109-111-113 North Gregson / Anotherthyme

36.000446, -78.909088

109-111-113
North Gregson Street
Durham
NC
Year built
1920s
Construction type
Masonry
Neighborhood
Downtown West
Use
Restaurant
Building Type
Commercial
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Looking northwest, 1950s.
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper

Would that I had an early street-level shot of the three-bay commercial structure at 109-113 North Gregson St., but perhaps one will turn up at some point. It appears to have been built in the late 1920s, supplanting earlier residential uses on the location. In the 1930s, 109 housed Brown's Fountain (a soda fountain) and 111 housed the Gregson St. Barber Shop.

By the 1950s, 109 housed the "Chili House Restaurant", 111 housed S&W Tailors, and 113 housed "Mayola's Grill and Fountain."

Ad for Mayola's in the Durham City Directory, 1960 (from DCL)

In 1982, the former owner of the Somethyme restaurant, located on Broad St. at the location of a series of subsequent restaurants (currently the Palace International) decided to open Anotherthyme near the newly developed Brightleaf Square. She had also started Pyewacket restaurant, late of Chapel Hill, in the meantime. She combined the three bays into a single restaurant space.


109-113 North Gregson, looking west, ~1985.
(Courtesy Durham County Library / North Carolina Collection)

Anotherthyme has become one of the real wizened mainstays of the Brightleaf area, along with Fishmonger's. While I'm always excited by new restaurants, it's great to have some that have been around long enough for you to remember going there at different stages in your life.


Anotherthyme, 04.08.08.

Update: Alas, so much for mainstays. As of October 2009, Anotherthyme has closed, and another span-the-decades place to revisit and enjoy during a new phase of life disappears. I'm certainly sad to lose a place that connected me to my first late-1980s experience of Durham.

Find this spot on a Google Map.


36.000446 -78.909066

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Comments

Submitted by marybacon (not verified) on Fri, 4/11/2008 - 4:28pm

Thank you for the little write up.
I agree with you completely, especially about not changing
things for the continuous flow of memories. So many customers over the years have thanked me for that.
They return over the years pleased that their favorite foods are still on the menu and atmosphere has not changed. Mary Bacon

Submitted by Gary (not verified) on Fri, 4/11/2008 - 5:52pm

Thanks for stopping by, Mary. I've enjoyed the restaurant for many years.

GK

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 4/12/2008 - 8:28pm

During the mid-'60's, Mayola's had expanded into the second bay, which I believe was 111 North Gregson. Mayola's was a big frosh hangout because the women could walk over and it was just a short bus ride and walk for us freshman guys who couldn't have cars our first year. I remember one seasoned waitress who warned an inebriated freshman (3.2 beer at 18 then), not to have ice cream after he'd been drinking. He did and with predictable results! Ah, memories.....

Submitted by Eric (not verified) on Mon, 4/14/2008 - 9:41pm

Did anyone catch this last night? http://www.portraitofdurham.com/ i only caught the last half. I'd like to see the entire thing. There are no more scheduled showings...

Submitted by Gary (not verified) on Mon, 4/14/2008 - 10:03pm

Eric

You can get a copy by donating to the Southern Documentary Fund.

Gk

Submitted by Dan Aced (not verified) on Fri, 10/2/2009 - 1:13am

Alas Anothertyme has closed.

The market has spoken. As the
last bartender of Anotherthyme,
Durham - thanks for the memories
and your support over thelast few years.

- dan

Submitted by David (not verified) on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 9:44pm

I remember Mayola's very well. My aunt,Mayola Smith ran in for several years until she retired. I remember working there fresh out of high school. Those were the days!

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