A New and Unique Place to Savor and Stock Up on Flavor in Clayton

The Station is officially open in Downtown Clayton! The idea that started as a partnership between local developers Carrie and Kevin Lee and entrepreneurs Erin Nenni and Christi Thompson is now finally ready for launch. The Station is not just one business; it is a buzzing beehive housing an entire community of growers and makers, keen on sharing their products and produce with everyone who walks through the door. 

But what exactly IS The Clayton Station? I sat down with Station operators, Erin Nenni and Christi Thompson, also owners of The Market at Three Little Birds and LaDiDa Wine Shop, to ask that exact question. And others.

“That's been the hardest part to explain to people,” said Erin, “people will ask, ‘Is it a food hall?’ and, no, it’s not. There's certainly nothing like it in Clayton. And to be honest, I don't know a whole lot of places like it regionally either. Even in Raleigh. But this is a building that houses vendors offering food and drink options in both directions  — products and ingredients for making, baking, and cooking in your own home, as well as finished food and drink products for retail. People are gonna have to experience it, I think, to really, like, grasp what's going on.”

To rely on a recent press release from the Town of Clayton, “Imagine if a food hall, farmers market, and co-op space had a baby… this is The Station.”

The ground floor will be the home to Crescendo, a full-service restaurant & bar with live music.  The second floor will have two fully enclosed suites that will be home to a coffee and cinnamon roll shop and a smoothie and energy drink concept. The main room, the showstopper area on the second floor, will house The Station Market; this is over 3,000 ft of open-air farmers market-type offerings. The third floor is all individual suites with separate businesses selling a variety of goods. 

As a side note, for those wondering, Crescendo did not open with the rest of The Station on January 24th, but will be following close behind in the coming weeks. 

It's easy to see, at least from my standpoint, having worked with Erin and Christi now for many years through their other businesses, that they bring both experience and passion for small business to every project they tackle together. Along with the Lees as partners, they are transforming The Station into a true destination. But it’s taken years, heavy investment, and hard work to turn it into what you will see when you visit! 

History of the Building

The building that houses The Station used to be Clayton's Old Town Hall. Built in 1925, the structure was once home to Clayton’s administrative offices, police and fire departments, library, and courtroom. And, if you can believe it, the historic building almost became apartments. 

Erin mentioned all the futures the building almost had, “One of our initial thoughts with the space was maybe a boutique hotel. But we realized that there would be so much, you know, demolition involved, to the structure that was already there. And, obviously, when we looked at it, we were like, it's just too beautiful, especially the big grand room. That’s when the vision shifted.” 



Christi said the property crossed their radar three years ago. “We really just wanted to know what was going on with the property, and when it looked like we might have the opportunity to offer our own bid, we decided to partner with Kevin and Carrie Lee with Due East.” 

Kevin was recently quoted in a press release from the Town of Clayton on their vision for the property and communicating that to the town: “Our goal from day one was simple. We wanted to bring Old Town Hall back to life in a way that reflects Clayton’s character. We’re grateful for the Town’s partnership and excited for residents to experience this space.”

The Town supported the project through a combination of property sale and financial incentives, including a Historic Structure Rehabilitation Reimbursement Grant and a multi-year Property Tax Reimbursement Grant. In return, the development team committed to ensuring the full revitalization of the building in compliance with national guidelines for the rehabilitation of historic properties. 

The Station isn’t about shopping for things — home decor, clothes, art — but rather a shopping experience centered around thoughtfully curated and fresh food, drinks, and provisions. I asked Christi and Erin when that particular idea came to fruition. 

“Well, the town actually has this incredible report called The Leak Report,” explained Christi, “and it shows what residents and visitors are leaving the downtown district for. The number one, by a long shot, was grocery items.”

“In addition to that, we knew that the food scene within downtown could be better,” continued Erin. “I mean, we work downtown every day, and there are great lunch spots, but there are so few of them.” 

On top of that, Christi does a lot of work with the Downtown Development Association, so she knew that the Clayton Farm & Community Market was bursting out of its footprint with interested vendors. In fact, they had a wait list. To them, the need was clear. Locals wanted fresh food items, and vendors needed a space to sell without having to be restricted to a weekly, outdoor market experience. The need for fresh, quality grocery options in downtown and the opportunity to support local small businesses were significant enough that Erin and Christi felt the business model could hold its own in 12,000 square feet of space. 

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

A business model built on the success of other businesses sounds wild, but Christi and Erin are no strangers to the approach. They’ve been doing it for a decade at their store, Three Little Birds, off Main Street in Clayton. 

“It's been beautiful to see at Three Little Birds,” says Erin, “because there are so many people, stay-at-home moms and others, who are doing their thing and want to have their own business, but can't be there every day or can't afford the full brick-and-mortar experience. We've seen so many people have success and grow through being able to have a small store within our larger store. It just made sense to do something like that, but with food.”



But experience has also taught them to be very thoughtful and purposeful when selecting those vendors and small business owners. Nowhere was that more apparent at The Station than in the much-anticipated selection of the ground-floor full-service restaurant tenants. 

“We carefully selected the restaurant,” said Christi, “we turned away several options because either they were a franchise or larger organization, we didn't feel it was a good culture fit for Clayton, or it was a greasy spoon concept. Danielle and Dylan, with the Blair Watts Project, were chosen, first and foremost, for their passion for food, but also their dedication to customer service and community. They are big into community. They want to be, you know, fully, fully housed and immersed in the Clayton culture.”

The restaurant will offer lunch and dinner, as well as a full bar and live music. Hence the name, Crescendo. It promises California freshness, New York flavor, and North Carolina soul. The menu will focus on fresh ingredients, even sourcing items from some of the vendors in the market upstairs. In addition, they are looking to do brunch offerings and even a late-night menu, things that are still a gap in Clayton's food scene. 

I mentioned to both women that I admire not just their entrepreneurial spirit, but that their business concepts are always rooted in sharing and cultivating that spirit in others. They create a space, then they invite other people in to make money. I asked them how they arrived at entrepreneurship with that sort of attitude. 

Erin said it comes down to both of them agreeing on what success looks like, and it's not endless profit. “I don't think that you can be successful if you don't invite others to lift you up and fill the gaps where you might not be the strongest. We would never be able to independently open a grocery store. We feel like having the ability to invite others in, to be a part of something bigger, benefits everyone. They bring their expertise and their knowledge to the table, and it makes the business better. There’s also a multicultural aspect to it that has added depth and layers  — different styles and offerings. A diversity of vendors means a diversity of consumers.”

She continued, “I think we both, too, personally come from a place of generosity, you know, we don’t want for much. So, I don’t think that in doing business, it ever crosses our mind, ‘what are we gonna get back from these people?’ We look at it from a place of abundance.” 

Rooted in History, Revitalized for Community 

To that end, one of the pillars of Erin and Christi’s businesses is giving back to the community, and The Station is no exception. For every dollar spent in The Station Market, they will donate a percentage of the proceeds to Clayton Area Ministries. This organization supports Clayton families in need, with pantrystaples, fresh food, and grocery items.

Erin expands on that, “I think there are some businesses out there that want to just keep it all for themselves. And I think that, not only does that not get you anywhere, but it also doesn't help others either. And every business we have includes a give-back component intentionally, but that's just who we are and have always been. We want local schools to reach out to us and say, ‘Hey, we have this charity. Can you be a part of it?’”



Christin continued, “Yeah. We want to go talk to the students at Clayton High School and tell them about being an entrepreneur. We can't be everything to everyone, but having this community element is huge to us. And, like, [Erin] said, we're not spirited towards money. We're spirited towards community. Our tagline is ‘Rooted in History, Revitalized for Community.’”

That includes special events!

“Events are absolutely part of the plan,” says Christi. “There will be food-based fundraisers; we’re currently workshopping a food gala type of event. There will also be tasting events to highlight vendors, wine tastings, live music, and a bunch of other fun stuff.” 

The Nitty Gritty Logistics (some things to keep in mind)

Due to the historic nature of the building, a full-service elevator was added for accessibility with an entry through the common area on Barbour Street. 

For parking, consider all of Downtown Clayton as an option. There are a plethora of parking options, but there is no dedicated “Station” lot. There are three public lots within 1 – 3 blocks of the Station and several on-street options around the building. There are public lots on Barbour Street, beside the Police Station, at Town Hall, and throughout Downtown. Look for the blue P!

Operating hours for the Station Market will be 7 days a week, 8 am – 8 pm! Each suite business will have its own operating hours. The restaurant, Crescendo, will also have its own hours — to be announced. 

For the Station Market, there will be one central point of sale for customers to experience a seamless checkout. And there will be bags for shoppers' convenience to collect and hold products as you browse before going to the singular checkout. Some Market vendors will staff their space as their schedule allows, but all the offerings will be available 7 days a week, 8 am – 8 pm, unless otherwise noted. 

The businesses in the suites throughout the building will have their own operating hours and their own point of sales systems. Most of them are service-based, so baked goods, drinks, etc. There will be seating throughout the Station if you’d rather enjoy your treat on-site instead of taking it to go. 

A Full List of Station Vendors (current as of 1/15/26)