office building would begin construction, given how slow demand has been for years. 

But with existing buildings filling up, it was beginning to make the idea of a new office building more feasible, they said. 

The intrigue: The Triangle Business Journal has reported that the Raleigh-based clothing company Peter Millar could be one company that is currently seeking a large amount of office space. 

The company has not yet commented on its plans and has not returned requests for comment from Axios. 

Highwoods Properties files plans for new office building in downtown Raleigh

The office market has been slow to recover since the pandemic.

South elevation architectural drawing of a tall, glass-fronted building with regular vertical window bays and a lower podium, with grid lines and measurements.

A screenshot from Highwoods' plans submitted to the Raleigh Planning Department. Photo: City of Raleigh

Highwoods Properties, Raleigh&#x27;s largest office landlord, has filed plans with the city for a 13-story office building in downtown. Why it matters: The Raleigh office market has been <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="in flux for years" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/04/14/north-carolina-raleigh-office-market-shows-signs-of-life" data-vars-content-id="a96b3996-8c2a-4529-a62d-04ba8df9e3d1" data-vars-headline="Highwoods Properties files plans for new office building in downtown Raleigh" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/04/14/north-carolina-raleigh-office-market-shows-signs-of-life" target="_self">in flux for years</a> coming out of the pandemic, as remote work led to many prominent firms decreasing the amount of space they used. <ul><li>Not counting new government buildings from the city of Raleigh and the state government, this could be the first new office building built in downtown since 400H in 2021. </li></ul>

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Business

The North Carolina Museum of Art's director, Valerie Hillings, is departing the Raleigh-based museum to become the first director of the new Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Museum. 

Why it matters: The N.C. Museum of Art, one of the Triangle's and the state's leading cultural institutions, will now hire a search firm to find Hillings' permanent replacement. 

Driving the news: Hillings will be tasked with opening the Guggenheim's Abu Dhabi outpost in December after more than two decades of planning. 

Before taking the job at the N.C. Museum of Art, Hillings spent many years at the Guggenheim, in part working on the Abu Dhabi expansion. 

Zoom in: Hillings had helmed the N.C. Museum of Art, which also has a campus in Winston-Salem, since 2018.

She led the largest fundraising campaign in the museum's history, according to the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. 

Katherine White, who has been the museum's deputy director since 2018, will serve as interim director. 

What they're saying: “I leave the North Carolina Museum of Art enormously proud and grateful,” Hillings said in a statement. 

“We weathered a global pandemic; reimagined, reinstalled, and grew the People’s Collection; designed and initiated transformational capital projects at the Raleigh and Winston-Salem campuses; and expanded statewide outreach initiatives to serve a larger and more representative audience," she added. "The state of the North Carolina Museum of Art is strong and its future bright.”

N.C. Museum of Art director departing for Guggenheim Abu Dhabi 

Valerie Hillings had led the N.C. Museum of Art since 2018.

Portrait of a woman with short brown hair and pearl earrings, wearing a navy blouse with white polka dots, arms crossed, standing in front of a textured yellow and metallic backdrop.

Valerie Hillings, the director of the N.C. Museum of Art. Photo: Courtesy of N.C. Museum of Art

The North Carolina Museum of Art&#x27;s director, Valerie Hillings, is departing the Raleigh-based museum to become the first director of the new Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Museum. Why it matters: The N.C. Museum of Art, one of the Triangle&#x27;s and the state&#x27;s leading cultural institutions, will now hire a search firm to find Hillings&#x27; permanent replacement.

Zachery Eanes

Featured stories

Punch Bowl Social submits plans for Raleigh Iron Works location

N.C. Museum of Art director departing for Guggenheim Abu Dhabi

CAM Raleigh's downtown building being put up for sale

Shipley Do-nuts, a Texas staple, eyes the Triangle for expansion

Highwoods Properties files plans for new office building in downtown Raleigh