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Raleigh vegan restaurant joining new food concepts at reshaped plaza

Three food concepts are coming to a Raleigh retail center as a group of industry veterans team up.

Three food concepts are coming to a Raleigh retail center as a group of industry veterans team up.

Vegan restaurant The Fiction Kitchen is leaving its Downtown Raleigh location to open in Gateway Plaza, near the intersection of Capital Boulevard and Crabtree Boulevard, alongside new concepts. Mala Pata, a Latin American restaurant, and Peyote, a takeout-focused bar, will be opening next door.

The two new concepts are primarily owned by Eric Montagne of Locals Seafood and Marshall Davis of Ex-Voto. Angela Salamanca of Centro and Zack Gragg of Locals Seafood are minority owners.

Though three separate concepts, the two restaurants and bar will share some back-of-house spaces as well as a common mezzanine seating area. The partnership is the first of its kind in the area, Davis said.

Fiction Kitchen and Mala Pata will each have separate interior dining room spaces will full-service offered to guests. A second-floor mezzanine with interior and exterior seating will be shared between the two, with the option to order from each kitchen from a QR code on the tables.

Peyote will have a separate entrance and operate as a “late-night ghost bar” – meaning patrons will pick up to-go drinks and desserts from the counter. The bar will not have its own seating area, but customers can utilize the shared mezzanine area.

The Mala Pata menu is centered around fresh masa ground in-house from heirloom Mexican corn. Diners can expect tortillas and tamales made using the masa, and dishes like seafood and tacos, Davis said.

The partnership with Fiction Kitchen on back-of-house space and building the mezzanine is a way to cut costs for both sides, Davis said.

Buildout for the space, including all three concepts, is set to begin soon with an opening slated for the summer. The total project, including the building of the mezzanine, will likely cost around $2 million, Davis said.

The total space measures about 6,000 square feet and is located beside the new Dogwood Country Club location. Fiction Kitchen’s dedicated dining area will hold around 50 seats with Mala Pata’s area a bit smaller with around 30 seats.

The mezzanine will measure about 1,000 square feet inside with another 1,000 square feet outside with room for about 100 seats.

Fiction Kitchen, currently located at 428 S. Dawson St., has been a go-to for plant-based eaters in the area for 10 years. The Gateway Plaza location will offer more parking – which is limited at the current location – and more refrigeration space, chef Caroline Morrison said. She’s also planning on introducing new vegan menu items as well.

“We plan to bring over the style that everyone knows as Fiction Kitchen. Our atmosphere has always been creative, playful and lively, just like our plates,” Morrison said in a press release. “We want to continue investing in the arts of our community members and employees, inside and outside the kitchen.”

The Downtown Raleigh dining room will remain open until the new space is complete.

The new tenants are solidifying Gateway Plaza’s reputation as a foodie destination. The shopping center features Union Special bakery, a unique pop-up turned upscale restaurant Fine Folk and the recently opened Miso Ramen Bar.

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