Imagine you’re new to Winston-Salem, or maybe it’s just been a while since you spent time in the Innovation Quarter. Either way, you find yourself meandering around Bailey Park on a beautiful blue sky afternoon, and you get the hankering for an iced coffee. In fact, a bite to eat would hit the spot, too.
As luck would have it, you remember you’re just a block away from Krankies Coffee. Having been located on Third Street for more than 20 years, Krankies’ long tenure in this spot has led some to affectionately call the area the Krankies Block.
As your eyes drift toward the coffee shop, your gaze catches a row of other historic buildings in front of it on Fourth Street. Those more ornate buildings with a strikingly different architecture than the much larger industrial buildings that dominate the area now house Krankies’ closest neighbors.
The collective history of this block pre-dates the coffee shop by decades when these buildings were home to assorted Black-owned businesses that were part of the vibrant Black business district that grew up around the tobacco factories located here.
You’re familiar with Krankies, but today—as you take in the block with fresh eyes—you realize you haven’t taken the time to “meet” the other businesses that share this block. Perking up at the thought of a great cup of coffee and the chance to explore the rest of this downtown block, you set off. As you head down the grassy hill in Bailey Park, you move toward the intersection of Patterson Avenue and Fourth Street.
As you cross the intersection, what you see first isn’t the Krankies building, but that other set of early 20th century buildings that house the other businesses that occupy this corner of the iQ. Your exploration of this area starts with Fair Witness Fancy Drinks, sitting catty-corner from Bailey Park at Fourth Street and Patterson Avenue.
Fair Witness Fancy Drinks
The Fair Witness building is a white brick building with black trim and features abundant outdoor seating with cobalt blue benches that make for an extra fun outdoor design element. The bar boasts a laid back, welcoming vibe, inviting folks to explore their creativity-fueled cocktail menu while having a great time in the process. That “great time” might come in the form of conversation around the fire pit, a karaoke night, or connecting with other patrons in the cozy indoor space.
Established: 2018
Fun Fact: Tim Nolan and Blake Stewart—the co-owners and childhood friends behind Fair Witness—are big believers in preparation and creativity leading the way to delicious drinks. At Fair Witness, the presentation is intentionally unfussy so that the flavors and artistry of the cocktails can really shine.
Community Connection: Looking for a go-to spot in Winston-Salem for high-energy dance parties? Turns out Fair Witness can be just that place for you! Keep an eye on their social media for updates on the techno and house music nights they regularly host at the bar.
As you walk out of Fair Witness, the outline of something bright pink catches your eye, so you hang a right onto Patterson Avenue to get a closer peek. Wait…is that a rhinoceros on that red brick building with green and white striped awnings? You’ve just stumbled upon Pink Rhino Beauty Parlor.
Pink Rhino Beauty Parlor
Pink Rhino is powered by a partnership between Stacey Lynch and Erica Holloway that started many years ago at a Buffalo Wild Wing’s. The salon’s hot pink signage makes you smile, and the jungle theme doesn’t end with just the name and logo. When you head inside, you’ll be greeted by abundant greenery and furniture and finishings that pull from local, recycled sources including wood recovered from old tobacco barns and rock dug out from a local creekbed by the owners themselves. And of course, you’ll find rhinos and pink adorning the interior. You’ll also find a team of seven talented hair stylists—known as the Jungle Babes—each of whom offer a variety of cut and color options to their clients.
Established: 2018
Fun Fact: The Jungle Babes at Pink Rhino really want to get to know their clients, and for their clients to know them. When you visit their website to make an appointment at Pink Rhino, you’ll be able to read detailed bios from each stylist, helping you know which you might best connect with on a personal level in addition to getting the perfect-for-you hair style.
Community Connection: Pink Rhino has been named the Best Hair Salon in Forsyth County three years in a row by Yes! Weekly, an award determined by votes from Triad residents, making the stylists at Pink Rhino very proud.
Leaving the salon, it’s time to address the caffeine craving that got you started with this Krankies Block tour to begin with. Take a right as you leave Pink Rhino and hug the block as you turn right again at the corner and head up the hill to Krankies Coffee, which you’ll reach just before you hit the railroad tracks.
Krankies Coffee
Let the enticing scent of freshly brewed java lead you to the door of Krankies Coffee and then head on into the large brick building to grab a cup of coffee, made with beans they roast daily in-house. The industrial-yet-cozy space is large and welcoming, too, making it an ideal place to enjoy a chat with a friend, study, or get some work done.
A renovation in 2015 expanded the physical space of the coffee shop, creating new spaces for the coffee roasting aspect of the enterprise, as well as a bar area, in addition to offering new seating options. The menu also expanded, including Krankies’ now signature Texas Pete Chicken Biscuit, which has become famous enough to be featured by both PBS North Carolina and the cover of Our State magazine.
Established: 2003
Fun Fact: The name “Krankies” came from co-founder Dave Franklin, a night owl, who was always bleary-eyed and sleepy when his partner John Bryan (J.B.) would pick him up for work in the morning. They chose the name as a joke when it came time to officially register the business and they had to quickly select a formal name for the paperwork, but they never planned to use it publicly.
Community Connection: Krankies has always been in support of the local arts scene, and continues to host events featuring local makers, musicians, beat makers, and more. In fact, before Krankies opened its doors as a coffee and biscuit shop, its owners used the space for live music and other events including dance recitals and film festivals.
Fully caffeinated, you’re ready to head back down to Bailey Park. But on the way, there’s one more business to check out on the Krankies Block. Leaving Krankies and walking toward Fourth Street, you notice Krankie’s outdoor seating, complete with a treehouse for kids to enjoy, along with a Little Library and several umbrella-topped tables.
As you make your way closer to the smokestacks and then go right down Fourth Street, you pass an empty lot (which was used by Cobblestone Farmers Market for pop-up farmer’s markets back in the day), you’ll come to Salon 7 on your right. It’s your last stop for this walking tour.
Salon 7
You glance in the prominent windows of the salon, which afford you a view inside the sleek, inviting space. Salon 7 is a full-service Aveda hair salon. The salon provides style services for both men and women and also stocks a wide variety of Aveda hair products for purchase.
Established: 2015
Fun Fact: Aveda salons like Salon 7 use natural products based on ayurvedic medicine, a practice that uses plants rather than chemicals to heal and treat. The owners and stylists behind Aveda salons aren’t just dedicated to using the brand’s natural, botanical products, they’re also committed to Aveda’s mission: “to care for the world we live in.”
Community Connection: The business partners behind Salon 7, Mark Pedersen and Brooke Lee, worked together years ago, then opened separate Aveda salons (Mark was behind Jade Salon in Greensboro and Brooke helmed Brooke Lee Salon in Kernersville) before joining forces again to bring Salon 7 to the iQ.
Now that you’ve completed your tour of the Krankies block, you might consider heading back down the hill toward Bailey Park to enjoy more of this beautiful day outside. Or perhaps give a friend a call and see if they can meet you for a drink to sip on the patio at Fair Witness. Regardless, keep this little corner of the iQ in mind next time you need caffeine, a cocktail, or a cut and color.
If you’re interested in learning more about these or the many other businesses that call this part of town home, continue your walking tour of the iQ with other buildings in the iQ like Bailey South and 525@vine. You can also check out the iQ’s tenant directory to really get a feel for all that’s going on here!
Have you ever walked by a building in the Innovation Quarter, and thought: Who actually uses that building? We’re decoding that mystery for you…one building at a time.
Featured Buildings:
The Block between Third and Fourth St and Patterson Ave and Chestnut St.
