Toast
Sq Ft
~4,000
Timeline
~4 months
Location
Durham, NC
Client request
Billy and Kelli Cotter knew exactly what they wanted to build: an everyday Italian‑inspired paninoteca—simple, honest food at a price people could afford a few times a week—not a special‑occasion fine‑dining room. What they didn’t have was a big budget or a turnkey space.
They found a small 1920s masonry storefront at 345 W Main Street in downtown Durham’s Five Points district—a raw historic shell that needed to become a full restaurant: kitchen, counter, dining room, and character. The ask to Incline was clear: turn a vacant, historically sensitive space into a compact, efficient neighborhood restaurant that felt like it had always been there.
The build
Incline converted the vacant 1920s storefront into a full‑service restaurant on a tight footprint and budget, working within both the local Downtown Durham Historic District and National Register guidelines. The team executed a ground‑up interior buildout inside the existing masonry shell—designing and installing a complete commercial kitchen, ordering counter, and compact dining room configured to handle heavy lunch traffic while making every square foot count.
Original brick walls were preserved to anchor the authentic, neighborhood feel, complemented by custom millwork, a large chalkboard menu, and thoughtful lighting. In roughly four to five months, Incline delivered the upfit that became Toast—helping turn a long‑quiet corner of Five Points into one of downtown Durham’s most active daytime destinations.
