Durham has plenty of great options for restaurants and bars. Duke students have a variety of options to choose from, depending on what they are in the mood for.

Pavilion East on Erwin Road is a very popular area for MMS students, since it is so close to campus and the popular apartment complexes where a lot of us live (Trinity Commons, The Lofts, The Heights and Belmont). It offers a variety of choices such as TGI Fridays, Smashburger, Enzo’s Pizza, Chipotle, Noodles & Company, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Another Broken Egg Café. Just across the street is another popular restaurant called Sushi Love.

Many MMS students will grab a quick lunch or coffee at the Fox Center, which is inside Fuqua. This is especially nice during long team meetings or during breaks from class.

Ninth Street has more dining options, such as Tijuana Flats or Elmo’s Diner. Though it’s a 40-minute drive The State Farmer’s Market Restaurant in Raleigh is hands down one of the best breakfast places in the entire area, and is something everyone should try.

Southpoint Mall also has a variety of options such as Cheesecake Factory, Maggiano’s, Zinburger and Champps. MMS students will often go to downtown Durham to eat at Tobacco Road or Cuban Revolution. Bars like Devine’s, Alivia’s and Satisfaction are also very popular MMS spots. Closer to the Raleigh-Durham Airport is Bella Mia, hands down the best pizza restaurant in the area (although Enzo’s Pizza is a close second). My personal two favorite restaurants in Durham are Torero’s Mexican Restaurant and Piazza Italia. Monuts and Beyù Caffé are great coffee places that MMS students will often visit.

Some teams at Fuqua will have a weekly team dinner out, and try a new restaurant every time. Although all of the previously mentioned restaurants are the popular places where MMS students often go, my favorite memories involving food and classmates are the private dinners we will host in our apartments. My teammates will take turns cooking food at our apartments, and everyone will sit around and enjoy each other’s company.

Team dinners can especially be great bonding experiences. Sharing meals with fellow MMS students helps strengthen relationships and our sense of community in Team Fuqua.