Multi-Use Full Restaurant for Lease in Morehead City, NC, 3,328 SF

Position your restaurant brand in one of coastal North Carolina’s most active commercial corridors. This freestanding restaurant property is currently occupied by Smithfield’s Chicken ’N Bar-B-Q, which plans to relocate to a newly constructed restaurant next door. The existing building is expected to become available following Smithfield’s relocation in 2027.

The property offers qualified restaurant operators the opportunity to enter the Morehead City market using an established restaurant location with existing visibility, customer recognition and potential reuse efficiencies. Its freestanding configuration may be well suited for regional or national restaurant concepts seeking a prominent location without the extended timeline associated with ground-up construction.

The opportunity is particularly attractive for breakfast and brunch restaurants, fast-casual concepts, cafés, bakeries, sandwich shops, Mediterranean or international cuisine, pizza, coffee, desserts and other established operators that complement the neighboring Smithfield’s restaurant.

Prospective tenants can begin evaluating the location and planning for a 2027 opening well in advance. Building condition, equipment, improvements, signage, access and reuse requirements should be independently evaluated by each operator.

Please do not disturb the current tenant. Property tours and additional information are available through the listing broker by appointment.

Location Description

Located at 4114 Arendell Street along the U.S. Highway 70 commercial corridor, the property provides access to customers from Morehead City, Beaufort, Atlantic Beach, Newport and the surrounding Carteret County communities. Arendell Street is one of the area’s primary retail and restaurant corridors, connecting established neighborhoods, employment centers, medical services, shopping destinations and the Crystal Coast’s beaches and waterfront communities.

Morehead City serves as a year-round commercial and service center for Carteret County while also benefiting from seasonal visitors traveling to Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Beaufort and other Crystal Coast destinations. This combination of local residents, regional customers, employees, boaters and vacation traffic creates demand for restaurant concepts capable of serving both repeat local customers and visitors.

The location offers an established restaurant setting near a newly planned Smithfield’s Chicken ’N Bar-B-Q restaurant, creating the potential for complementary dining concepts to benefit from continued restaurant traffic and increased customer activity at the site.

This opportunity is best suited for an experienced regional or national restaurant operator seeking a recognizable coastal North Carolina market, advance planning for 2027 occupancy and a location positioned to serve both year-round and seasonal demand.

Highlights

• Built-in sinks
• Drive-thru window
• Floor drains throughout kitchen
• Currently operating as Smithfield’s Chicken N' BBQ — ideal restaurant setup
• 50 parking spaces
• Two ADA-compliant restrooms