Person Street's 700 Block Lost Both Corners in March. Here's What Opened in Their Place.
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
At 701 and 702 North Person Street, two storefronts face each other across the pavement. For most of last spring, both were dark.
The Station, the Hibernian Hospitality Group spot at 701, served its last burger in March after more than a decade, according to Raleigh Magazine. Across the street at 702, Ish Delicatessen had its last day of service March 29. It had been open nearly five years in the small space it shared with Person Street Pharmacy. Owner Matt Fern told diners on Instagram, as quoted by The News & Observer, that "this can only go so far, and unfortunately we've reached that limit."
Seven months later, both addresses are open again, and each one now covers more of the day than its old tenant did.
Here are the two handoffs side by side.
| Address | Before March 2026 | Now | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 701 N. Person St. | The Station, a burger and bar spot from Hibernian Hospitality Group | Cora Kitchen + Bar, all-day Spanish and Latin tapas | Officially open by late August 2026 |
| 702 N. Person St. | Ish Delicatessen, breakfast and lunch sandwiches | Gallicchio's Market & Eatery, an Italian market, deli counter and later-day wine and beer | October 8, 2026 |
The table makes the pattern easy to see. The Station was a dinner and drinks spot. Ish was a breakfast and lunch counter. Their replacements now run morning to night on one side and lunch to take-home dinner on the other.
Cora comes from Sarah Frey. Before this, Frey ran Mr. Burro, the breakfast and coffee truck she has operated for roughly five years. When Raleigh Magazine covered the plans in April, it reported that Frey saw two things in The Station's space: the location's potential and what the magazine called "the breakfast-size hole in the neighborhood." She also told the magazine that the area could use more Latin food:
"The neighborhood needs some kind of Latino cuisine and vibe."
In the same piece, Hibernian's Niall Hanley called the stretch "an amazing foodie district" in the making.
The opening took longer than planned. Raleigh Magazine reported in April that Cora was aiming for late May. WRAL reported it officially open on August 28, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks, with a newly renovated outdoor patio.
The menu changes by time of day:
Cora's own menu page says its pickup listing was last verified October 13, 2026, and that what's available depends on when you order. Hours listed elsewhere don't all agree, so check with the restaurant before you plan a weekday breakfast around it.
Ish was a breakfast and lunch counter known for house-made pastrami, a smoked fish melt and a BLT with blue cheese dressing. Gallicchio's keeps the sandwich counter and adds a reason to stop on the way home.
Chef-owner Stacy Gallicchio Murphy based the shop on the Italian delis she knew growing up in New England. Her résumé includes Emeril's in New Orleans and Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger in Boston. She told The News & Observer in August that "we know we wanted to stay in the Oakwood neighborhood, because we feel so connected to it." The paper described a concept that mixes a deli, a market and a supper club.
Axios Raleigh reported that the first day of business was Thursday, October 8, after a run of pop-ups in the space. Just inside the door, a case holds pastas, vegetables like broccoli rabe, and take-home meals. The bar menu has salads, pastas and sandwiches, including roasted pork with broccoli rabe, a muffuletta and a meatball sub. Everything is made in-house, and Axios reports that special dinners are planned. The roasted pork and broccoli rabe sandwich Axios tried costs $16.
The Raleigh Local describes a lunch counter, the market case, wine and beer later in the day, and seating for about 30. Ish closed after lunch. Gallicchio's has added an afternoon and early-evening role: you can pick up dinner to take home or sit down with a glass of wine. Hours weren't settled when it opened, and the shop's own homepage still says "Opening Autumn 2026," so call ahead or check its social channels.
Before, these two addresses covered two different parts of the day. Together, they now take in most of it. Both also sit in a cluster of storefronts within a short walk. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance directory lists these nearby:
Around the corner on East Franklin Street, the same directory lists Yellow Dog Bread Company at 219, Two Roosters Ice Cream at 215, Edge of Urge at 215, Wine Authorities at 211, and Standard Beer and Food at 205.
That makes it easy to string a few stops together on foot. You could pick up chilaquiles at Cora, browse So & So Books, and grab a take-home pasta at Gallicchio's on the way back. Or you could split a round of tapas on Cora's patio and walk a block north to Person Street Bar. Directory listings can lag behind real openings and closings, so confirm a shop's hours before you build a Saturday around it.
Mordecai Historic Park and Oakwood's historic streets are a few blocks away, and the stretch between now and mid-December brings several dated events. A lunch or early dinner on Person Street fits easily before or after each one.
The Candlelight Tour and Santa's Trolley overlap that Saturday and Sunday, so the second weekend of December puts both events a few blocks from the 700 block at once. If you're hosting family that weekend, think about booking trolley seats and tour tickets now and getting a table at Cora between the two. Or pick up Gallicchio's take-home meals so nobody has to cook after a long walk through Oakwood.
If you live near Person Street and want to know how the reopened 700 block might factor into your home's value, Sold By Starkey is glad to walk you through it. Get your free home value and we'll start with your street.
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
The Sold by Starkey team knows how to navigate the Triangle area real estate market like no other. We have firsthand, local expertise on how and where to find the best available homes—which may be why our listings only spend an average of nine days on the market, a statistic well below the Triangle average.