Business Bits: Parkside Town Commons Starts to Fill Up

Cary, NC — Cary continues to add businesses at a record clip. Have you driven “out west” lately? You’d be surprised at all the retail growth that’s occurring there in 2016.

Parkside Town Commons

Parkside Town Commons is now filling up its second phase of development with smaller boutiques, chains and “out parcels.” If you know high school or college kids looking for work, there may be some jobs for them out there!

New Businesses

Here’s a list of what we’ve heard will be opening in the coming months at the western Cary “power center.”

• Smoothie King – Opened the week of March 21, 2016.
• Coldstone Creamery Ice Cream – The sign is up, and it looks as if this could open by early May 2016.
• Hickory Tavern – With one location in Carrboro, there are expanding to Cary soon. No word on the predicted opening date, but they are hiring!
• Paisley Boutique – This locally-owned women’s clothing boutique started with their first location in downtown Cary’s Ashworth Village. Owner Lauren King is looking to expand her popular shop westward and says this should open mid-April.
• Chuy’s – Opened recently in Durham. This outparcel at Parkside should open in April serving fresh, Mexican-influenced sit-down style service.
• Flour Power – This kid’s cooking studio should be a great addition to the family-friendly shopping center.
• Guitar Center – Cary will have a guitar supply store again! 
• Stellino’s Italian – This will be a locally owned restaurant featuring Italian food.
• Orange Theory Fitness – The second location of this fitness chain in the Cary-area (the first is located in Park West Village) will open very soon.
• Learning Express – This is the second Cary location of this children’s toy retail chain.
• Phenix Salons – This salon will be located next door to Pink Magnolia and Halie’s Boutique and will include individual stylists renting space within. This concept continues to gain popularity with hair stylists looking to break out on their own.
• Another Broken Egg – This New Orleans-based chain has a second Cary-Morrisville location in Park West Village.
• SteinMart – The Florida retailer has had a popular location in Morrisville in Park Place for over 10 years and will be western Cary’s first department store.

There’s More

Not only is Parkside Town Commons filling up, but, just down the road, another mixed-use center is under construction. If you have driven up NC-55 recently, you may have also noticed another shopping center under construction just south of Parkside Town Commons. It’s called Alston Town Center (named for the historic Alston area where it is located).

The Triangle Business Journal reported in July 2014 that Whole Foods would be opening there in 2016. Land was being leveled for ages, but now the walls are up, the Tyvek is on and facades are being finished. Odds are that some new store signage and announcements will be coming soon. Prediction – the first stores will open there in the fall of 2016.

27519 Keeps Growing

As the rooftops have continued to be built west of NC-55, over 50,000 Cary-ites now call the 27519 zip code home. We see many “Land For Sale” signs dotting the roadsides of NC-55, and other signs that state Town of Cary Public Hearings. Those are the two visible “signs” (pun intended) that growth is heating up on the western side of town.

Look for more Business Bits columns to illuminate what is coming to this side of town in the future!

Story by Lindsey Chester. Photos by Parkside Town Commons.