Tobacco Road Sports Café has closed its location in downtown
Raleigh’s Glenwood South neighborhood.
The bar located at 505 Jones St. announced its closure on
Friday afternoon in a Facebook post.
“We’re so grateful for every guest, team member, neighbor and
fan who made this location feel like home,” the
post reads in part. “This isn’t goodbye to Tobacco Road—just the closing of
one chapter.”
Tobacco Road’s Durham location will remain open. The bar
said in the post that “exciting new things are coming soon.”
In July 2025, President Of Tobacco Road Sports Cafés Raed
Abdel Karim Amra pleaded
guilty to embezzling more than $1.7 million in North Carolina sales tax.
Court records show Amra redirected more than $1.7
million in state sales taxes for his own use from October 2012 through December
2019.
As of July 2025, Amra repaid $1 million and must pay back
the rest over a five-year period. Amra received five years on supervised
probation, including 12 months under house arrest, and 150 days in
jail in 30-day intervals.
The news about Tobacco Road comes after several bars have closed in downtown Raleigh.
Carolina Ale House closed its Glenwood South location in April 2025. Smash Raleigh, a ping-pong bar, has since replaced Carolina Ale House.
Clouds Brewing and
New Anthem Beer closed
their downtown Raleigh locations in March 2024.
Nearby 42nd Street Oyster Bar closed in March 2025. In November 2025, WRAL News reported about how there are plans for 42nd Street Oyster Bar to return, but it has yet to reopen.