North Carolina natives opened this restaurant in North Hills to serve as a home away from home offering Southern food with a lighter touch.
by Catherine Currin | photography by Forrest Mason

Sunlight pours in through floor-to-ceiling windows at Good Graces. The all-day destination has an airy-yet-cozy vibe, welcoming and casual. It’s a space designed for lingering, whether you’re enjoying a morning latte or catching up with friends over cocktails.

Good Graces co-owners and North Carolina natives Haley Borden and Lindsey Bayless say they decided to open the restaurant because they felt something was missing in North Hills. “There wasn’t a place you could come to get some work done with a coffee, but also enjoy happy hour with friends,” says Borden, who took a leap from corporate America to open the eatery, which is nestled in the North Hills Innovation District.

In the kitchen, chef Cody Ross brings a fresh perspective to Southern cooking. Originally from Alabama, Ross most recently worked at Bread & Friends in Portland, Maine, before he and his wife felt the pull to return to the South. Partnering with Liz Grandchamp of Raleigh-based restaurant consulting group Grandchamp Hospitality, Ross developed a menu rooted in Southern tradition but reimagined with a lighter touch. “This was a challenge, because ‘light’ isn’t always what you think of when you think of Southern food,” he says. “We wanted to serve food that people were comfortable with, that they could relate to, but with a healthful spin.”

On the menu, find made-from-scratch chicken salad, pimento cheese, focaccia and chocolate chip cookies (which have quickly earned a loyal following). Breakfast favorites include a smashed avocado tartine with pickled onions and an egg sandwich, upgraded with herb garlic aioli on their housemade focaccia. Lunch is available for table service (and to go for folks working in the office towers nearby), with a variety of staples like sandwiches, a kale Caesar salad and a harvest bowl with farro and roasted seasonal vegetables. Dinner offers appetizers like whipped feta and charcuterie, along with more substantial fare like a shrimp roll with a Creole remoulade or a pimento cheeseburger. 

“We wanted to serve the food you would kind of cook at home, except a little bit more elevated and a little bit more professionally done,” says Ross. Seasonal ingredients guide the menu, with salads, bowls and specials shifting as local produce changes. “We want to use produce at its peak performance,” he says. 

The bar specials change and adapt to complement the seasonal menu, says Ross: “We’re always asking questions like: What cocktail pairs with a shrimp roll? What wine would you drink on a porch with a BLT?” The all-day bar menu includes the Gin-Ger Snap, a blend of gin, ginger beer and apple cider, and a summery Blackberry Smash using seasonal berries with lemon, mint and bourbon. There’s also a slew of beer and wine options along with juices, kombucha and other non-alcoholic beverages. 

Bayless says she and Borden envisioned the space as an extension of their guests’ living or dining room — just a little bit down the road. “We want people to come to us when they don’t want to cook, but they still want a home-cooked meal,” says Bayless. The soft, feminine design of the space was spearheaded by Dusty Slemp, who’s known for his branding and design work for spaces including Furbish Studio, St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar and Dose Yoga (a neighbor of Good Graces). It’s airy yet cozy, anchored by a sleek U-shaped, marble-topped bar. The booths and chairs are done in powder blue velvet and ruffled-glass chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Bows are a signature motif, and each corner of the space is photo-ready. 

In addition to the all-day menu, the team has curated a marketplace of locally sourced items. “We wanted to showcase products we already know and love,” says Borden. On the polished shelves, find products like Raleigh-made Mama’s Salsa, Piedmont Pennies from Matthews, NC, and Poppy popcorn, which is based in Asheville. Good Graces also offers its own party mix blend and branded merchandise like hats and sweatshirts. The team will even curate a gift box with selected products wrapped and sealed with their signature bow.

Since opening last summer, Good Graces has quickly become a go-to for corporate coffees, afternoon Mahjong and even private events. It was one of the first hospitality tenants of the North Hills Innovation District, with more on the horizon, including a second location of Standard Beer + Food and a third iteration of Benchwarmers Bagels. Borden welcomes this growth with hopes that it will bring even more visitors to the neighborhood. “There will be something for everyone to enjoy in our little corner of North Hills,” she says.  

This article originally appeared in the February 2026 issue of WALTER magazine.