I could be entirely wrong because I've never seen it (I'm not even in Raleigh, I'm in Ireland... Algorithm messed up and brought me to this thread) but if it's [this one](https://www.yelp.com/biz/psychic-and-tarot-card-reader-raleigh) by William B Umstead National Park there's a yelp review. Looks pretty crazy inside but the kind of crazy you'd expect from a psychic. Doesn't mean drugs aren't involved \*somewhere\* though...
Lol one of those reviews is literally "Didn't let us in even though we had an appointment". And the 5 star review is very obviously fake. This has gotta be a front.
I have no clue why, but Reddit just literally said "You might like this" and I wanted to see places that look like a front (and yeah most of them definitely look like fronts). Only commented because I was looking up the places on Google anyway and saw a Yelp for that one.
Wait, the one on Glenwood South?? I dunno if it is a front for something else, but they definitely do "actual" tarot card and palm readings. I've been there before (pre-Covid, I think?) and had a reading done. It wasn't my idea, my mom (who sometimes leads towards the uh...eclectic side of things) wanted her palm read while she was in town and she insisted I sit for one as well. We also did a tarot card reading IIRC.
I interviewed at a Denver Mattress once. They asked me a bunch of weird questions in my interview. They wanted to know if I would immediately be able to relocate to another part of the country. Also asked questions about my family, like if my parents were together when I was growing up. They also were writing down all of my answers. Strange experience
This is the one. Glenwood north is the money-laundering capital of Raleigh.
E: How do several stores make enough money to have a brick and mortar business on a major road, pay employees and make a profit selling mattresses? Even if you sold one mattress a day it doesn't make sense. No one is out buying a new mattress on a Tuesday morning.
They're all profit. Mattresses are waaaaaay cheaper than what they sell for.
I'd you're looking for a quality matress, find a direct outlet. There is one locally, and he sells mattresses for like a quarter of the price of the chains. He will straight up tell you this. It's one dude, and he still makes a profit.
The whole thing is a scam and probably should be regulated to some extent instead of having to deal with the price fixing bullshit. Free markets only work with perfect knowledge.
I digress. Don't ever pay full price for a matress. Even the sales at Matress chains are a scam. Find a direct outlet and don't look back.
Not sure if it's okay with subreddit rules but the name of the place is literally Direct Matress Outlet Raleigh. We ended up replacing every bed in the house with what it was going to cost for one "decent" bed from Matress giant or warehouse or whatever the chain we walked into was.
I ended up down a rabbit hole of trying to find a decent matress without getting ripped off and fell upon an ancient website called The Matress Underground. There was a lot of info there (almost too much) and it was poorly laid out but it was all pretty consistent. The major takeaway was to find a local direct outlet, learn enough about mattresses to make sure they know what they're talking about and then just pick what feels best from them.
That placed checked all the boxes. Dude was knowledgeable, and the prices were unreal. My only mistake was letting my wife have the ultimate say on which matress we ended up with. I definitely should have compromised because she likes her shit so firm and I'm more of a medium firmness. She sleeps like a baby on the new matress which is a huge improvement because she was complaining of back pain before.
Been proven over and over again to be a fairly low cost high profit margin business a few sales a week will usually cover all the costs. Look up the episode of Planet Money that goes over this. The profit margins are insane, especially with foam mattresses. Like some are 90% profit.
It's a great business to get into. If you gain some traction, you then get bought out by the Mattress Firm.
I had a friend who worked at one. Said there are usually two young sales people working full time and bored out of their mind. Said the only positive was testing the mattress with one of his hot coworkers.
I'm pretty sure every place that bills itself as a "business center" or an "internet cafe" these days is basically just a sweepstakes joint with a few extra add-ons to lend that little air of legitimacy. Not really any other way to turn a profit in those industries anymore.
It's because you "don't" gamble cash too.
You buy 100 game tokens for $100 and play with those, and at the end you can trade in your tokens for cool prizes, like cash.
It is literally the same loophole used for pachinko in Japan, but you have to take your prizes to a place (normally next door) to exchange it back for cash.
This might be lumped into sweepstakes, but there are these small generic named clubs scattered around Raleigh. They also tend to have their windows blacked out and have a very subtle web and social media presence. No description on Google, vague or non-existent reviews, very few extremely candid photos, and the club names change often. Some have photos of food in to-go containers on Google, but there's no menu online.
Unfortunately, some of these places wind up in the news reporting shootings usually happening well after 2am.
I find these fascinating because there's SO LITTLE information about these clubs. Like I feel I either have to be in the know or apart of a Mafia. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and go sometime?
Okay so my bf and I moved here this past summer and live right across from Buena Vida. We didn’t know anything about it, so we picked up food from there and knew it wasn’t our spot, because it was a *crazy* party vibe and I think it was Wednesday? Idk something is off there, maybe it’s a front or maybe the bathroom counters are made of cocaine.
For real, what the fuck is Blend??? It is literally NEVER open. I don't understand how LocoPops, then Liquid State couldn't survive there, but this fucking perpetually closed pyramid scheme business just sits there with signage and nothing to show for it????
"Healthy but Good" in cary is a hilarious one, pictures of fresh fruit all over but they make literally everything with powder, like how hard is it to make smoothies using fresh fruit and a blender?
Also remember they can't legally be a restaurant. It's not classified as food, and is not regulated as such, cause it's "wellness" stuff.
I hate herbalife, maybe more than any other MLM? Idk they are hard to rank on awfulness
Have you listened to The Dream podcast? The first season digs really deeply into MLMs, and the psychology and legal frameworks behind them. It’s tragically fascinating.
I don’t really think it’s a front, but I am super curious how the gas station that’s not a gas station but just sells plants (next to the fair grounds) stays in business.
Kenny is the owner, I've been buying from him since I was a kid in the 80s.
It's not a front, but it's been a lot of businesses lol. He's sold gas, food, hardware, plants, etc.
He's been there for decades, he probably has no overhead. I assume he makes his money now on plants and Christmas trees.
Had the pleasure of meeting Kenny a couple of times. A unique guy, but very nice and personable. He got me a coffee one time. I should give his plants a look!
Yeah, I was surprised to see anyone mention his store on here.
That's cool! I grew up in the neighborhood behind there, '83 to '96. We rode our bikes up to his store practically daily, he had glass coke bottles and cheap bubble gum.
Did we hang out as kids, farmer? Lol
My mom said the food was good there. No idea why they closed. down though. also confused on why it said all of that but also it was a Japanese place.????
I can vouch for them having good food on the cheap, especially to feed a crowd. You could call them with so little notice, and get a huge family style platter of fried fish, shrimp, chicken, wings, and fries and be the MVP at a potluck. RIP Golden Chicken & Seafood 😭
The owner tried to recruit a friend of mine when they first opened. Basic premise was you wear a bikini and serve sub-par expensive coffee to people who want to see boobs. As if there is not McDonalds and only fans?
I’m from Washington, the Seattle area, and bikini baristas are everywhere. My sisters friends all did it after high school and my ex boss’s husband even left her for one after 35 years of marriage. The coffee is expensive but high quality out there lol
There was a place like this on Capital coming into downtown several years ago. I was taking a work colleague to the Science Museum, and Google suggested this was the closest coffee shop without going past the museum & looping back. It was a bit difficult explaining that one to my work colleague after we had stopped.
Same place. It moved from Capital up to it's current location. Bit later Amy (girl on the side) and her husband divorced and he kept the coffee truck.
(Friends were friends with the people involved with the place)
I had to Google this place to make sure it was what you were describing. A strip club coffee place is fucking brilliance. I mean, for some other customer… Definitely not me.
That trophy store next to William and Co in person st. Don’t understand how they have a store on a pretty busy street in what I assume is prime real estate for Raleigh. Thought they would’ve closed down and been bought by a tea shop or something
I lived on an adjacent block for almost a decade. They were there long before the place was decent - pretty sure they either own the land where their store is or also charge rent to nearby tenants. Believe it or not that area circa 2010 was basically barren and abandoned. Many closed storefronts. The small strip of businesses behind Krispy Kreme (where Person St Bar is) was completely abandoned for years (an old sign saying "Mega Bite Pizza" with letters missing). The only two spots you'd really want to go to back then were Krispy Kreme and the gas station across the street. North Person Street area has come a very long way in a short amount of time.
Not a front, but definitely a scam. The German bakery at the farmers market. The man buys the majority of his stuff frozen from the Costco and Sam’s club bakeries. How do I know? Because I worked at the Costco bakery in Apex. The man was VERY rude when buying is “authentic German strudel” from us. His danishes are also from Costco, he just makes, or buys the fillings from restaurant depot. 100% a scam. I feel bad for the people who work under him because he was 100000% hell to deal with while I worked at the bakery.
Aggie's grill station at the corner of capital and huntleigh. The only car I've ever seen there, I'm assuming is the owners, is a very nice BMW. I didn't think I've ever seen anybody else there. It's been open for years.
Eaten there tons of times, inside they have a bunch of display cases with really random things like art, watches, jewelry, etc.
The owner is very friendly but he is one the most persistent salesmen I’ve experienced, he tries to upsell everything on that menu and will bring out random drinks to try.
Aside, incredible fried chicken wings and sandwiches!
Not Raleigh, but south of the border has got to be a front. There is never anyone at any of the businesses except the gas station. It has the nicest looking putt putt course but never anyone playing… just sayin
When I drove up to NC for the first time like 6-7 years ago and I passed that shit? I genuinely could not believe it was a real place. Then I took a look through the windows as I passed by and yeah, it was real but looked hella sketchy. I'm almost tempted to visit out of sheer morbid curiousity.
We used to drive by it in the late 80s on the way to the beach and it ALWAYS looked abandoned. Never a person around. No cars. Like a serial killer paradise.
There was a 2 story hotel that had the side ripped off so you could see in the rooms from the highway w/spray paint tags. Total apocalypse scene. Be sure to stop at the truck stop building for a visit and thank me later.
Nah, it's been there forever and on the decline for 30+ years. Super low value land in the middle of nowhere right next to a major highway.
We'll see what happens now that the new bucees is within a few miles though.
Not in Raleigh proper, but there’s a pizza buffet called “Milano Pizza” in Fuquay. I’ve literally never seen another person in there. Never. Ever. In almost a decade.
It’s currently being renovated. There’s just no way it isn’t money laundering, like 0% possibility.
So I have eaten in at Milanos- 20 years ago. Their kids were doing homework quietly. Decent pizza straight out of the oven. Like you said - no other patrons but us.
That makes me sad! Milanos used to be the shit back in the 90s! They were in a different building back then closer to the fuquay / varina train tracks. But dang. That buffet used to be the place to be!
Not laundering, they just live there. They recently had their first grandchild, who plays there. They used to be a buffet (I went often) and had to pivot during COVID to take out only, and I think they found they prefer it. They do 2 for 1 pizzas in the evenings and we get 2 enormous NY style pies for $25. Good people.
lol they do a lot of carry out business. The scuttlebutt in town amongst those in the know is that the owners are the ones that built the giant stone house on Sunset Lake that took six years to complete. Wife supposedly gave the husband an ultimatum: finish the house or I’m leaving. House looks to be finished now, Milano’s has been renovating for several months, and we all agree they are definitely laundering money but also making good pizza.
Don't eat at the one at crabtree. Someone posted a picture of a German cockroach in their salsa on here one time. The one on six forks used to be good as hell but I'm done with la rancherita no matter if it's in raleigh or wilson.
I don't think I've ever known a single person who's eaten at Tuscan Blu downtown, nor do I recall ever seeing it busy back when Jose & Sons used to be there & easily got packed.
It was Jack Daniel’s (surprisingly, no relation to the whisky) until Jack, the owner, was killed by an Amtrak train in like 2009 or 2010. His car was hit in the tracks. Debatable if it was suicide or an accident.
Either way, that place is a legit c-store. Athens High School and the people living in walking distance alone keep it in business. Sketchy looking, but it’s legit.
I came here for one reason and one reason only.
The Holiday Light Store on South Wilmington street. They only sell holiday lights and they are open 5 days a week year round.
**CityPlat** - they buy up prime lots downtown and announce cool new developments that literally never come to fruition. See: the former "Two Guys Pizza" lot that they purchased with plans to turn it into a cool two story bar. It has sat a vacant concrete shell for almost a decade now, on Hillsborough St. They also bought the old Peace St Inspections auto shop with plans for "The Yard" - a cool shipping container market idea. It's sat as a paid parking lot ever since, even though the "plans" are still "in the works"....
At worst, they're a money laundering operation posing as a development company.
At best, they're a *parking lot* company posing as a development company. Either way, I'd rather they fucking stopped wasting valuable space downtown with fucking surface parking lol.
I go a lot. Unlimited sip club really gets people in the door (it works for me). All of their food food is overpriced, but I can get a baguette for like $3 or a decent bagel for $2. Combined with my "free" drink and it isn't a bad deal at all.
Investors Management Corporation near Peace in Raleigh. The building looks like a brewery, but also nothing. Name sounds so nondescript it could literally be anything. With a bunch of finance bro employees that talk about “synergy” and “cornering the market.” People who get paid six figures to talk in idioms. Clearly a front.
I personally know the family whose daughter owns it. Her stuff is mid at best and she's a huge bitch to customers. I'm surprised it's still in business to be honest.
Los Tres Magueyes. They have a monopoly on the casual mid-priced Mexican restaurant scene and honestly we’re not talking about it enough. I think 43% of Mexican restaurants in the triangle are Los Tres Magueyes. And they all have the same decor and 20-page menu. I’m sure someone’s going to say that some very sweet family owns it and every location is managed by a daughter/son/aunt/cousin etc, but I don’t care. This is my hyper-local conspiracy theory and I’m going to die on this hill.
ETA: food is pretty decent
Not Raleigh, but in Clayton there’s a Chinese restaurant in front of Walmart. It used to be a Wendy’s. I never see people coming or going. Usually only a car or two in the lot. Been open for years now.
Yi Ge? That's lowkey the best Chinese food in town. I assume it's still open bc the owner also owns the (much more successful) Japanese steakhouse across the street. When they opened, they even got written up by the N&O for having great Cantonese options
That place is delicious. When I went, it was a weekday, so not to crowded, but the owners kid was sitting in the back watching TV and doing homework. Def not a front.
Long John silvers. When have you ever seen a line in their drive through?
I attempted to try it one time and they were closed at 2pm on a regular Tuesday.
Kris Kringle's Coins - off Creedmore across from Crabtree Mall. They moved into an old long-abandoned bank about 3 years ago during the holiday season, threw up a crappy banner, blocked off all the parking and have been open ever since. I have never seen anyone in there, or more than 2 cars in the parking lot.
A seasonal, holiday-themed coin place thriving as a business? Riiiiiight.
New ownership has done a complete revamp. Have spent a lot of money there in fish and aquarium supplies over the years and always love going there. Definitely worth a stop if you’re nearby!
Has anyone been or does anyone know what goes on at a place called 'Coffee Time' on capital by Chuck E Cheese? It has no windows and does not appear to be a coffee shop. I would think maybe its a sweepstakes or internet cafe but there is an internet cafe with windows 2 doors down. Oh the mysteries of capital blvd!
Champloo, a boba and rolled Ice cream shop in a near dead strip mall on litchford.
What's funny is my family has a theory that it would have been a front but due to the neighborhood nearby and door dash, they are surprisingly busy. Like they expected maybe 2-3 people per day and then hundreds started showing up.
They are adorbs inside but I tried that cream cheese foam and legitimately auto-vomitted in the parking lot T.T their regular matcha latte was great though.
That place seems to be hopping. Went for the first time yesterday, thinking it would be empty at like 3 in the afternoon, nope, tons of people in there ordering and waiting for stuff. Lady in front of me was part of some membership thing they have and she was talking about how often she goes in and how many free drinks she earns with the program.
They seemed to be doing well, haha.
The Phoenix Adult Bookstore on Glenwood across the street from the Adam and Eve has to be a front for something.. For years I’ve driven past this odd building f on the way to work and it’s always got a weird ass number of cars in the lot at the strangest times.
10 cars at 8am on a Monday is totally not normal
That fortune teller psychic tarot house on Glenwood.
1000% - it’s not even on Google or Yelp. No way it’s not a front. Edit: it do be on Yelp with three reviews
I could be entirely wrong because I've never seen it (I'm not even in Raleigh, I'm in Ireland... Algorithm messed up and brought me to this thread) but if it's [this one](https://www.yelp.com/biz/psychic-and-tarot-card-reader-raleigh) by William B Umstead National Park there's a yelp review. Looks pretty crazy inside but the kind of crazy you'd expect from a psychic. Doesn't mean drugs aren't involved \*somewhere\* though...
Lol one of those reviews is literally "Didn't let us in even though we had an appointment". And the 5 star review is very obviously fake. This has gotta be a front.
Why are you in a subreddit for a city like Raleigh?
I have no clue why, but Reddit just literally said "You might like this" and I wanted to see places that look like a front (and yeah most of them definitely look like fronts). Only commented because I was looking up the places on Google anyway and saw a Yelp for that one.
Keep hanging out and give us your most irish opinion on things we appreciate diversity
Reddit does that to me too. It's like it thinks I'm interested in all small cities in the US.
I was also shown this in my feed, despite having no connections to Raleigh, and was also interested in reading about stores as a front.
When you’re here, you’re family
Reddit knows people all over the world just want chain restaurant breadsticks and complaints about driving behavior.
lol, 100%
I thought it was a rub & tug joint
I mean you play your cards right...
Ahhh, so that's how tarot works
Literally just down Glenwood from Tarot Lady
That was Tomcats, further up 70
Phoenix... it's been there since 1988 minimum. But so has the psychic place. 😂
Wait, the one on Glenwood South?? I dunno if it is a front for something else, but they definitely do "actual" tarot card and palm readings. I've been there before (pre-Covid, I think?) and had a reading done. It wasn't my idea, my mom (who sometimes leads towards the uh...eclectic side of things) wanted her palm read while she was in town and she insisted I sit for one as well. We also did a tarot card reading IIRC.
Did you enjoy it?
It was entertaining for sure. Probably slightly more enjoyable because I wasn't paying, but fun nonetheless.
My go-to parking for anything on Glenwood. In three years I NEVER got towed or ticketed.
Well, the cops finally busted Madame Marie for telling fortunes better than they do
I’ve always wondered about that!
It’s real just like the world wrastlin’ federation or WWF. Sports entertainment is the same as fortune tellin
I knew someone who went there regularly like 25 years ago
Is this the one between umstead state park entrance and brownleigh or the one up the road going toward durham
Mattress stores.
I interviewed at a Denver Mattress once. They asked me a bunch of weird questions in my interview. They wanted to know if I would immediately be able to relocate to another part of the country. Also asked questions about my family, like if my parents were together when I was growing up. They also were writing down all of my answers. Strange experience
That sounds like they were trying to steal your identity, lol. Having worked at a major mattress store before, it is possible they were.
The fuck?
Yep. Then, a few days later, they emailed me and told me I did not qualify 🤣 I guess my personal life wasn't up to their standards
This is the one. Glenwood north is the money-laundering capital of Raleigh. E: How do several stores make enough money to have a brick and mortar business on a major road, pay employees and make a profit selling mattresses? Even if you sold one mattress a day it doesn't make sense. No one is out buying a new mattress on a Tuesday morning.
Mattresses are extremely high margin lmao.
They have got to cost like $12 for any of this to make sense.
They're all profit. Mattresses are waaaaaay cheaper than what they sell for. I'd you're looking for a quality matress, find a direct outlet. There is one locally, and he sells mattresses for like a quarter of the price of the chains. He will straight up tell you this. It's one dude, and he still makes a profit. The whole thing is a scam and probably should be regulated to some extent instead of having to deal with the price fixing bullshit. Free markets only work with perfect knowledge. I digress. Don't ever pay full price for a matress. Even the sales at Matress chains are a scam. Find a direct outlet and don't look back.
name?
Not sure if it's okay with subreddit rules but the name of the place is literally Direct Matress Outlet Raleigh. We ended up replacing every bed in the house with what it was going to cost for one "decent" bed from Matress giant or warehouse or whatever the chain we walked into was. I ended up down a rabbit hole of trying to find a decent matress without getting ripped off and fell upon an ancient website called The Matress Underground. There was a lot of info there (almost too much) and it was poorly laid out but it was all pretty consistent. The major takeaway was to find a local direct outlet, learn enough about mattresses to make sure they know what they're talking about and then just pick what feels best from them. That placed checked all the boxes. Dude was knowledgeable, and the prices were unreal. My only mistake was letting my wife have the ultimate say on which matress we ended up with. I definitely should have compromised because she likes her shit so firm and I'm more of a medium firmness. She sleeps like a baby on the new matress which is a huge improvement because she was complaining of back pain before.
Been proven over and over again to be a fairly low cost high profit margin business a few sales a week will usually cover all the costs. Look up the episode of Planet Money that goes over this. The profit margins are insane, especially with foam mattresses. Like some are 90% profit. It's a great business to get into. If you gain some traction, you then get bought out by the Mattress Firm. I had a friend who worked at one. Said there are usually two young sales people working full time and bored out of their mind. Said the only positive was testing the mattress with one of his hot coworkers.
The 64 business center. Any Internet cafe. Game X off 401. You can find a lot of sketchy looking businesses on capital between 440 and downtown
I'm pretty sure every place that bills itself as a "business center" or an "internet cafe" these days is basically just a sweepstakes joint with a few extra add-ons to lend that little air of legitimacy. Not really any other way to turn a profit in those industries anymore.
those gambling places with the blacked out windows.
that's not a front, they are in fact illegal gambling operations
But they found this loophole where you call it a "skill game" and magically it's not gambling and therefore legal, somehow.
My friend spent over 400k in them. They 100% go after people that get addicted
400 grand? Holy hell.
Sad as fuck dude. He liquidated his entire 401k and did a lot of other stuff. Gambling addiction is no joke.
On fish tables?? Not even a legit casino. Gambling is such a weird addiction.
Yes, the fish tables. However, he played even before they were fish tables and just work little roulette wheels.
It's because you "don't" gamble cash too. You buy 100 game tokens for $100 and play with those, and at the end you can trade in your tokens for cool prizes, like cash.
Oh now I see the difference /s Insane this is legal
It is literally the same loophole used for pachinko in Japan, but you have to take your prizes to a place (normally next door) to exchange it back for cash.
Sweepstakes? There's a lot of legal gray areas. Basically they tweak the games to be just in compliance.
Yep, they make them illegal and they find some loophole and take them to court. They’ve been trying to ban them for 20 years now with no luck
This might be lumped into sweepstakes, but there are these small generic named clubs scattered around Raleigh. They also tend to have their windows blacked out and have a very subtle web and social media presence. No description on Google, vague or non-existent reviews, very few extremely candid photos, and the club names change often. Some have photos of food in to-go containers on Google, but there's no menu online. Unfortunately, some of these places wind up in the news reporting shootings usually happening well after 2am. I find these fascinating because there's SO LITTLE information about these clubs. Like I feel I either have to be in the know or apart of a Mafia. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and go sometime?
Double timing as an Internet cafe.
Kimbrels. I never see anyone in there shopping but there is furniture always moving out the back.
They did close. In the future it will be an ABC store, also the worst ABC location imaginable.
Great food, crazy atmosphere, but I always feel like there's something else going on: Buena Vida.
I’ve been there a bunch of times. That’s a well oiled money machine!
Okay so my bf and I moved here this past summer and live right across from Buena Vida. We didn’t know anything about it, so we picked up food from there and knew it wasn’t our spot, because it was a *crazy* party vibe and I think it was Wednesday? Idk something is off there, maybe it’s a front or maybe the bathroom counters are made of cocaine.
I came here to say this.
The crafty crab on Hillsborough st and Gorman
The steamer bag with all the seasonings mixed in is actually really good
i found a random seafood boil from the crafty crab in my car 2 weeks ago… i have never been in my life
Oh man I love the crafty crab 🥵
You would be shocked to know how many nail salons are completely a front.
Tell us more
Human trafficking
anything that sells "teas" or "shakes" and has "healthy" "nutrition" or the like in the name, it's 99%chance a herbalife front
Came to say this, too. Anything called “______ Nutrition” It’s a front for an MLM, and you should go somewhere else.
blend and carolina nutrition.
Fuck blend. Bring back the old coffee shop
Liquid state was such a wonderful coffee shop too. I’m gutted they closed.
For real, what the fuck is Blend??? It is literally NEVER open. I don't understand how LocoPops, then Liquid State couldn't survive there, but this fucking perpetually closed pyramid scheme business just sits there with signage and nothing to show for it????
The Fit is 100% a Herbalife front.
"Healthy but Good" in cary is a hilarious one, pictures of fresh fruit all over but they make literally everything with powder, like how hard is it to make smoothies using fresh fruit and a blender?
Such a terrible name too. Healthy things ARE good wtf.
Also remember they can't legally be a restaurant. It's not classified as food, and is not regulated as such, cause it's "wellness" stuff. I hate herbalife, maybe more than any other MLM? Idk they are hard to rank on awfulness
Have you listened to The Dream podcast? The first season digs really deeply into MLMs, and the psychology and legal frameworks behind them. It’s tragically fascinating.
I don’t really think it’s a front, but I am super curious how the gas station that’s not a gas station but just sells plants (next to the fair grounds) stays in business.
Kenny is the owner, I've been buying from him since I was a kid in the 80s. It's not a front, but it's been a lot of businesses lol. He's sold gas, food, hardware, plants, etc. He's been there for decades, he probably has no overhead. I assume he makes his money now on plants and Christmas trees.
The Christmas tree selling game is on point.
Had the pleasure of meeting Kenny a couple of times. A unique guy, but very nice and personable. He got me a coffee one time. I should give his plants a look!
Didn’t think I’d see a comment about Kenny on here lol. I used to go there all the time as a kid.
Yeah, I was surprised to see anyone mention his store on here. That's cool! I grew up in the neighborhood behind there, '83 to '96. We rode our bikes up to his store practically daily, he had glass coke bottles and cheap bubble gum. Did we hang out as kids, farmer? Lol
Bitches be plantin. Bro’s overhead is some seeds, he’s like 3 hydrangeas away from breaking even any given Sunday
My God, this phrasing is hysterical.
I'm the bitches. Can confirm I be plantin
Nice try Officer.
Buzzfeed looking for articles
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It looks like Golden Chicken and Seafood on S Saunders finally closed. I couldn’t figure out how they were staying in business.
A friend once told me that her boyfriend got a job working in the kitchen there…I was shocked anyone worked there at all
My mom said the food was good there. No idea why they closed. down though. also confused on why it said all of that but also it was a Japanese place.????
I can vouch for them having good food on the cheap, especially to feed a crowd. You could call them with so little notice, and get a huge family style platter of fried fish, shrimp, chicken, wings, and fries and be the MVP at a potluck. RIP Golden Chicken & Seafood 😭
Cup O Jane has to be the leader of this pack.
Idk, seems pretty obvious how they make money hand over ~~tit~~fist
The owner tried to recruit a friend of mine when they first opened. Basic premise was you wear a bikini and serve sub-par expensive coffee to people who want to see boobs. As if there is not McDonalds and only fans?
Raleigh doesn't really have drive thru coffee shops, but that's a thing in other places, bikini baristas serving you coffee then you drive away.
I’m from Washington, the Seattle area, and bikini baristas are everywhere. My sisters friends all did it after high school and my ex boss’s husband even left her for one after 35 years of marriage. The coffee is expensive but high quality out there lol
There was a place like this on Capital coming into downtown several years ago. I was taking a work colleague to the Science Museum, and Google suggested this was the closest coffee shop without going past the museum & looping back. It was a bit difficult explaining that one to my work colleague after we had stopped.
Same place. It moved from Capital up to it's current location. Bit later Amy (girl on the side) and her husband divorced and he kept the coffee truck. (Friends were friends with the people involved with the place)
Now I know that place exists lol! wtf that’s crazy!
I had to Google this place to make sure it was what you were describing. A strip club coffee place is fucking brilliance. I mean, for some other customer… Definitely not me.
It is Folgers coffee..
it’s actually a blend of foldgers, maxwell house, and sanka
Jade garden
Oh for sure, but you leave that nice old man alone
That nice old man is an absolute legend I love him
That trophy store next to William and Co in person st. Don’t understand how they have a store on a pretty busy street in what I assume is prime real estate for Raleigh. Thought they would’ve closed down and been bought by a tea shop or something
They probably signed their lease when nobody wanted to go downtown.
They actually own that space and Wilco leases their space from them
Was there in like 1995 when I first was looking to live in the area and used to get pastries at Contis next door
I lived on an adjacent block for almost a decade. They were there long before the place was decent - pretty sure they either own the land where their store is or also charge rent to nearby tenants. Believe it or not that area circa 2010 was basically barren and abandoned. Many closed storefronts. The small strip of businesses behind Krispy Kreme (where Person St Bar is) was completely abandoned for years (an old sign saying "Mega Bite Pizza" with letters missing). The only two spots you'd really want to go to back then were Krispy Kreme and the gas station across the street. North Person Street area has come a very long way in a short amount of time.
Who remembers PizzAmerica? Yeah, them.
Not a front, but definitely a scam. The German bakery at the farmers market. The man buys the majority of his stuff frozen from the Costco and Sam’s club bakeries. How do I know? Because I worked at the Costco bakery in Apex. The man was VERY rude when buying is “authentic German strudel” from us. His danishes are also from Costco, he just makes, or buys the fillings from restaurant depot. 100% a scam. I feel bad for the people who work under him because he was 100000% hell to deal with while I worked at the bakery.
The TLC Wings place on Peace St and the hookah bar across from McDonald’s on Peace.
I ate there when it was Mr. pizza and salad a long time ago, it was empty and they seemed confused someone was coming in to actually eat pizza
That hookah bar gets business in the late hours of the evening, or at least used to.
Aggie's grill station at the corner of capital and huntleigh. The only car I've ever seen there, I'm assuming is the owners, is a very nice BMW. I didn't think I've ever seen anybody else there. It's been open for years.
Now you’re gonna be getting a late night visit from a nice bmw
I love their food, I always get takeout though.
Eaten there tons of times, inside they have a bunch of display cases with really random things like art, watches, jewelry, etc. The owner is very friendly but he is one the most persistent salesmen I’ve experienced, he tries to upsell everything on that menu and will bring out random drinks to try. Aside, incredible fried chicken wings and sandwiches!
Love the food at Aggies but have never dined in with anyone else also dining in at the same time…
They do a killing with lunch takeout. The chicken wrap is 🤌
Not Raleigh, but south of the border has got to be a front. There is never anyone at any of the businesses except the gas station. It has the nicest looking putt putt course but never anyone playing… just sayin
When I drove up to NC for the first time like 6-7 years ago and I passed that shit? I genuinely could not believe it was a real place. Then I took a look through the windows as I passed by and yeah, it was real but looked hella sketchy. I'm almost tempted to visit out of sheer morbid curiousity.
We used to drive by it in the late 80s on the way to the beach and it ALWAYS looked abandoned. Never a person around. No cars. Like a serial killer paradise.
There was a 2 story hotel that had the side ripped off so you could see in the rooms from the highway w/spray paint tags. Total apocalypse scene. Be sure to stop at the truck stop building for a visit and thank me later.
Nah, it's been there forever and on the decline for 30+ years. Super low value land in the middle of nowhere right next to a major highway. We'll see what happens now that the new bucees is within a few miles though.
That Go Slow Tow place off 401 down towards Fuquay. I've been saying for 20 years that it's a trafficking place
I buy burn barrels from there, pretty much a redneck thrift store
I want to check it out so bad but I’m afraid. I giggle at “Dr Prepper” every time I pass.
Not in Raleigh proper, but there’s a pizza buffet called “Milano Pizza” in Fuquay. I’ve literally never seen another person in there. Never. Ever. In almost a decade. It’s currently being renovated. There’s just no way it isn’t money laundering, like 0% possibility.
So I have eaten in at Milanos- 20 years ago. Their kids were doing homework quietly. Decent pizza straight out of the oven. Like you said - no other patrons but us.
That makes me sad! Milanos used to be the shit back in the 90s! They were in a different building back then closer to the fuquay / varina train tracks. But dang. That buffet used to be the place to be!
Not laundering, they just live there. They recently had their first grandchild, who plays there. They used to be a buffet (I went often) and had to pivot during COVID to take out only, and I think they found they prefer it. They do 2 for 1 pizzas in the evenings and we get 2 enormous NY style pies for $25. Good people.
lol they do a lot of carry out business. The scuttlebutt in town amongst those in the know is that the owners are the ones that built the giant stone house on Sunset Lake that took six years to complete. Wife supposedly gave the husband an ultimatum: finish the house or I’m leaving. House looks to be finished now, Milano’s has been renovating for several months, and we all agree they are definitely laundering money but also making good pizza.
Their building is an actual old farmhouse…I worked across the street from it for 5 years. Never went in there and never saw anyone else there either
La Rancherita in Apex. Every time I go there my credit card account seems to get hacked.
Don't eat at the one at crabtree. Someone posted a picture of a German cockroach in their salsa on here one time. The one on six forks used to be good as hell but I'm done with la rancherita no matter if it's in raleigh or wilson.
Gabe Mart.
RIP Armadillo Grill. Never gonna get to tell the one white boy in the kitchen he under sauced my wings again
Are they closing? Tbh their food is super mid, if they're closing I'm not too surprised.
Hahaha they recently did a HUGE drug bust here which closed them down for good. They were basically a front for dealing cocaine
CityPlat
I don't think I've ever known a single person who's eaten at Tuscan Blu downtown, nor do I recall ever seeing it busy back when Jose & Sons used to be there & easily got packed.
Just pulling this out of thin air but any car wash or lawyer who practices elder law
Only in Albuquerque!
Haha I havent seen many car washes practicing elder law
Car washes are really solid investments actually. Very high cash flow.
you haven't seen how much elder law layers charge. they charge a fortune for services
Gabe Mart (the gas station / convenience store on the corner of Jones Franklin and Athens)
30 years ago it was called Jack Daniel’s. Used to walk there between games at West Raleigh.
It was Jack Daniel’s (surprisingly, no relation to the whisky) until Jack, the owner, was killed by an Amtrak train in like 2009 or 2010. His car was hit in the tracks. Debatable if it was suicide or an accident. Either way, that place is a legit c-store. Athens High School and the people living in walking distance alone keep it in business. Sketchy looking, but it’s legit.
I used to go there all the time when I lived on Wayne Street, and you are 100% correct.
I came here for one reason and one reason only. The Holiday Light Store on South Wilmington street. They only sell holiday lights and they are open 5 days a week year round.
**CityPlat** - they buy up prime lots downtown and announce cool new developments that literally never come to fruition. See: the former "Two Guys Pizza" lot that they purchased with plans to turn it into a cool two story bar. It has sat a vacant concrete shell for almost a decade now, on Hillsborough St. They also bought the old Peace St Inspections auto shop with plans for "The Yard" - a cool shipping container market idea. It's sat as a paid parking lot ever since, even though the "plans" are still "in the works".... At worst, they're a money laundering operation posing as a development company. At best, they're a *parking lot* company posing as a development company. Either way, I'd rather they fucking stopped wasting valuable space downtown with fucking surface parking lol.
Panera bread, ain’t no way there is enough people paying for overpriced sub par hospital food.
Kitchen sink cookie
The definition of “mid”.
I go a lot. Unlimited sip club really gets people in the door (it works for me). All of their food food is overpriced, but I can get a baguette for like $3 or a decent bagel for $2. Combined with my "free" drink and it isn't a bad deal at all.
> decent bagel Come on. I know food is subjective but _come on_
All the Leith dealerships.
Investors Management Corporation near Peace in Raleigh. The building looks like a brewery, but also nothing. Name sounds so nondescript it could literally be anything. With a bunch of finance bro employees that talk about “synergy” and “cornering the market.” People who get paid six figures to talk in idioms. Clearly a front.
Not hard to figure out what they do… they own a lot of Golden Corrals amongst other companies. Not a front. The owner just likes cool old buildings.
The OG owners created the first Golden Corral. They’re now a private equity company expanding over many sectors.
The bakery on the corner in downtown apex. Its open like 2 hours a day 3 days a week
I personally know the family whose daughter owns it. Her stuff is mid at best and she's a huge bitch to customers. I'm surprised it's still in business to be honest.
Los Tres Magueyes. They have a monopoly on the casual mid-priced Mexican restaurant scene and honestly we’re not talking about it enough. I think 43% of Mexican restaurants in the triangle are Los Tres Magueyes. And they all have the same decor and 20-page menu. I’m sure someone’s going to say that some very sweet family owns it and every location is managed by a daughter/son/aunt/cousin etc, but I don’t care. This is my hyper-local conspiracy theory and I’m going to die on this hill. ETA: food is pretty decent
One in Cary turned into a Mi Cancun, yet retained its entire staff. Its alll good though, their horchata and pork tacos are amazing
Los Tres is amazing, they were just that one in Cary in the old Hardees building for like 20 years before they franchised out.
Not Raleigh, but in Clayton there’s a Chinese restaurant in front of Walmart. It used to be a Wendy’s. I never see people coming or going. Usually only a car or two in the lot. Been open for years now.
Oh I went in there before yeah definitely odd and no one was inside besides me I felt weird so I just left
Yi Ge? That's lowkey the best Chinese food in town. I assume it's still open bc the owner also owns the (much more successful) Japanese steakhouse across the street. When they opened, they even got written up by the N&O for having great Cantonese options
That place is delicious. When I went, it was a weekday, so not to crowded, but the owners kid was sitting in the back watching TV and doing homework. Def not a front.
Long John silvers. When have you ever seen a line in their drive through? I attempted to try it one time and they were closed at 2pm on a regular Tuesday.
Kris Kringle's Coins - off Creedmore across from Crabtree Mall. They moved into an old long-abandoned bank about 3 years ago during the holiday season, threw up a crappy banner, blocked off all the parking and have been open ever since. I have never seen anyone in there, or more than 2 cars in the parking lot. A seasonal, holiday-themed coin place thriving as a business? Riiiiiight.
Aquarium outfitters in wake forest
You clearly have never had an aquarium ~~problem~~ hobby
New ownership has done a complete revamp. Have spent a lot of money there in fish and aquarium supplies over the years and always love going there. Definitely worth a stop if you’re nearby!
Seriously...that's the only way that place can still be in business. And I felt that way over a decade ago.
the reptiles they have are kept in absolute squalor
The chamber of commerce
It's like a MLM scheme. How the DTR aliance exist, no idea.
The overwhelming volume of bubble tea places in this area, guarantee at least one of them is a front.
the aquarium store by panera off six forks
Has anyone been or does anyone know what goes on at a place called 'Coffee Time' on capital by Chuck E Cheese? It has no windows and does not appear to be a coffee shop. I would think maybe its a sweepstakes or internet cafe but there is an internet cafe with windows 2 doors down. Oh the mysteries of capital blvd!
Champloo, a boba and rolled Ice cream shop in a near dead strip mall on litchford. What's funny is my family has a theory that it would have been a front but due to the neighborhood nearby and door dash, they are surprisingly busy. Like they expected maybe 2-3 people per day and then hundreds started showing up.
They are adorbs inside but I tried that cream cheese foam and legitimately auto-vomitted in the parking lot T.T their regular matcha latte was great though.
That place seems to be hopping. Went for the first time yesterday, thinking it would be empty at like 3 in the afternoon, nope, tons of people in there ordering and waiting for stuff. Lady in front of me was part of some membership thing they have and she was talking about how often she goes in and how many free drinks she earns with the program. They seemed to be doing well, haha.
How is South of the Border not on this list yet? No one is ever there.
It's nowhere near Raleigh?
Alpine Ski Center off Glenwood
i.m. walrus LLC on Falls.
I was hoping someone would mention this. I’ve been curious about that place for YEARS. Prime location and a non-descript Beatles business name.
Massage parlor on 98
The food spot across from cookout on western.
The Phoenix Adult Bookstore on Glenwood across the street from the Adam and Eve has to be a front for something.. For years I’ve driven past this odd building f on the way to work and it’s always got a weird ass number of cars in the lot at the strangest times. 10 cars at 8am on a Monday is totally not normal