City permits show Bull City Burger, Fogo de Chao, Pop Mart, Counter Culture Coffee and Arista Advanced Pet Care fitting out Durham spaces in 2026.

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Rebuilt monthly. This roundup is drawn from building permits the City-County Building and Safety Department issued in 2026 for new tenants, listed in the city’s open data permits layer. A permit means work on the space has been approved; it does not mean the business is open. Opening dates are up to each business.

Durham’s Building and Safety Department has issued 37 permits so far in 2026 inside the city limits for tenant fit-ups and upfits, the interior work a business does before it moves into a space. Here is what they show is on the way.

Who to call

  • Permits and inspections: City-County Building and Safety, 919-560-4144
  • Zoning for a business location: Planning and Development, 919-560-4137
  • Food businesses: Durham County Environmental Health, 919-560-7800
  • Look up a permit: Land Development Office system

Restaurants, coffee and bars

  • Bull City Burger, 4750 Guess Road, Suite 330, in the Latta Park shopping center: interior upfit of a cold dark shell “for burger restaurant,” with a new commercial kitchen.
  • A pizza restaurant, 4750 Guess Road, Suite 310, in the same center: first-generation upfit with a new kitchen and hood. The permit does not name the restaurant.
  • Fogo de Chao, 8030 Renaissance Parkway, Suite 885: renovation of an existing restaurant space into a new Fogo de Chao, with new kitchen, dining room and finishes.
  • Wings Over, 202 W. N.C. 54, Suite 404: upfit for a chicken wing delivery and carryout restaurant in a former hair salon.
  • Counter Culture Coffee, 1111 Neville St., Suite 100: fit-up for a new tenant.
  • A bar, 710 Rigsbee Ave., Suite 100: first-time completion of a cold dark shell as a bar.
  • Davis Park East, 610 and 630 Corbett St.: permits for a restaurant shell building and a multi-use shell building “for the purpose of future tenant upfits.”

Shops

At The Streets at Southpoint, 6910 Fayetteville Road:

  • Pop Mart, Suite 280: upfit of an existing space for a new tenant.
  • Johnston and Murphy, Suite 185: new tenant upfit.
  • State and Liberty, Suite 120: fit-up for a new mercantile tenant.
  • LensCrafters, Suite 296: remodel of the existing store.

Nearby, Party Reflections has a new tenant upfit at 6911 Fayetteville Road, Suite 105, and The UPS Store has an interior upfit at 5431 Page Road, Suite 130.

Health, fitness and services

  • Arista Advanced Pet Care, 4426 S. Miami Blvd.: fit-up for a 24/7 emergency clinic for dogs and cats.
  • New Season, 5121 N.C. 55: renovation of a whole building for a new outpatient clinic.
  • Action Behavior Center, 4321 Medical Park Drive, Suite 101: tenant remodel.
  • LaGree Fitness, 3109 Shannon Road, Suite 202: first-time interior upfit.
  • Pilates Addiction, 701 Washington St., Unit A-1, at WYE Junction: upfit for a fitness studio.
  • A barbershop, 404 Hunt St., Suite 110: upfit with shampoo sinks, plumbing and HVAC.
  • The Legacy Center, 515 Southerland St.: upfit of an existing building with a first-floor gym and kitchen.

Labs and offices

Lab and office tenants have fit-up permits too: bioMerieux at 145 Northern Durham Parkway, Metabolon at 617 Davis Drive, Bruno Bock and Tark Thermal Solutions at 4025 Stirrup Creek Drive, and office upfits on Emperor Boulevard and at Durham Centre, 300 W. Morgan St.

How we build this list

  • Source: the City of Durham’s “Active Building Permits” open data layer, filtered for permits numbered in 2026, inside the city limits, whose description mentions an upfit, fit-up or tenant work. Names are as they appear on the permits.
  • What it misses: businesses that move into a space without construction, home businesses and most openings outside the city limits.
  • Got news? If you are opening a business in Durham, tell our newsroom through the contact page; we add ribbon cuttings and openings each month.

What this means for you

  • Latta Park, on Guess Road, is getting a Bull City Burger and a pizza place.
  • Southpoint shoppers will see new stores, including Pop Mart.
  • Starting your own? Call Planning (919-560-4137) about zoning before you sign a lease.

More: building permits and zoning, restaurant inspection scores and Durham home prices.

Frequently asked questions

What new restaurants are coming to Durham?

City building permits issued in 2026 include a Bull City Burger in the Latta Park shopping center at 4750 Guess Road, a pizza restaurant in the same center, a Fogo de Chao at 8030 Renaissance Parkway and a Wings Over carryout at 202 W. N.C. 54.

What new stores are opening at Southpoint?

2026 permits at The Streets at Southpoint include fit-ups for Pop Mart, Johnston and Murphy, State and Liberty and Party Reflections, and a remodel of the LensCrafters space.

How do I find out what is being built at an address in Durham?

Search the address in the Durham City-County Land Development Office system, or look at the city’s open data permits map. Building and Safety answers questions at 919-560-4144.

How do I start a business in Durham?

Check zoning with the Planning and Development Department at 919-560-4137, get building permits for any work from Building and Safety at 919-560-4144, and, for food businesses, start plan review with Durham County Environmental Health at 919-560-7800.