Good people of Cary,

Lazy Daze weekend is over, back-to-school is in full swing, and September is somehow already around the corner.

We’re eating good this week.

Lloyd’s Full Service has opened at Chatham and Academy, K38 Baja Grill is opening just a few doors down on Saturday, and a massive new sushi, hot pot, and seafood buffet just opened at Crossroads.

Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café is also getting close to opening at Fenton.

And if you have driven past Bond Park recently, you may have noticed something else: the new traffic signal is finally standing. It just is not turned on yet.

This week’s featured story is a more somber one. Former Cary Councilmember Ed Yerha, who spent decades serving Cary and became one of the Town’s strongest advocates for preserving its history, passed away this week.

Thank you for continuing to support local,

James

After years of planning and construction, one of Downtown Cary’s most anticipated restaurants has finally come to life.

Lloyd’s Full Service has begun welcoming diners at 107 E. Chatham Street, at the corner of Chatham and Academy streets.

The restaurant occupies one of Downtown Cary’s most recognizable historic buildings. The small service station originally opened in 1951 under K.M. Lloyd and most recently housed Gurkan’s Downtown Auto Repair. Rather than demolishing the building, Early Bird Night Owl, the hospitality group behind The Mayton, incorporated the original structure into a much larger restaurant.

The result includes an indoor dining room, a large covered patio and a vintage-style vehicle outside that has been converted into an additional food and drink service point.

The menu includes dishes like grilled sirloin cap steak with chimichurri, garlic-lemon roasted chicken thighs, a shrimp po’boy, linguine and clams, breakfast for dinner, and more. Most entrées fall in the $20–$30 range.

This is a very cool use for an old Cary building. Go check them out!

Additional reading: Lloyd’s Full Service

Lloyd’s will not hold the title of Downtown Cary’s newest restaurant for very long.

K38 Baja Grill officially opens Saturday, August 29, at 147 E. Chatham Street, just a few doors down.

The restaurant traces its roots to Wilmington, where founder Josh Vach opened the original K38 in 1993 after years of surf trips through Baja California. The name comes from the 38-kilometer mark along the coastal highway in Baja, near a surf break and the roadside taco stands that helped inspire the concept.

More than 30 years later, K38 has grown beyond Wilmington. The Cary restaurant will be its seventh location and follows a recent expansion into Raleigh’s Seaboard Station.

The menu leans heavily into Baja-style food, with fish tacos, burritos, fajitas, quesadillas, queso, guacamole, elote, and margaritas.

For Saturday’s grand opening, K38 plans to give away its house-made salsa and queso throughout the day, along with live music, giveaways and a chance to win a custom surfboard made by Wilmington-based Savage Surfboards.

Additional reading: K38 Cary

Crossroads has a massive new buffet.

UMI Hotpot Sushi & Seafood Buffet recently opened at 1805 Walnut Street in the former Red Lobster. The all-you-can-eat restaurant combines hot pot, sushi and sashimi, seafood, grilled food, ramen, appetizers, meats, and desserts under one roof.

UMI advertises more than 200 items. This is a great place if you don’t want to be restricted on what you try.

They are located at 1805 Walnut St, and they already appear to be extremely popular. If you’re hungry for seafood or hot pot, this is going to be a great option.

Additional reading: UMI Hotpot Sushi & Seafood Buffet

Former Cary Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem Ed Yerha, who spent more than two decades serving Cary in elected and volunteer positions, has passed away.

The Town announced Yerha’s passing on Monday, August 24.

Yerha served on the Cary Town Council from 2012 until 2022, including a term as Mayor Pro Tem. But his involvement with the Town started long before he ever had a seat on Council.

Yerha moved to Cary in 1995 and became involved in local government a few years later. He served on the Planning and Zoning Board from 1998 to 2004, including four years as chairman, followed by time on the Sister Cities Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment before joining Town Council in 2012.

By the time he left elected office, he had spent roughly 25 years serving Cary in one role or another.

But Yerha may be remembered most for something slightly different from the normal work of a Town Council member.

He really liked Cary history.

Yerha served for years with the Friends of the Page-Walker Hotel, including as the organization’s president from 2010 to 2012. He was involved with Cary’s Historic Preservation Master Plan, worked with the Historic Preservation Commission and became one of the Town’s most visible advocates for protecting Cary’s historic buildings and stories as the community grew.

That became especially visible during Cary’s 150th anniversary celebration in 2021.

Throughout the year, Yerha presented a series of “History Moments” at Town Council meetings, using short videos to tell stories from Cary’s past. The project became part of the official Cary150 celebration and is still preserved by the Town.

His interests extended beyond history. Yerha also advocated for environmental initiatives, supported Cary’s sports and cultural programs and proposed what became Cary’s first Senior Advisory Board.

When Yerha left Town Council in 2022, Cary gave him a pretty permanent thank-you.

White Oak Park on Jenks Carpenter Road was renamed Ed Yerha Park.

The park includes pickleball courts, a basketball court, playground, picnic shelter, and access to White Oak Creek Greenway. The renaming happened before Yerha’s final Council meeting, recognizing his decade as an elected official and the years of volunteer work that came before it.

Mayor Harold Weinbrecht described Yerha this week as “a true gentleman who lived his passion for this community.”

Cary changed enormously between the time he moved here in 1995 and the time he left Town Council in 2022. Population exploded, farmland became neighborhoods, Downtown Cary reinvented itself, and the Town increasingly became a place filled with things that were brand new.

A lot of Yerha’s work was about making sure that, while Cary built what came next, it did not completely forget what came before.

There is now a park with his name on it.

But there are also historic buildings still standing, stories that have been documented, and pieces of Cary’s history that are easier to find because somebody cared enough to keep talking about them.

Ed Yerha spent decades being one of those people.

Additional reading: Town of Cary statement on Ed Yerha’s passing

Interested in partnering with us? Reach out at [email protected] and let's find something that works for you.

What: The NC Courage take on Angel City FC during the club’s annual Pride Night at First Horizon Stadium.

Where: First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park (101 Soccer Park Drive)

When: Wed, August 26 | 8 p.m.

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What: If you enjoy ’90s alternative rock, Koka Booth has assembled quite the lineup. Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms co-headline with Spin Doctors joining them for the night.

Where: Koka Booth Amphitheatre (8003 Regency Parkway)

When: Fri, August 28 | 6 p.m.

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What: WAR celebrates 50 years of Why Can’t We Be Friends? with a show featuring The Family Stone and the Ohio Players.

Where: Koka Booth Amphitheatre (8003 Regency Parkway)

When: Sat, August 29 | 7 p.m.

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Sometimes you just need some trees, a creek, and a bench. That's what this week's destination provides.

Dorothy Park is one of Cary’s smallest and easiest-to-miss parks. Located at 720 Griffis Street, just a few minutes from Downtown Cary and right off of the Higgins Greenway, the park is tucked between two residential streets and consists primarily of a small wooded open space surrounding a creek.

Cary actually classifies Dorothy as a “mini park,” a category intended for small public spaces that primarily serve the surrounding neighborhood.

There is no playground, restroom, sports court, or parking lot here. Instead, there are mature trees, plenty of shade, a small grassy area, and a creek running through the middle. 

It is beautiful and calm. It's definitely not a typical "destination," but it is still worth checking out during a longer voyage. I love to run on the Higgins Greenway, and I typically end up going around the park during my route. 

There is no dedicated parking for Dorothy Park, but street parking is available around Griffis Street and Dorothy Drive. Just be mindful that you are parking in a residential neighborhood, and do not block anyone’s driveway.

I actually featured Dorothy Park in The Cary Report all the way back in 2023. Not much has changed since then, though they did update the bridge that crosses over the stream.

You are probably not going to plan an entire Saturday around visiting Dorothy Park. But if you want somewhere quiet to read, have a picnic, watch birds, or combine with a walk along Higgins Greenway, this is a great hidden gem to check out.

Dorothy Park
720 Griffis Street
Open sunrise to sunset

More Info

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