306 W. Franklin Street
FOWLER’S / BLUE DOGWOOD MARKET
Fowler’s Food store became a mainstay of downtown Chapel Hill when it opened in 1933 and moved to this location in 1949. At this time, downtown was the only commercial business district in town and was filled with grocery stores, gas stations, hardware stores, banks, car dealerships and houses of worship. Fowler’s housed groceries – even an international selection when other groceries did not, had a full service butcher shop, and a large, walk-in beer cooler known as “Big Bertha” (a college student favorite!).
After closing in 1990, the store was broken up into multiple storefronts to become the first public market in the state to focus on locally and regionally-produced products. Check for individual listings for the food vendors: The Bar, Rumi Persian Cafe, Soul Cocina, Vegan Flava Cafe and Big Belly Que, Goodness Cooks and Queenwa Cafe. The Blue Dogwood Market recently rebranded its bar “Big Bertha” in honor of the famous cooler.
Franklin Street has served as the backdrop for generations of activists and protests for social justice. In 1960, the Chapel Hill Nine ignited the community to address the gross indignities of inequality. This group of Black high school students asked for the same service given to their White counterparts at the food counter inside Colonial Drug Store, only to be refused and later arrested. The town erected a monument honoring the Chapel Hill Nine in 2020, located in front of the former Colonial Drug Store, at 450 West Franklin Street.
Historically, protesters march the length of Franklin Street, usually ending at the downtown post office (179 East Franklin Street). In 2006, the area in front of the post office was dedicated as Peace and Justice Plaza, honoring those who have worked for social justice and to make our community better.
We also recommend the Black and Carolina Blue Tour, a tour of Black Life and History at the University of North Carolina.