VIETRI has been a Chapel Hill story since 1983. Until now, though, the only place to shop it in person nearby was a warehouse outlet in Hillsborough. That changes on October 17, when the company opens its first flagship store at East 54, 1115 Environ Way, across Raleigh Road from Meadowmont.
This store is designed for staying awhile. Founder Susan Gravely told The Daily Tar Heel that she wants people to "walk in, and you just want to sit down on that blue velvet sofa and those two comfy chairs, and sit there and just hang for a little while and chat." The store has lounge seating and a calendar of artisan events running into the holidays, and it opens beside a restaurant row that has changed noticeably this year. For people who live just across NC 54, it's built to be visited more than once.
A Tar Heel brand, finally on home ground
The company's history begins with a 1983 trip to Italy. Gravely traveled with her sister Frances and their mother Lee, and they visited artisans in Vietri sul Mare who painted, glazed and fired pieces by hand. According to The Daily Tar Heel, the three were staying in Positano when the colorful dinnerware caught their attention, and they decided to start a wholesale business. Over the next four decades it grew into a national wholesale distributor with an online store. Its headquarters and outlet are at 343 Elizabeth Brady Road in Hillsborough. When WUNC covered the company's 40th anniversary in 2023, it described that Hillsborough warehouse as the company's shipping base.
Gravely, now founder and CEO emeritus, attended UNC for both undergraduate and graduate school and has spent much of her life in Chapel Hill. She told The Daily Tar Heel that the town's university, arts community, international population and Research Triangle location made it a natural home for the flagship. She also pointed to East 54 specifically. A brand built around gathering over food and conversation fits a walkable center full of restaurants, and the location along NC 54 brings it steady traffic.
The store came about because Gravely approached Roger Perry, chair of East West Partners, the property management company for East 54, and he had a space he thought would suit it. "My impression is that the other retail tenants and restaurants that we have are very compatible with the quality of Vietri," Perry told the paper.
What the flagship carries that Hillsborough does not
The outlet and the flagship serve different purposes. The Hillsborough outlet keeps traditional outlet hours, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m., and is closed Mondays. The flagship, in Gravely's words to The Daily Tar Heel, is for seeing "everything, or most everything that we sell in one place, and also add to it all the travels I've done."
Here is what that means on the shelves, based on the company and the Daily Tar Heel's reporting:
- The full VIETRI assortment of dinnerware, glassware, home décor and linens
- Pieces Gravely chose herself on trips to Italy, including jewelry, handbags, art, clothing and gifts
- Exclusive gift items brought in only for the flagship
- An Italian pantry of candles, pasta, sauces, jams and olives, displayed alongside the tableware
- Displays that change over time, plus artists, demonstrations and classes
Gravely said the goal is a place where customers can spend time, learn about Italy and get to know each other. She also wants it to work for everyone from longtime collectors to students shopping for smaller, affordable gifts. The company has already hired two students and plans to add several more part-time employees. One longtime customer told the paper she visits the Hillsborough outlet several times a year and was looking forward to a store closer to Chapel Hill.
Three events on the fall calendar
VIETRI's opening schedule is spread over five weeks, and each event is a different kind of visit.
| Date | Event | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, October 17, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Grand opening | Light bites, giveaways, a free gift for the first 100 customers, and a meet-and-greet with founder Susan Gravely |
| October 23 and 24 | Iguarnieri Artisan Event | The Iguarnieri Brothers give a live painting demonstration in the store |
| November 19, 3 to 6 p.m. | Italian Artisan Event | VIETRI artisan Cristian Massaro hand-paints pieces, demonstrates molding techniques, talks about Italian holiday traditions, and personalizes purchases with Italian phrases |
The November date is the one to plan around if you host for the holidays. A serving platter personalized in Italian by the artisan whose techniques shaped the collection is a hard gift to find anywhere else, and November 19 leaves time before Thanksgiving. The first 100 free gifts on opening day will likely go to people who arrive close to 11 a.m.
The flagship page lists regular hours as Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The Daily Tar Heel reported weekday hours until 7 p.m., so it may be worth confirming before an evening visit. The store's number is (919) 245-4183.
The restaurants that make it an afternoon
Perry's point about compatible neighbors carries more weight this fall than it would have a year ago. VIETRI is selling a way of gathering around the table, and it opens just steps from places where Meadowmont neighbors can sit down to one.
Géos Tavern & Oyster Bar opened on June 8 at 1118 Environ Way, in the space that once held Tobacco Road and NoDa. It comes from Giorgios Hospitality Group, and its seafood draws on the flavors of North Carolina cooking. Chapelboro reported that the group describes it as an "elevated neighborhood gastropub." Since VIETRI's founding story is about Italian coastal dinnerware, an oyster bar a short walk away is a natural follow-on.
Hawthorne & Wood at 3140 Environ Way serves dinner nightly from 5 to 9 p.m. On a weekday, that window lines up well with a late-afternoon visit to the store.
First Watch at 1101 Environ Way spent part of this spring closed for renovations, according to the April 2026 Orange County dining map. Its location page now lists daily hours of 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. That makes it the obvious stop before the 11 a.m. grand opening.
One more restaurant is on the way. Ayra is a new concept from Michelin-starred chef Sujan Sarkar and owners Mayil Rajendran and Ravi Jeyaraman, and it has been remodeling 2110 Environ Way, the former Elements space. Chapelboro reported in June that the plan includes three experiences: an Indian-inspired cocktail bar, a private room for a tasting menu, and a dining room. The restaurant was aiming to open by the end of summer but had not announced a date. As of this writing, we could not confirm that it has opened.
Put together, the stretch of Environ Way across from Meadowmont now has a Saturday sequence it lacked last fall. You could have breakfast at First Watch, browse VIETRI's tables, sit for a while on that blue velvet sofa, and end with oysters at Géos. Each stop is a separate business, and the newest one is designed to keep you there longest.
Brooke Gelhaus works with homeowners across Chapel Hill. When the conversation turns to East 54, she can talk through which shops and restaurants have opened along Environ Way this year and when. If you're thinking about life on the Meadowmont side of NC 54, Brooke Gelhaus would be glad to walk through it with you. Let's Connect.