Arepa Culture reopens at Six Forks Station in north Raleigh

A family-owned Venezuelan restaurant that began as a food truck held the grand opening of its new north Raleigh storefront on Saturday, September 26, 2026. Arepa Culture is now at 9320 Forum Drive in the Six Forks Station shopping center, next to Target, according to WRAL and the Triangle Food Blog.

The move comes three months after the business closed its first restaurant, at Pleasant Valley Promenade on Glenwood Avenue, in June 2026, Hoodline reported on September 24. The grand opening ran from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with live music, dessert and giveaways, according to Hoodline.

The restaurant was serving customers before the grand opening. WRAL’s Foodie News column reported on September 18 that a soft opening was planned for the following week, and the Triangle Food Blog reported on September 25 that Arepa Culture was already open in its new spot.

From one food truck to a second storefront

Pedro Rodriguez founded the business in 2014 as the Triangle’s original arepa food truck and ran it with his family, The News & Observer reported. His son, Marcel Jara, is now the chief executive, according to Hoodline and The News & Observer.

The business has grown in these steps, according to Hoodline and The News & Observer:

• Rodriguez started Arepa Culture as a single food truck in 2014.
• The family later added a second truck, and the trucks have served Pittsboro, Apex and Raleigh.
• The first restaurant opened at Pleasant Valley Promenade, 6274 Glenwood Ave., in 2021.
• The Glenwood Avenue restaurant closed in June 2026.
• The Six Forks Station restaurant held its grand opening on September 26, 2026.

The trucks kept serving customers while the business moved between locations, The News & Observer reported. Hoodline, which calls Forum Drive the company’s second storefront, says Arepa Culture still runs a second food truck alongside the new restaurant.

Jara told The News & Observer that the new restaurant is “a way for us to almost have a new beginning, protect my father’s legacy.” The paper reported that customers helped pay for Rodriguez’s cancer treatment when the business faced personal and business problems back to back.

What the Forum Drive restaurant serves

An arepa is a traditional Venezuelan corn cake made of cornmeal and often stuffed with meats, vegetables and beans, The News & Observer reported. Arepa Culture’s version is a gluten-free white-cornmeal arepa that the company says it makes from scratch every day with three ingredients, then grills and fills, according to Hoodline. The menu includes vegetarian and vegan options, Hoodline reported.

Jara told The News & Observer that the new location will bring two main changes:

• The restaurant plans to host live music to draw in the community.
• The kitchen plans to add weekend brunch and a breakfast menu.

Awards and television

WRAL and the Triangle Food Blog both describe Arepa Culture as an award-winning, family-owned Venezuelan restaurant. Hoodline lists these honors and appearances:

• It won Midtown Magazine Diamond Awards from 2021 through 2023.
• It won Fans’ Choice Awards in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
• It was featured in August 2025 on MSNBC’s documentary series “Leguizamo Does America.”