One of the great things about visiting UNC or going to school at UNC is the time you spend right next to UNC.
The stretch of road that basically begins across from the Morehead Planetarium and goes all the way down to where the road changes to Carrboro is arguably the most iconic part of the University of North Carolina, even if most of it isn’t officially owned by the University. National titles and wins over Duke have been celebrated there, many meals have been made, and a lot of drinks have been consumed.
A. Lot.
While there are signs that the drinking culture is changing among today’s college student, for a long time consuming alcohol was synonymous with attending college. Still, there are plenty of folks enjoying the practice enough that several bars are still thriving along the main stretch. There are also iconic places that have served, quite literally, generations of students and fans — looking at you Sutton’s and Carolina Coffee Shop — that are stilla round to this day. There are also new places that have already established themselves as a must-visit spot for a drink or meal, and this stretch is still the best place to get UNC memorabilia.
An industry that has moved more on-line and has leant itself more to consolidation still has several mom-and-pop operations thriving with items that you can only get on that stretch of road. They offer unique services and not only tie themselves deeply with the love for UNC but with Chapel Hill as a whole, something that feels remarkable when you actually think about how we buy our merchandise these days.
No matter how you’ve come to UNC you’ve spent time on Franklin Street — though some more than others — and you have already decided on a favorite spot. Unlike places on campus that are mostly static, through the years Franklin Street has seen a whole world of change. Saying you enjoyed going to places like Hector’s, The Rat, or Pepper’s clearly place you in a particular timeline, whereas if Sup Dogs is your jam you may get a quizzical look from someone who hasn’t been back to Chapel Hill for a couple of decades.
That’s what today is about — your favorite Franklin Street spot, past or present. Let’s face it, while Franklin Street isn’t officially part of campus, it really is. It’s a huge selling point of the school, and it’s a place that you have to visit at some point whether you’re a student or a fan.
For me, I have to go with a place that recently closed its doors and looks like it has no signs of coming back — Linda’s.
The moment you read that name, you had a picture of fries covered with melted cheese inside a plastic basket and a big cup of ranch dip pop into your head, didn’t you?
Linda’s really was the quintessential college bar. You would walk inside and everything is dark, there was a bar near the front where you would get the drinks, and wood booths all throughout the place with a couple of hi-tops. That’s all before you got to a downstairs that could get really jumping on busy nights. While I was a student, it was my fraternity’s meeting spot and starting spot for adventures when I turned 21.
The less said about the second part, the better.
What I remember there is the conversations after a long day of class, rehearsal, and meetings. You’d sit down with your brothers and find something to chat and laugh about, finally get a meal, and — once you were legally able to do so — split a pitcher of cheap domestic beer. When I was a senior we also met there on Mondays to discuss what the meetings would be on Tuesdays, and the manager at the time was so happy to have us there he always had a couple of pitchers of coke on the table ready for us.
Some of the best memories I have as a student at UNC are in those four walls.
Needless to say I was heartbroken when it closed down — and recent drives by the building have seen the sign go away and the very real feeling that whomever takes over the space is going to do something dramatically different with it. It’s a real shame, but a feeling I’m sure several generations of alumni and fans have felt.
So use the comments, and let everyone know what your favorite Franklin Street place was. Again, it can be past or present. There should be some good memories here.
