KAU Restaurant Enters New Era with Ownership Transition to Pepper Moon Corporation

KAU Restaurant, a cherished part of the Greensboro dining scene, is embarking on an exciting new chapter as owners Kayne and Jill Fisher officially announce the sale of the restaurant to Joe and Lee Staehly, the respected owners of Pepper Moon.

Since its inception, KAU has been known for its exceptional cuisine, warm hospitality, and distinctive dining experience within the historic Revolution Mill. Under the leadership of Kayne and Jill Fisher, the restaurant has flourished as a beloved destination for food lovers, community gatherings, and special occasions.

“We are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of our patrons, staff, and the entire Greensboro community. We are honored to have been part of the rebirth of Revolution Mill and grow the KAU brand to be known for great food,” said Kayne Fisher. “While it's bittersweet for Jill and me to make this move, we are ready at this stage in our lives to pass along KAU to another company and return to our roots focusing on smaller concepts.  It has been an honor to bring our vision to life at KAU and we are confident that Pepper Moon will continue to build on the restaurant’s success while bringing their own passion and expertise to the table.”  

Joe and Lee Staehly, well-known for their outstanding work with Pepper Moon Catering, bring decades of business and culinary experience with a deep commitment to exceptional service. Their leadership in catering, venues and events, combined with their appreciation for KAU’s legacy, makes them the perfect fit to lead the restaurant into its next phase. This strategic move marks a significant step in Pepper Moon’s growth trajectory, strengthening its position in the market and enhancing its ability to deliver innovative solutions to its customers. Pepper Moon will own and operate KAU starting on February 1.  

“Kayne and Jill have built something truly special, and we look forward to honoring their vision while introducing new and exciting elements that reflect our love for great food and community.”

— Joe Staehly

“We are thrilled about the synergies between KAU’s restaurant expertise and the event success of Pepper Moon, as both can learn from and enhance the other,” said Joe Staehly. “Kayne and Jill have built something truly special, and we look forward to honoring their vision while introducing new and exciting elements that reflect our love for great food and community.”

Revolution Mill and both companies are working closely together to ensure a seamless transition. Pepper Moon’s plan is to maintain KAU’s signature offerings while exploring opportunities for innovation and enhanced guest experiences at the market, dining and private events, and the current staff will remain ensuring that guests continue to enjoy the same high-quality dining experience they have come to love. 

Nick Piornack, Revolution Mill's General Manager and owner representative for the non-profit Self-Help, the owner of the redevelopment notes,  "We couldn't be happier that two well-known entities and husband wife team operators  will keep this outstanding concept locally owned at the campus which is home to 150 businesses, 180 residents and 1500 visitors daily to the 45-acre mixed-use campus". 

Kau Announces New Dining Concept and Features at Revolution Mill: Butcher, Market, Deli, and Events to Enhance Greensboro's Culinary Scene

Kau, at Revolution Mill, is thrilled to announce an exciting expansion and revamp of its services at Revolution Mill. This transformation more than doubles the capacity in their Market and Butcher shop with the addition of a deli and seafood case, along with a revamped dine-in menu, and expanded private event spaces.

Deli and Seafood Addition

Beginning August 6, the expanded Kau Market will now offer a deli which will include made-to-order sandwiches, quick grabs, and takeaway trays. Patrons can choose from a variety of subs, as well as deli favorites like chicken and tuna salad available in convenient sizes. Online preorders will also be available soon for added convenience. The seafood case will include fresh fish, scallops and shellfish. 

Enhanced Dine-In Experience

Kau’s dine-in service will now be focused on the indoor bar area and adjacent seating inside, offering a tweaked menu with weekly features alongside the popular staples. The bar area will also host a new raw seafood bar, featuring oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp, and occasional low country boils.

Private Event Space 

Kau is also excited to introduce a new private event space within the former dining room, 
"The Main Floor " perfect for hosting gatherings and celebrations. Private gatherings can be accommodated at the Main Floor dining room or in the upstairs Mezzanine. Private Events | Kau | Greensboro, NC (kaugreensboro.com)

Pop-Up Dinners 

Pop-up dinners will be more frequent, building on the success of previous events like the "build-your-own ramen buffet bar". Upcoming events include a Wild Game Night in August, and dates to be announced for a Seafood Boil, and Pig and Oyster Roasts.

A New Dining Model

"The traditional restaurant model has evolved, and it's time for a new approach," says Kayne Fisher, Kau's visionary owner. "At Kau, we are committed to providing an interactive food experience, allowing guests to engage with the many facets of our culinary offerings."

Kayne, along with his dedicated management team and staff, are eager to share this new model and look forward to offering guests a unique and engaging dining experience.

New Operating Hours

• Market: Tuesday-Saturday 11 AM - 7 PM, Sunday 11 AM - 4 PM

• Deli: Tuesday-Saturday 11 AM - 3 PM

• Dine-In: Tuesday-Saturday (Kitchen 4 PM - 9 PM, Bar 4 PM - 10 PM)

See more on Kau’s website >

The Hopper Trolley comes to Revolution Mill!

Cost: Fare free!

Beginning Thursday, July 4, the Hopper Trolley route will extend from downtown, making stops at Moses Cone Hospital campus, State Street and Revolution Mill. See the new brochure here. And, get live updates on the trolley’s whereabouts here.

Hours of Operation:

• Thursday - Saturday: 12 noon - 12 midnight

• Sunday: 12 noon - 10 pm

Frequency: The trolley arrives every 12-15 minutes during operating hours:

Route and Stops:
Approximately every block along Elm Street between Fisher Avenue and Carolyn Coleman Way. Please note that for safety, the Hopper will only stop at signed stops.

For safety, trolley stops at signed stops only. Vehicles are equipped for persons with disabilities. Service animals welcomed. For more information, visit greensboro-nc.gov/Hopper

Incendiary Brewing Company will open a satellite taproom at Revolution Mill

A new brewery is coming to Greensboro later in 2024. 

Incendiary Brewing Company announced it will open a satellite taproom within Greensboro's Revolution Mill. 

The brewery first opened in Winston-Salem in 2018. Then, in 2023, it opened a taproom in Raleigh. 

Incendiary Brewing Company said the new space on Revolution Mill's campus will open up to a large courtyard common area. There will be live music, community events, and beer releases. It's not clear what part of the campus the brewery will occupy. 

Learn more on WFMY >

Tenants lining up for retail space in renovated Triad mill building

Potential tenants are showing interest in the latest renovation project in an area already boosted by two recently completed similar projects.

Construction is underway on Phase 2 of Revolution Mill, the renovation of Mill House off Yanceyville Street, just northeast of downtown Greensboro. Nick Piornack of developer Self-Help and general manager of Revolution Mill, told Triad Business Journal that he has four letters of intent from prospective retail and/or restaurant tenants for the four, first floor retail spaces.

Delivery on the building is expected in May or June 2022.

C.T. Wilson of Durham and Greensboro is the general contractor on the $36 million renovation of the five floor, 167,000-square-foot building into a mixed-use facility. The closest building on the campus to Yanceyville Street, Mill House is planned to have two restaurants, retail and office spaces, and 33 apartments.

The plans for Mill House call for a 5,800 SF restaurant anchoring the first floor with a patio over the banks of North Buffalo Creek, which runs along the back of Mill House, separating Mill House from Revolution Mill Apartments. Piornack said he's negotiating for that premier restaurant space with a local tenant.

A $525,000 grant will be used to dredge and widen the creek and build a stronger bank that will allow better access while combating flooding. Big rocks and boulders will be added for cosmetic purposes.

"It will be turned from a liability into an asset," Piornack said of the creek.

An 1,800-square-foot atrium with a skylight is a central feature of the building's interior.

Piornack said two current Revolution Mill tenants have expressed interest in moving to Mill House, taking up to a floor apiece on the three top levels.

The second floor will have office spaces of 7,000 SF and 2,800 SF, plus apartments. The third, fourth and fifth floors will include about 12,600 SF of office space and apartments. Total office space will measure about 60,000 SF.

"There's going to be some really cool architectural features," Piornack said.

Subtracting the atrium and common space, Piornack said Mill House will have about 120,000 SF of rentable space. Revolution Mill and Mill House are managed by Kane Realty of Raleigh.

Mill House won't be the final phase at Revolution Mill, said Piornack, who pointed to the 13 or 14 acres south of the creek, a mostly open space along Yanceyville with a 13,000 SF industrial building at the west end, as the next phase, once Mill House is up and rolling. Self-Help refers to the next phase as the "Olympic" tract. Development there will be mostly new construction, a contrast from earlier phases.

See the Article on Triad Business Journal >

Self-Help on track to start $35 million Phase 2 of Revolution Mill in early 2021

The first phase of Revolution Mill, the $91 million mixed-use development in northeast Greensboro, is an unqualified success with 95% occupancy of its 150 loft apartments, three restaurants and more than 100 commercial tenants.

Now Self-Help Credit Union, the owner and developer of Revolution Mill, is now ready to move forward with a $35 million Phase 2 that it hopes to have completed in 2022.

By a vote of 8-0 Monday night, the Greensboro Zoning Commission approved rezoning 3.5 acres to light mixed industrial at 2005 Yanceyville St., clearing the way for a 145,000-square-foot mixed-use development in the Mill House, a five-story building that sits at the front entrance of Revolution Mill.

No one spoke in opposition to the rezoning proposal and no neighbors came forward with any grievances at a public meeting Self-Help organized. Hugh Holston, chairman of the zoning commission, summed up the lack of resistance and the unanimous vote in favor of the rezoning request.

“Revolution Mill has been an outstanding project for Greensboro,” Holston said.

Emma Haney, project manager of the Self-Help real estate team, called the Phase 2 of the project a “mixed-use microcosm” that has been greatly influenced by the success of Phase 1, which was completed in 2019.

“One of the most compelling parts from an underwriter’s perspective and from a real estate developer’s perspective is it’s just a little more of everything we’ve already seen have success in Phase 1,” Haney said. “That’s really informed the thinking for redevelopment of the Mill House.”

Plans call for 33 apartment units, 55,000 square feet of Class A office space, 10,000 square feet of retail/restaurant space and a co-working space. Eighteen of the apartments will be one-bedroom and 15 will be two-bedroom units.

The ground floor of the Mill House features 19-foot-high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows, and plans call for apartments, a co-working space with a mezzanine level and three retail spaces ranging from 1,300 square feet to 5,800 square feet. The largest retail space offers a deck overlooking Buffalo Creek and is seen as potential space for a restaurant. 

“The retail spaces can still be informed by the tenants,” said Haney, who said the campus could support another one to two restaurants. She also suggested a boutique fitness option is another possibility. 

The second through fifth floors will all be a mix of apartments and commercial space, and an atrium in the center of building will extend from the floor to the roof.“The market is at a place that it can comfortably support what we’re bringing online,” Haney said. “When we started Revolution Mill, there wasn’t an apartment market in this area. We’ve created a sub-market.”

Haney termed the area on Yanceyville Street as the Mill District, with Revolution Mill complemented by the 217 units at Printworks Mill Apartments that opened two blocks away earlier this year.

Read the rest on Triad Business Journal >

Revolution Mill opens Gallery 1250 with first exhibition ‘Triple Vision’

Revolution Mill will officially open Gallery 1250 and host their first art exhibit, “Triple Vision,” on Oct. 11 at 1250 Revolution Mill Dr. in Greensboro. The opening reception will be from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and the exhibit will run through early January 2020, said artist and director of Gallery 1250 Jan Lukens. Lukens said that The Bearded Goat would provide drinks and everyone is invited to this free event with complimentary food. Gallery 1250 is not to be confused with the Central Gallery, which is still operating and located at 1150 Revolution Mill Dr.

Lukens said that Gallery 1250 is a 2,800 square foot art gallery that was formerly known as the WamRev Gallery, a satellite exhibition space that was utilized by the Weatherspoon Art Museum. During a period of time awaiting grants, Revolution Mill decided to host the first WamRev Gallery exhibit. This featured James Cameron, a mural street artist from Raleigh, who painted the entire gallery’s 18-foot walls from floor to ceiling in green geometric patterns with only house paint and masking tape during the same week that Lukens moved his studio across the hall. The WamRev Gallery art opening for Cameron was in October 2016.

“Because the grants were not received and the walls were covered with a mural, the Weatherspoon was unable to use the space, and the gallery was only used for business meetings and events for the next two and a half years,” Lukens said.

Lukens said he pushed to utilize the space as an art gallery again and was asked to submit a business proposal. Management at Revolution Mill responded by making him the director. He contacted two other artist friends, Roy Nydorf and Michael Northuis, and invited them to the gallery so they could do the first show together. After a lengthy discussion, they all decided it was a good idea. That happened in June, and the walls were re-painted in July. Lukens said he is pleased to be a part of Gallery 1250’s first exhibition with two of his good friends whose art he has admired for decades.

Read the rest on Yes! Weekly >

Artists revive Revolution Mill gallery space

For nearly three years, Jan Lukens looked out from his Revolution Mill art studio onto a mostly-empty gallery space across the hall.

Lukens creates paintings in the historic former textile mill off Yanceyville Street, now a campus of offices, studios, event areas, apartments and restaurants.

Back in 2016, UNCG’s Weatherspoon Art Museum and Revolution Mill managers had arranged for Raleigh-based artist James Marshall (aka Dalek) to paint a colorful geometric design on the walls of the 2,800-square-foot space with 18-foot ceilings.

They called it Gallery 1250 for the building’s address on Revolution Mill Drive.

They wanted to make that mural the first in a series of collaborations, reflecting a commitment to present bold and imaginative exhibitions and reach new audiences.

But there it stood. Weatherspoon didn’t receive the grants needed to proceed with other artists’ projects there. Campus tenants used the space for meetings.

This year, Lukens proposed another idea for Gallery 1250 to Revolution Mill’s managers.

“Give it to me,” Lukens said.

They did.

On Oct. 11, Gallery 1250 will reopen as an art exhibition space.

Read the rest on News & Record >

Kontoor is coming: Opening date for the new VF jeanswear spinoff is just weeks away

Within the next month, a publicly traded company with annual revenues of about $2.7 billion will officially call Greensboro its home. 

Kontoor Brands, consisting of Wrangler, Lee, Rock & Republic and VF Outlets, will spinoff from VF Corp. on May 23, according to Zack Matheny, president of Downtown Greensboro Inc. The retention of Kontoor Brands is the silver lining to the news that broke in August 2018 that VF will move its headquarters from Greensboro to Denver. 

"Losing that (VF's global headquarters) is difficult," Matheny said. "I've never sugar-coated that. It's tough."

…

HEADQUARTERS: The company's local footprint will consist of its headquarters at the Wrangler building on North Elm and 43,000 square feet at Revolution Mill. Matheny told Triad Business Journal that Kontoor also will move 115 people into the former Home Savings Bank building at 444 N. Elm St. Kontoor declined to confirm this to TBJ.

Read the rest on Triad Business Journal >

Revolution Mill execs dig out opportunity at old self-storage building

No treasure chests. 

No long-lost works by Renoir or Rembrandt.

No rare, multimillion dollar finds a la the History Channel's "Storage Wars" unfolded as Revolution Mill General Manager Nick Piornack and company cleared out the old self-storage facility in the Mill House building of Greensboro's Revolution Mill.

Piornack said there are no concrete plans for a tenant – or tenants, potentially – for the 167,000 square feet inside the old relic. It's too soon to discuss costs, timelines, even occupancy, he said. 

"The main thing is we’ve started clearing the building and we’ll also start working on the exterior windows here in the next several months," he said. "You know, get the building good and solid and clean and dry."

Belk Architects, the firm that has done the bulk of the work on the Revolution Mill project, is in the early stages of analyzing the building. None of the other construction or trade work has been contracted yet, he said. 

The good news is the building is empty. Crews are clearing out old storage lockers, but so far they haven't uncovered anything of substantial monetary or historical value, Piornack said.

Read the rest on Triad Business Journal >

Natty Greene's founders part ways, stay friends

Image property of Perfecta Visuals.

One of the city's most enduring and well-known business partnerships has come to an end.

Amicably.

Kayne Fisher and Chris Lester are college buddies who founded Natty Greene’s beer.

That the two were going their separate ways has been known by many for some time, but the divergence is now official.

“We had a heck of a partnership," Fisher recalled. "It was great to be a part of a product that we turned into a brand that Greensboro should be proud of because it is still as strong as ever. But I was just ready for the next chapter."

Fisher assumes ownership of The Kitchen and Market at Revolution Mill, a restaurant the two opened last year.

"I’m happy for him," Lester said. "I hope he does really well. He wants to do more with the food. That’s his dream and he’s trying to follow his dream, which is awesome."

Lester will continue the Natty’s brand.

"I’m excited," Lester said. "I’m going to be doing the downtown pub and still doing beer at the production facility."

Meanwhile, Fisher is becoming a full-time restaurateur.

“It was time to move on,” Fisher explained. “On the beer side, he keeps Natty Greene’s and all things Natty. For me, I get to follow my true passion."

Read the rest of the News & Record article here >>

Part Of VF Corp. Moving To Revolution Mill In Greensboro

GREENSBORO (WFMY) - VF Corporation has selected Greensboro’s Revolution Mill as the new home for parts of its Jeanswear business. In August, VF announced it was creating an independent, publicly traded company, currently called 'NewCo,' which comprises VF's Jeans brands including Wrangler and Lee.

VF has signed a five-year lease with Revolution Mill. Around 125 U.S. NewCo employees will move into the 43,000 square-foot space in the former textile mill beginning in March 2019. 

“We are making great progress in our work to establish the Jeanswear business as its own publicly traded company, and today’s announcement is another important milestone as we move toward the separation in the first half of 2019,” said Steve Rendle, VF’s Chairman, President and CEO. “Revolution Mill is a historical property that honors the Greensboro community’s storied textile heritage. It’s only fitting that our Jeanswear organization will locate select functions there and help to continue the rich history and legacy of the Revolution Mill campus.”

In August, VF announced it's moving its global headquarters from Greensboro to Denver. The Denver headquarters will also become home to VF brands such as The North Face, JanSport, Smartwool, Altra and Eagle Creek.

The official name of NewCo will be announced by the end of 2018. NewCo will employ approximately 25,000 employees globally.

See the rest on WFMY >>

VF spinoff taps Wrangler building for HQ, but some functions are bound for Revolution Mill

The jeanswear spinoff company of VF Corp., temporarily named "NewCo," will move certain functions into 43,000 square feet at Revolution Mill in Greensboro. 

VF made the announcement Thursday.

NewCo will be a publicly traded company consisting of the Lee, Wrangler and Outlet brands. VF announced the spinoff in August, when it also announced it would be moving its global headquarters from Greensboro to Denver. 

The jeanswear company will have its headquarters at 400 N. Elm St., the current home of the Wrangler brand, VF said. 

The company signed a five-year lease at Revolution Mill – a former textile mill north of downtown Greensboro owned and redeveloped into a mixed-use complex by nonprofit community development organization Self-Help. 

The anticipated move-in timeframe is March 2019. 

NewCo will put merchandising, design and product development and innovation functions in the space that will house 125 NewCo employees. 

Triad Business Journal previously reported that there have been rumors that VF was considering locating functions in the mill complex. 

VF said minimal upfits are needed. 

"As we begin our NewCo journey, Revolution Mill is the ideal space to create an inspiring, creative working environment for our employees," said Scott Baxter, the appointed CEO of NewCo. "We're excited about what this space will offer our employees and brands, and we look forward to joining the vibrant community that exists on the Revolution Mill campus."

See the rest on Triad Business Journal >>

More luxury units coming to fashionable Triad apartment community

One of the Triad's most fashionable apartment communities is expanding with more luxury units at a premium price.

Eight new apartments are under construction at Revolution Mill in the space remaining on the west end of the residential building near The Colonnade, an 8,500-square-foot event space with an outdoor courtyard.

Maggie Cummings, the property manager, told Triad Business Journal that the apartments are scheduled for completion in the fall. C.T. WilsonConstruction Co. of Durham is the general contractor for the project, estimated at $1.8 million in a building permit filed with the City of Greensboro.

C.T. Wilson worked in a joint venture with Weaver Cooke of Greensboro on earlier renovations at Revolution Mill. Developer Self Help Ventures Fund is part of Durham-based non-profit Self Help. Revolution Mill opened its first 140 residential units early in 2017.

Read the rest of the article on Triad Business Journal >> 

CBRE|TRIAD IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE OLD NORTH STATE TRUST’S RELOCATION TO REVOLUTION MILL

CBRE|Triad is pleased to announce Old North State Trust will relocate from downtown Greensboro to Revolution Mill, the former Cone Mill textile plant is located along the Yanceyville Street corridor in Greensboro, just minutes from downtown. 

Due to the growth of the financial planning company, they have leased 5,000 square feet on two floors in the 1250 Building at Revolution Mill. The high-end office space will feature glass walled offices, and take advantage of the mill’s huge historic windows, hardwood decking, high ceilings and exposed oak beams. Old North State will be moving by the end of the year. 

“This is one of the premium spaces in the Mill, and we’re delighted with Old North State’s plans for it,” said Malcolm White, director of marketing and leasing for Self-Help, Revolution Mill’s developer. “Their clients will enter a spectacular reception space flooded with light, and Old North State’s staff will enjoy the dramatic setting for their individual offices. It’s a great fit.” 

The CBRE|Triad team of Richard Mossman, senior vice president, Matt King, assistant vice president and Christy Crouch Smith, associate, represented Self-Help in the transaction. Old North State Trust was represented by Richard Beard of Schulman and Beard Commercial Real Estate. The CBRE|Triad team has been handling the leasing and marketing responsibilities for Revolution Mill since October 2015.

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About Old North State Trust, LLC 

Old North State Trust (ONST) is a North Carolina based independent, family owned financial services company. As the needs of our founders became more complex, ONST evolved from a family office into a chartered trust company regulated by the state of North Carolina. Today, ONST is a well-established trust company that offers families and individuals meaningful and personalized service. The firm was built on a foundation of trust and integrity- those principles govern all client relationships. For more information about the company, visit http://www.oldnorthstatetrust.com/ . 

 

About Revolution Mill 

The Revolution Mill District is a historic textile mill campus encompassing Revolution Mill and Olympic Mill sites, with adjacent land connected by North Buffalo Creek. Located just north of downtown Greensboro, Revolution began operations as the South’s first large flannel mill in 1899 and for decades anchored a thriving community of workers and craftspeople. The facility included over 640,000 feet of working space before the textile industry decline led to its closure in 1982. For the next few decades, limited sections of Revolution were renovated into office space, while other parts of the property fell into disuse and disrepair. In 2012 Self-Help assumed ownership of Revolution Mill and is completing the property’s transformation into a mixed-use development. For more information about the property, leasing availability and details surrounding commercial, residential and studio space visit www.revolutionmillgreensboro.com or call (336) 235-2393. 

 

About Self-Help 

Self-Help, a community development credit union and lender headquartered in Durham, has provided over $6.9 billion in financing to 112,000 families, individuals and businesses underserved by traditional financial institutions. It helps drive economic development and strengthen communities by financing homebuyers, nonprofits, child care centers, community health facilities, public charter schools, and residential and commercial real estate projects. Self-Help’s credit unions serve over 120,000 people in North Carolina, California, Chicago and Florida with a full range of financial products and services. 

In addition to Revolution Mill, Self-Help’s long Greensboro history includes the redevelopment of the Self-Help Center downtown, a Self-Help Credit Union branch at 3400 Battleground Ave and the in-process redevelopment of the Renaissance Shops at Phillips Avenue, formerly the old Renaissance Shopping Center. In Guilford County, Self-Help has made home and commercial loans totaling $90 million, creating or maintaining an estimated 2,700 jobs. Over 70% of the loans have been to minorities, and 66% to low-income families. Learn more at www.self-help.org. 

 

About CBRE|Triad 

CBRE|Triad is a CBRE affiliate office serving the Triad Region. The firm assists real estate owners, investors and occupiers by offering strategic advice and execution for property leasing and sales; property, facilities and project management; corporate services; debt and equity financing; investment management; valuation and appraisal; research and investment strategy; and consulting. The local office closed more than $199 million in sales and leasing transactions in 2016. For more information about the Triad office, visit our website, www.cbre.us/triad.