Hidden Gems: Meet Chris Lopez of Fine Folk

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Lopez.

Chris, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I most recently worked as the chef at a now-closed restaurant in Cary called Postmaster. Due to the pandemic, we pivoted Postmaster into a greasy cheeseburger joint called GOV’T CHEESEBURGER, which gained quite a cult following. Ultimately, the pandemic got the best of the pop-up and we had to close Postmaster.

Upon closing, with the help of some good friends, we launched Fine Folk as a short-order kitchen out of Foundation in Downtown Raleigh. After a pretty rough winter, we signed a lease on a space in Gateway Plaza and moved our pop-up to Union Special Bread. Since then, the residency has developed into a mini-scale version of what to expect when the full-scale restaurant is open.

We’re currently operating out of Union Special Wednesday thru Saturday from five to nine.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Absolutely not. We’ve changed names, concepts, venues, staffing, and have experienced delays. Opening a restaurant during a pandemic has to be the most stressful thing I’ve ever done but it’ll feel all the much better once we finally get those doors open.

As you know, we’re big fans of Fine Folk. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Fine Folk aims to be that spot. The spot you can go to for a drink alone on a Monday night just to get out of the house. The spot you take friends and family to when they come into town. The spot you meet a few friends weekly for a catch-up and a hearty meal.

We aren’t opening with a bunch of frills, bells, or whistles. Just food we wanna eat, a wine we wanna drink, and just an overall good-ass time. As of the moment, I’ve been most proud of our resiliency. We were born out of an insanely tumultuous time and we ain’t going anywhere, and that’s really dang cool.

What matters most to you?
To me, just being honest and upfront about what we do and who we are matters most. We never claim to be anything more or less than what we are.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: finefolkraleigh.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/finefolknc
• Facebook: facebook.com/finefolknc

Image Credits
Chris Lopez and Sorena Dadgar