page_title: Franklin Street (Chapel Hill)
section_title: Historical businesses
hierarchical_section_title: Franklin Street (Chapel Hill) / Heritage / Historical businesses
caption_attribution_description: English: East Franklin Street pedestrian crosswalk at night in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
context_page_description: Franklin Street is a prominent thoroughfare in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Historic Franklin Street is considered the center of social life for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as the town of Chapel Hill.
  It is home to numerous coffee shops, restaurants, museums, bookshops, music stores and bars. The street in downtown Chapel Hill is notable for its nightlife, culture, and regular festivities. The stretch of college-oriented businesses continues west into neighboring Carrboro, where the street's name changes to Main Street. Both streets are home to small music venues, like the Cat's Cradle and the Carrboro Arts Center, which were influential in the birth of Chapel Hill rock. UNC's Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, as well as the Ackland Art Museum are also located in this area.
context_section_description: Five businesses currently located on Franklin Street have been open for more than 50 years: Chapel Hill Tire Company, University Florist, Carolina Coffee Shop, Sutton's Drug Store, and Julian's clothing store.
  Colonial Drugstore: Originally located on West Franklin Street (closed 1996; now the site of the West End Wine Bar), Colonial Drugstore was the site of sit-ins in the spring of 1960 when students from Lincoln High School made a stand at the establishment's soda fountain. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Martin Luther King visited and spoke on the UNC campus, thrusting Chapel Hill into the national debate on civil rights. Colonial Drug was also the longtime home of the "Big O", a beverage made from fresh-squeezed oranges similar to orangeade.
  Ramshead Rathskeller: This establishment served famous UNC alumni its signature lasagna from 1948, when it was opened by a Jewish Austrian by the name of Ted Danziger, who came to Chapel Hill as a refugee from the Holocaust.  "The Rat" was the first restaurant in the area to employ an entirely African-American staff. A popular spot with students and alumni, the restaurant, which extends over a catacomb-like basement with many different rooms, was filled with UNC memorabilia and history. "The Rat" was one of the oldest continuously operating businesses in Chapel Hill, but was sold and later closed down in 2008 due to non-payment of taxes by the new owners. Its decor and memorabilia were auctioned off, leaving just the bones of the structure. The future of its unique location is unknown. Customers included Michael Jordan, Jerry Stackhouse and Roy Williams.
  Sutton's Drugstore: Largely unchanged since it opened in 1923, Sutton's operates one of the last remaining traditional soda fountains in North Carolina. Photos on the walls feature patrons from over the last three decades. The manager, Don Pinney, has worked there for 30 years, during which time some of the same customers have traditionally come in for breakfast every morning.
caption: East Franklin Street crosswalk
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