Sugarland bakery opens on Franklin Street, but not without hassel

If you have not heard about it, you’ve probably smelled the sugary sweet aroma wofting down Franklin Street from Sugarland Bakery.  However, this delicacy has been a long time coming for owners Randolph and Katrina Ryan, no thanks to the Chapel Hill town officials. 

The Ryans’ goal is to restore Franklin Street back to like it was in the 1960s, but it has not been an easy endeavor.  The town of Chapel Hill created many obstacles for the Ryans to overcome before opening day. 

Randolph Ryan explained that opening a business in Chapel Hill is “hell.”  “The city bureaucracy is a nightmare,” Ryan said, “they don’t care about real downtown development.” 

Ryan explained after he submitted his building plans for a building permit, it took over five weeks to get the permit.  Ryan submitted three plans to the fire department, building codes department, and health department. 

Ryan said, “They follow their procedures for their convenience.”

Ryan explained that there was a lot of unnecessary delay and they were at everyone’s scheduling mercy.

Because Sugarland is in a building that is over 100 years old, the building falls under restoration building codes instead of new construction codes.  Ryan said the city initially inspected the bakery under the wrong codes and to get the city to understand and correct their mistake was miserable. 

When Ryan called the Chapel Hill town economic development officer, Dwight Bassett, with  his concerns about the inspection, Ryan said Bassett responded, “It’s not our job to solve your problem; It’s your architects problem.” 

Ryan said their suggestions for following code would have forced them to knock a hole in the wall shared with Carolina Coffee Shop to create a fire escape. 

After overcoming all of the turmoil, the Ryans were able to open their doors on to a packed house. 

Inside, the bakery is adorned with cedar wood shelves, old coffee machines, and black boards as menus that change according to the time of day.  One cannot miss the classic bakery cases in the windows showcasing the sweets of the day and the smiling faces beckoning you to come in and indulge yourself. 

The Ryans have kept the old Julian’s building true to the Julian’s theme of madras and plaid.  The employees all wear madras aprons and the curtains and decor are a pastel plaid. 

Katrina Ryan wakes up every morning at 4:00 am every morning to cook pastries, cookies, cupcakes, and many other sweet treats.   The doors open at 7:00 am and don’t close until midnight. 

The menu ranges from breakfast scones and coffees to specialty cocktails and gelato. 

Katrina Ryan is a professional chef trained in France.  She was the pastry chef at La Residence in Chapel Hill before opening Sugarland.