Pittsboro, NC – The local seafood restaurant Postal Fish Company has formally announced its closing. The final service was offered on Saturday, October 11, ending an eight-year run in downtown’s adapted post office building.
Founded by chefs Bill Hartley and Jaime DeMent, Postal Fish Company opened its doors in 2017 inside Pittsboro’s old post office building on West Salisbury Street. It was a gathering spot where farm-to-table met surf-to-table. Weekly menus featured whatever fresh catch Hartley and DeMent could source from the North Carolina coast — grouper, triggerfish, shrimp, oysters, and flounder — paired with seasonal produce from Chatham County farmers.
A New Chapter: Food Truck & Community Café
While the brick-and-mortar restaurant will shutter, the owners are not exiting the culinary scene. Their next venture will take them on the road — literally. The pair are launching JDub’s Food Truck in the coming months, described as a “big purple trailer” that will bring their signature seafood dishes to events and neighborhoods throughout the area. JDub’s is slated to feature some familiar Postal Fish favorites, along with a more casual lineup of sandwiches, seafood tacos, and seasonal small plates.
Simultaneously, they have arranged for a nonprofit venture — The Quiltmaker Café — to take over the space at 75 W. Salisbury Street. Quiltmaker Café is organized around a pay-what-you-can model: diners won’t see fixed prices on menus, but are encouraged to contribute via money, volunteer time, or local produce and eggs. This will be the Quiltmaker Café’s first permanent, brick-and-mortar home. Public announcements suggest that the reimagined space will open later this year.
A Legacy in the Old Post Office
Postal Fish Company occupied a distinctive location: the former Pittsboro Post Office, repurposed into a warm, rustic‐modern seafood destination. Over the years, the menu often changed to reflect coastal fish and shellfish sourced by the owners themselves, sometimes twice weekly.
In local food circles, Postal Fish was frequently celebrated for bringing coastal fare inland, marrying it with local produce, and helping anchor Pittsboro as a serious destination for diners beyond Chapel Hill or Durham.
Community Reactions & Future Watch
Responses from Postal Fish Company patrons and neighbors have ranged from sadness at the loss of a favorite dining spot to curiosity and optimism about what comes next. Some have expressed strong support for the Quiltmaker Café’s mission.
As Quiltmaker Café prepares to renovate the space and as JDub’s Food Truck readies its wheels, folks in Pittsboro will be watching to see how this transition unfolds. Will the new models retain the spirit of what Postal Fish built? Can a pay-what-you-can café thrive in this setting? Only time will tell
What’s Next
- Last Day of Service: Saturday, October 11, 2025
- New Project by Postal Fish Owners: JDub’s Food Truck (launching late fall 2025)
- New Occupant of the Postal Fish Space: Quiltmaker Café (opening later this year)
- Location: 75 W. Salisbury Street, Pittsboro, NC
After 8 unforgettable years, it’s time for us to turn the page and begin a new chapter. We are announcing the closing of our beloved restaurant, with our final service on Saturday October 11th. This decision didn’t come lightly. This space has been more than just a restaurant. It’s been a home, a canvas and a gathering place filled with laughter, hard work, late nights and unforgettable experiences. We’ve reconnected with old friends, made new lifelong friends and we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built.
To our patrons… thank you for showing up, for sharing your milestones with us and for letting our food be part of your lives. Your support has been the heartbeat of everything we’ve done.
To our friends, our PFC Family… your dedication, talent and spirit brought this place to life every single day. None of this would have been possible without you.
To our local farmers… thank you for your partnership, your craft and your commitment to quality. It has given us tremendous joy showcasing the fruit of your labor on every plate.
And to our community thank you for embracing us. We’ve been deeply humbled by your loyalty, love and willingness to step outside the box when it comes to local seafood. We love you ALL.
We are super excited to start our next chapter. The JDub’s Food Truck will be launching soon. Look out for the Big Purple Trailer.
While the kitchen at 75 W. Salisbury St. will close for Postal Fish Company, we’re happy to say that it will fire back up for The Quiltmaker Café, a project that lives by the same community drive that we have for the last 8 years. They will be reinventing the location for their pay-what-you-can café that will continue the community forward concept that we hold near to our heart.
With full hearts,
Bill & Jaime
Postal Fish Company