New downtown Cary restaurant, bar plans to expand

The new owner of a bar along the Route 14 curve in downtown Cary is looking to give the building a makeover while opening a new business.

Lucky Corner restaurant will take over Happy’s Badass Bar at 44 Crystal St. in downtown Cary. New owner Nick Patel said he is looking to make serious changes to the location by adding a two-story addition and a deck in the back.

The addition would create an additional 600 square feet of retail space on the first floor with extra seating, a kitchen, a new bar area and a room for video gaming terminals, Cary Director of Community Development Brian Simmons said. The second floor would be a residential apartment unit.

Patel, who also owns Lucky Penny’s restaurant in Cary, hopes to add special designs to the restaurant such as a glass garage door in the front that can be opened up and a deck area in the back.

The restaurant plans to have 62 seats and six video gambling terminals, Mayor Mark Kownick said. One concern is the limited parking in the immediate area. Developers are working to create extra parking in the rear for the tenants living in the apartment, Kownick said.

“I think this is a really good redevelopment,” he said. “It’s going to really jump-start the corner.”

Patel requested zoning approval along with application waiver allowances from the Village Board Tuesday. Patel requested to waive 10 application requirements, including a traffic study, market study, landscape plan, environmental statement, development schedule and a site drainage plan.

“The items requested are not necessary due to the size and location of the project,” village documents said.

Patel aims to execute the project in two phases, the first being renovations to the existing space and the second being the additional buildout. The first phase could begin as early as March and the second phase could start this summer, if approved by the village, Simmons said.

The new building design will be consistent with the “overall look and feel” of downtown Cary, he said.

Village Trustee Ellen McAlpine said she is happy to see the owner want to utilize the rear of the property with the deck, which looks out at Veterans Park.

“That area has just been sitting there,” she said. “If you build it, they will come.”