The Lutra Cafe & Bakery is coming to the American Tobacco Campus in June 2026, giving owner Chris McLaurin his first brick-and-mortar after three years of pop-ups.
McLaurin built Lutra's following the slow way. Starting in 2023, he ran bun sales at farmer's markets and pop-up stops at Queeny's and Cheeni. By 2024, he had moved 10,000 buns. The cinnamon rolls drove most of the obsession, massive spirals iced in flavors like orange, blueberry ginger, and cardamom hibiscus.
The permanent cafe will be 2,600 square feet with 36 indoor seats and 20 on the patio. Renderings show a counter-service pastry bar, standing drink rail along the walls, and a colorful dining room. A neon sign reading "Hot Buns" appears in the plans.
The menu goes beyond buns. Breakfast sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, and a 100-layer hashbrown round out the savory side. The Big Cookie holds its own on the sweet end.
McLaurin cooked at restaurants in Washington, D.C., and across the Triangle before landing at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh. The American Tobacco location is his first solo venture with a permanent address.
"We're creating a space that is warm, welcoming and full of craveable food and drinks," McLaurin said.
When it opens, Lutra plans to run seven days a week: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.