For seven decades, 320 W. Franklin has shifted from hardware to music hub to one of Chapel Hill’s best-known cocktail bars. The address tells a compact story of Franklin Street’s retail and nightlife evolution.

320 W Franklin Street got its start as Western Auto Associate Store, which opened on February 16th, 1952. Despite its misleading name, Western Auto Associate Store was not a car dealership; it was a supply store for all appliances home to vehicle. It sold everything from dishwashers and washing machines, to tires and car engines. 

By 1975, 320 W Franklin Street embarked on its music journey through Burgner Music Company. The store was the oldest music store running out of Chapel Hill at the time, and 320 W Franklin was not its original location. It offered a myriad of music-oriented services, such as instrumental instruction, repair, and rentals. They were also licensed to sell highly rated instrumental brands, like Yamaha Guitars and Ludwig drum sets. In an ad to the Daily Tar Heel in 1977, the store said that they were “a crazy, friendly bunch of music lovers, and if you’re into making music, then [they’d] love to be the ones to help you make it.” 

320 W Franklin Street’s music career did not end with Burgner Music Company. In 1983, it became Cat’s Cradle, the still-iconic concert and performance venue. Cat’s Cradle was founded in 1969, and over the course of its career, it has moved through many different locations, before settling in 320 W Franklin from 1983-1988. At the time, 320 W Franklin was an Attorney's office, and allegedly Cat’s Cradle was moved in 1988 due to repeated noise complaints after sound tests during the workday. 

320 Franklin Street then became a bookstore known as The Bookshop bookstore from 1989-2007,  which sold anything from leisure reads to textbooks.  

Gary Crunkleton bought 320 W Franklin St in 2008 with a dream of turning it into a classy bar where people could come to enjoy good liquor, cocktails, and each other. He has been a member of the Chapel Hill community since the time he was a college undergraduate attending the University. He loves his community and being a member of the Franklin Street business owners. Since then, the Crunkleton has gotten a lot of recognition, and was featured in the Bitter Southerner 's cocktail series, as they wrote "In [our] humble opinion, the most delightful place to have a cocktail in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is called The Crunkleton."  He says that “coming as a graduate and so proud as a graduate, I wanted to create a business that co-exists with the university. The students can participate in a non-transactional way, in a participatory way, which is something I am proud of.”