Local restaurateurs to open Big Cat restaurant, market and bar in March

Local restaurateurs have teamed up to open Big Cat, a combined restaurant, takeout market and neighborhood bar at 1000 Brookside Dr. in Raleigh’s East Mordecai neighborhood, with a March opening planned. The collaboration brings together chefs and operators behind Ajja, Mala Pata, Locals Seafood and Person Street Bar and aims to offer a tavern-style, approachable menu alongside a market for convenient takeout.

The partnership includes Cheetie Kumar and Paul Siler of Ajja; Marshall Davis and Angela Salamanca of Mala Pata; and Justin Pasfield of Locals Seafood and Person Street Bar. The team has scheduled patio pop-up events in the weeks ahead to introduce neighbors to the menu and the space, and said the group hopes to create a stable, community-focused destination in a location that has experienced turnover in recent years. The announcement was made Jan. 14 and the organizers plan to open in March.

Big Cat’s combined model - dine-in restaurant plus takeout market and bar - is designed to capture multiple local demand streams. For residents, the market side offers an option for quick, everyday meals and takeout convenience, while the tavern-style menu and bar aim to serve evening and weekend patrons seeking a neighborhood hangout. The operators’ track record with noted local concepts gives the project an experienced management base that may help reduce the churn that has affected the space.

From an economic perspective, the venture illustrates a broader trend among independent operators to diversify revenue across service channels to improve resilience. Combining a market with a sit-down restaurant spreads demand across dayparts and customer types, which can smooth cash flow and better utilize fixed costs such as rent and kitchen equipment. For East Mordecai and nearby Wake County neighborhoods, a stable, well-run restaurant can increase foot traffic for adjacent businesses and contribute modestly to local sales and hospitality tax receipts.

Neighborhood engagement will be important. The pop-up schedule on the patio provides a low-cost way to build regular customers and to test menu items before the full opening. If the team establishes a steady local following, the site could move from past turnover to long-term occupancy, an outcome residents and property owners often welcome.

For readers, expect patio pop-ups in the coming weeks and a formal opening in March at 1000 Brookside Dr. The arrival of Big Cat signals more after-work and takeout options in East Mordecai and underscores how local restaurateurs are adapting concepts to meet changing dining habits.