Eat

Carolina Coffee Shop

Despite the name, this place is not a coffee shop, but a small restaurant/bar that has been a student hangout on Franklin Street longer than anyone can remember. Decent lunch/brunch offerings by day and a fairly calm, casual bar by night.

coffee

Address: 138 E Franklin St
Hours: Tue Thu-Sat 9AM-2AM, Wed 9AM-9:30PM, Sun 9AM-2PM
Website: carolinacoffeeshop.com (opens in a new tab)

Directions Suggest a nearby place

Listing from Wikivoyage: Chapel Hill, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

Close by

Eat
Cosmic Cantina
A small burrito joint that's the sister location to the original in Durham. The veggie burrito is quite affordable. The restaurant often prints discount coupons in magazines such as The Independent Weekly and also has alcoholic drink specials.
Daily 11AM-4AM
Do
Varsity Theater
Historic movie theater that opened in 1927 on Franklin Street and has been renovated. The two-screen theater plays second-runs of major Hollywood hits along with classic features at the low price of $3. Concessions remain reasonably priced and, much to UNC students' delight, the new ownership began serving craft beer to go along with their flicks.
Buy
Chapel Hill Sportswear
The widest selection of UNC gear and clothing you're going to find anywhere. Immediately recognizable from the shock of Carolina blue in the windows facing the street.
Mon-Sat 10AM-6PM, Sun noon-5PM
Eat
Sutton's
A classic lunch counter at the back of a pharmacy that has been on Franklin Street for ages, as evidenced by the photos on the walls. Serves great burgers.
Mon-Sat 7AM-6PM, Sun 9AM-5PM