Topsail Steamer Will Open Raleigh Store October 17

The seafood retailer will bring its take-home steam pot model to a 1,300-square-foot storefront on Creedmoor Road.

Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Bold vector illustration of a stainless steel seafood steam pot filled with shellfish and vegetables, representing a new retail store opening.
Topsail Steamer will open a new 1,300-square-foot seafood retail shop on Creedmoor Road in Raleigh on October 17, 2026. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Topsail Steamer will open a new location at 8111 Creedmoor Road in Raleigh on October 17, 2026. The shop occupies a 1,300-square-foot space formerly held by a Pizza Hut.

Why it matters

The opening signals the expansion of a niche retail model that prioritizes take-home prep over traditional restaurant service. Operators in the segment should track how consumer demand for experiential home dining sustains interest beyond the brand's 2024 Shark Tank appearance.

Topsail Steamer offers products ranging from $35 to $259, which require 30 to 40 minutes of customer steaming time. The Raleigh site marks the growth of a chain that first launched in Surf City in 2017.

The players

Topsail Steamer

A seafood retailer specializing in take-home, prepared steam pots that gained national exposure on Shark Tank.

Pizza Hut

A global pizza restaurant chain that has recently been closing physical store locations.

The details

The business operates by providing take-home seafood steam pots that customers finish in their own kitchens. The model streamlines service by bypassing traditional dining room overhead, with final products served on disposable brown paper. The company is now diversifying its revenue stream by adding catering and gifting options to its standard retail offerings.

Timeline

  1. 2017: First Topsail Steamer location opened in Surf City.

  2. 2024: The business was featured on Shark Tank.

  3. February 2026: Pizza Hut announced nationwide location closures.

  4. October 17, 2026: Grand opening of the Raleigh location.

Market Landscape

The expansion follows the visibility gained from the 2024 Shark Tank appearance, mirroring how other retail concepts scale after prime-time media exposure. The site selection at a former Pizza Hut highlights the ongoing real estate churn as traditional quick-service chains consolidate.

Operators looking at retail conversions should note the shift from high-capacity kitchen footprints like those of national pizza chains to specialized, lower-overhead retail models. Watch the Raleigh market's response to the catering expansion to see if gift-based revenue stabilizes seasonal seafood demand.

The takeaway

Retailers entering new markets should prioritize locations with existing infrastructure to minimize fit-out costs. Monitor the company's transition into corporate gifting as a scalable revenue stream compared to individual retail sales.

What happens next

The grand opening event is scheduled for October 17, 2026.

Further reading

Learn more about new retail developments in Raleigh Openings & Closings.

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Do you believe new specialty food businesses make your local community a better place to live?