By Dathan Kazsuk and Elizabeth Brignac
In 2025, the Gurkan’s Downtown Auto Repair site on Chatham Street in Cary will move into a new phase of its history.
Early Bird Night Owl (EBNO)—the hospitality group behind The Durham and The Mayton boutique hotels—has a new plan for this historic spot in Cary that has been known for many years for its warmth and community spirit. In 2025, they will open Lloyd’s Full Service, a new neighborhood dining spot, at 107 E. Chatham Street (the corner of Chatham and Academy streets).
This spot has been home to Gurkan’s Downtown Auto Repair for many years. In 1951, K.M. Lloyd opened what was then an Amoco service station at this location. It was known as a friendly establishment whose motto “Service is our business” characterized its warm, community-focused ethos. Lloyd’s Full Service will pay its respect to its forerunner in this spot through its name and design, and it anticipates taking on a similarly friendly, open approach to its patrons.
The goal is to create a restaurant that retains—and celebrates—the location’s nostalgic charm. Plans include a 1,280-square-foot preserved facade, indoor and outdoor seating, a spacious patio, a fire pit, a live music stage, and a 1940s-style delivery van serving food and drinks with a touch of retro charm.
EBNO will be working with the same Cary developers who solidified The Mayton’s place in downtown Cary. They include George Jordan and Jordan Gussenhoven (from Chatham Street Commercial), Bill Zahn (from Triangle Real Estate Company), Steve and Grant Knier (from Monument Property Group) and investors Grant and Austin Yarber. “Breathing new life into this historic structure while honoring its character is what this project is all about,” says Gussenhoven, whose firm has done much of downtown Cary’s revitalization work.
The team hopes to retain the character of the original building while adding state-of-the-art touches that bring the best of local entertainment and contemporary cuisine to the table. While the automotive business itself will become a restaurant, the community spirit that made it special will live on at Lloyd’s Full Service.
