The owners of some of the most distinctive cocktail bars in the Triangle are expanding again, with plans to make their mark on North Hills.
The cocktail duo of Patrick Shanahan and Robby Opperman will open the new bar Little Saint in North Hills next year. In the last year, the pair opened the opulent bar The Capulet Cocktail Club in the new Exchange development in Raleigh. They quickly followed that up with the chill subterranean listening lounge Rosebud, built in the former Fox Liquor Bar space.
Now Little Saint continues the creative creep of downtown vibes into North Hills, following recent openings by Standard Beer + Food and Benchwarmers Bagels.
“North Hills Innovation District is a special place with a strong community of locals who come here to work, live, dine and spend time together,” said Mary Ehrenberger, of North Hills developer Kane Realty, in a news release. “Little Saint is a great addition to the lineup we’re building in NHID. Bringing a true cocktail bar to North Hills gives our guests another reason to linger and enjoy the neighborhood, and Patrick and his team have the creativity and hospitality experience to make this space a natural fit for the district.”
Little Saint won’t be a small endeavor, opening in a 3,800 square foot space on the ground-floor of the St. Albans building in the North Hills Innovation District, directly across from Standard Beer. In addition to the indoor bar, there will be an outdoor patio.
While many North Hills restaurants feature craft cocktail menus, Little Saint stands out as the first stand-alone cocktail bar in the shopping center. The menu and design for Little Saint is still in development ahead of its 2027 opening.
Shanahan is co-founder of the Raleigh cocktail bar Watts & Ward, but has been on a creative tear in the last few years, branching out with Chef Saif Rahman to open Peregrine. There are also plans to open the all-day spot Cafe Royale this fall.
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Dining and Cooking