Tag: downtown Raleigh

“OOO”: Working Remotely in Raleigh

Kelli FletcherBlog, In Our Community, Raleigh PR Agency,

One of the things we love most about life here at Clairemont is the location of our office. Nestled in downtown Raleigh, The Clairemont House keeps us in the DTR mix. Not only do we get our pick of places to saunter to for a bite or a brew (of the coffee OR beer variety), but we also get a pretty sweet view of the skyline from both our front and back porches. While there aren’t many reasons for us to escape beyond the walls of our downtown abode, sometimes we do like to switch it up, just for the sake of it! Whether it’s for the playlist, the java or simply the vibe, we’ve rounded up our favorite spots to set up shop when working remotely,

Third Place: Chances are you’ll catch a healthy number of Raleigh’s Who’s Who in this little Five Points shop, but for good reason. On top of offering a solid cup of coffee, the service is top-tier, and the owner knows almost all his customers’ names. Basically, it’s the Cheers of coffee shops.

Vita Vite: Yes, this is a wine bar. And an art gallery. The small menu of bites will keep your belly full, and the outdoor area is just as beautiful as the indoor space. Cozy chairs, power supply and even fireplaces (for when the chill hits) make Vita Vite a great spot to people watch in between emails and conference calls.

Transfer Co. Food Hall: The new kid on the block is open Tuesday through Sunday, and I’m here to tell you, the vibe is right. It’s spacious with great lighting, and hats off to the whomever is curating the tunes. The obvious bonus is the food. A variety of fresh, fast choices is at your fingertips.

The Morning Times: The OG. Are you even a DTR dweller if the Morning Times isn’t on your list? It’s consistently the best coffee in town, and we’re huge fans of the yogurt parfait.

Sir Walter Coffee: Not only do we love the playlist here and the steady stream of people that pop in for a quick caffeine fix, but the two walls of windows (with one opening up to a patio!) keep the space airy and bright.

Drop us a line to let us know your favorite spot to set up when working remotely.

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What’s for Lunch? Pizza La Stella

Dana PhelpsBlog, Clairemont Client News, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , , ,

As a downtown Raleigh agency, we have our fingers on the pulse of all things ITB (that’s “inside the beltline” for you non-Raleighites). And one of our favorite assignments is deciding where to eat!

For our fellow downtown employees, residents and visitors to our City of Oaks, put this on your map: 219 Fayetteville St., Raleigh.

Pizza La Stella, a Neopolitan-style eatery and Clairemont client, curated a menu of mid-day delectables that fits nicely into your lunch hour, business meeting, mom’s day out or I-need-a-hot-second-by-myself meal. Yes, La Stella’s 800-degree, wood-fired pizza takes the cake, but a few other unexpected treats pepper the list:

  • Honey Habanero Wings
  • Fire-Roasted Brussel Sprouts
  • Fontina Mac
  • Craft-Your-Own-Salad
  • (And of course) wood-fired pizza like, the Pomodoro Stella or Ratatouille

It’s a lovely, easy $9.95 for a dish and a drink, open vibe and some interesting people watching on Fayetteville Street.

Oh, P.S. After taking your last nibble, go upstairs to La Stella’s hidden gem at the top of the staircase. The Loft is, as The Triangle Downtowner puts it, “a bar and lounge that is one part steampunk and two parts Twin Peaks” brimming with craft cocktails and after-hours live tunes.

Maybe pencil a return visit for later that night?

We’re all just foodies at heart, which is why we love restaurant PR and fun food events like Bourbon and Bonbons!

Images courtesy of Pizza La Stella.

 

 

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Craving Chocolate? Videri is the Answer

Dana PhelpsBlog, Clairemont Client News, In Our Community, , , , , , , ,

If you’re craving chocolate, we’ve got your fix. Clairemont client, Videri Chocolate Factory, is throwing a fifth anniversary party this weekend, and YOU are invited. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Sunday, January 15, stop by Videri at 327 W. Davie Street for tasty treats, raffles, chocolate crafts and family fun. You’ll meet Starr, Sam, Chris and all the other sweet Videri people!

In the meantime, check out this video by Baldwin& and Josh Steadman from Steady Films that shows how Sam made chocolate posters for the event. Pretty cool, huh? Yeah well, pretty delicious, too. If you win one of these in the raffle on Sunday, who will you choose to help you eat it? Tell us your answer on the Clairemont Facebook page!

 

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What does a PR Agency do? Vita Vite Grand Opening

Jasmin SessomsBlog, Case Studies, Clairemont Client News, , , , , , , , , ,

Vita Vite comes from the Italian words for “life” and “vine” – the idea of life revolving around wine and food, and how they bring people together in a common space of appreciation for the beautiful things that can enrich life. In order to showcase Vita Vite’s atmosphere and build onsite traffic and general visibility for the business, Clairemont hosted a creative ribbon-cutting ceremony designed to engage key influencers and members of the downtown Raleigh community.

As part of an ongoing public relations strategy to introduce Vita Vite to Raleigh and gain exposure for business owner, Lindsay Rice, a visual twist was added to the ceremony to engage media; we highlighted the wine bar/art gallery concept by creating a ribbon out of wine corks.

Connecting with the Community: Vita Vite is located in Raleigh’s Warehouse District, also known as the Art District. To make a strong connection with the downtown community, the president of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, David Diaz, made an official statement about the growth in the Warehouse District and Vita Vite’s role in helping its expansion. To further integrate Vita Vite with the community, guests were invited to co-create a piece of art and “leave their marks.” Participants put ink on their thumbs and placed thumbprints on a canvas to create a commemorative art piece that is now on display at Vita Vite.

Targeted Pitches: Clairemont targeted lifestyle bloggers to enjoy a date night at Vita Vite. Bloggers were invited to bring someone special with them to enjoy VIP perks, like a complimentary glass of wine, cheese plates and one-on-one interviews with the owner.

Vita Vite’s introduction to the downtown Raleigh scene has been a success as the new hotspot in the Warehouse District. The tweets from the ribbon-cutting ceremony reached a followership of 33,471 on Twitter alone. As part of a larger strategic campaign, Clairemont helped Vita Vite engage with a targeted lifestyle blogger audience by highlighting the date night aspect of the wine bar. This tactic exceeded expectations by securing two media placements and Instagram posts to a reach of more than 14,100 followers on Instagram, generating additional buzz about Vita Vite and its welcoming atmosphere.

Want to learn more about the creative work that we do at Clairemont? Read our case study blog posts here.

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What does a PR Agency do? The Lincoln Ribbon Cutting

Jasmin SessomsBlog, Case Studies, Clairemont Client News, , , , ,

When you think of a ribbon cutting, chances are you picture giant scissors and the stuffy old red ribbon from Grandpa’s closet. At Clairemont, we’re always searching for new ways to add creativity to our client work. So naturally, as the agency for The Lincoln Apartments grand opening events, the Clairemont team put our heads together to come up with a fun way to welcome The Lincoln to downtown Raleigh that would also capture attention from local media.

The Lincoln is a new 224-unit residential apartment community situated in the rapidly changing Moore Square neighborhood in Downtown Raleigh and offers studio, one and two-bedroom apartments, lofts and townhouses. Residents have access to amenities including a fitness room and yoga studio, a courtyard swimming pool, enclosed parking with electric car chargers, interior bike storage and a pet spa. Since The Lincoln is one of the few downtown Raleigh complexes that is pet friendly, we decided to highlight that amenity and partner with a local pet organization and nonprofit, Cause for Paws of NC, for the ribbon cutting.

On September 10, 2015, The Lincoln Apartments celebrated its official grand opening with a ribbon-cutting event in the afternoon and a cocktail party in the evening. Both were designed to engage key influencers and members from our target demographic to experience The Lincoln Lifestyle, positioning The Lincoln as the premiere urban living development in downtown Raleigh.

The grand opening began with a ribbon-cutting event that featured the president of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, city council members and other prominent Raleigh officials. After the dignitaries made remarks about The Lincoln and its positive impact on the Moore Square District, Molly, our canine ambassador from Cause for Paws, “cut” the ribbon by chewing through a treat.

The event doubled as a fundraiser for Cause for Paws of NC with “Tag, You’re It!” a photo relay where  The Lincoln donated $5 to Cause for Paws of NC for each who participated. By simply snapping a photo of the person to the left, sharing it on any social media channel and tagging #TheLincolnRaleigh and #CauseforPawsNC, participants helped Triangle dogs and cats who need homes.

This approach generated excitement about The Lincoln and garnered news coverage on ABC11 and News 14, which, in turn, helped boost exposure for Cause for Paws.

Want to know more about the work we do at Clairemont? Be sure to like us on Facebook!

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