Spotlight on a Local: Pimiento Tea Room and Nightingale - Untraditional drinks and dining downtown

Matt and Christy Griffith create unique, elevated dining experiences in beautifully eclectic locations.

Correction (6/26/2025): The original story incorrectly identified Christy and Matt Griffith’s partner at Nightingale. The correct information has been added below, while the incorrect information has been stricken through.

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About the writer: Dae Reed is a sophomore at NC State studying journalism. He has lived in Holly Springs for 8 years and loves theater, photography, and writing. Dae is the first summer intern at Holly Springs Update.

Holly Springs, NC, Jun. 24, 2025 — On the corner of Main Street and Earl in Holly Springs is a charming, historic home called the Pimiento Tea Room. Inside, guests will find a maximalist space, featuring bright green walls, lemur-laden wallpaper, and mismatched chairs. Not only is there an extensive selection of teas and scones, but also a range of creative cocktails and dishes.

Opened in late 2020 by husband-and-wife partners Christy and Matt Griffith, the new-southern restaurant has become a staple of unique flavors and ambience in downtown Holly Springs.

I sat down with Christy and Matt to discuss the origins of their business, their second venture, Nightingale Rooftop Bar, as well as their inspirations, challenges, and experiences in the heart of Holly Springs.

ORIGIN STORY

Matt and Christy met at NC State University as students. They had their first two children while they lived in Raleigh, and Christy attended culinary school at Wake Technical Community College. When they moved to Apex in 2006, they lived just down the road from 200 N Main Street in Holly Springs. Christy recalled driving past the house all of the time and finding it incredibly charming. At the time, it was an office building, converted from a residential home in 1998.

“I always told Matt, I want that house. I want that house so bad,” she told me.

At the time, Christy was working for Mama Birds Ice Cream, developing recipes and handling all of their baking. Matt had a career in engineering and had worked at IBM for 17 years.

When I asked what emboldened them to take on such a big project, Christy responded: “Pure naivety.”

“When we started off, it was always with the intention to build a company and business ourselves. We didn’t want to do it as a side project where we try to maintain a second career,” Matt said. “If we’re gonna do it, we’re gonna write our own story and put all our efforts and energy into it.”

When they got the chance to buy the house, they didn’t let it pass. They had a vision for a unique tea room to liven up downtown. The couple anticipated a short turnaround and an open restaurant within the year. What they ended up with was a three-year process filled with unexpected renovations, contractors, permitting, and loans.

“We weren’t just starting a restaurant, we were actually doing our first development project,” Christy said. “However hard you think it is, it’s ten times harder and ten times more expensive.”

Their partnership relied on a balance between their individual skills: Christy with the creative and culinary, Matt with the business side of things. According to Christy, “it wouldn’t work otherwise.”

DESIGN AND FOOD

The result of their renovations was a beautiful combination of traditional features and eccentric design. The floors are original hardwood, and the outside is largely unchanged. Inside, you’ll find charming wallpapers and ornate glassware.

“The intention was, when you go in, if you weren't paying attention, you would think it's like your grandma's house,” Christy said.

Within those familiar elements are hidden features that keep guests interested. Framed tributes to Dolly Parton, a myriad of silhouettes of iconic 80’s TV characters by the entrance, gilded mirrors on most of the walls, and books in the fireplace.

“People like really intense design decisions that they would never have the courage to do at home,” Christy said.

In addition to the design direction, Christy developed all the menus and now rotates seasonal dishes and specials.

“I approach food the way I approach designing restaurants: maximalism. I love bold flavors,” she said. “If a recipe has garlic in it, I want you to taste the garlic.”

Her inspirations pull from traditional southern dishes and what’s in season, but she is always aiming to get people out of their comfort zones. She said familiar ingredients in a new format or combination offer a pleasant surprise for guests.

“I know that's not for everyone, but you can't cook for everyone, or you’ll cook for no one,” she said.

On the business side, Matt manages and organizes to make Christy’s work possible.

“Even in my own career, the last few years I got involved with marketing and business operations,” Matt said. “I was able to apply a lot of that understanding, even from a multinational corporation where I learned that stuff, down to our business.”

LESSONS AND GROWTH

The second restaurant the couple manages, Nightingale Rooftop Bar, wasn’t part of their original plan. Chris Harrell, a developer with Oak Harbor Wealth Partners, Chris Harol, a developer and restaurateur in the Triangle area, had a vacancy in The Block downtown.

“[Chris] reached out to us because he liked what we were doing here, and asked if we wanted to join him in creating something over there,” Matt said.

At the tea room, the Griffiths run the whole show, but at Nightingale, they are more like creative partners. Christy led with similar maximalist design and menus, and they now flit between the businesses, making sure everything is running smoothly.

“It's difficult to find the balance between trusting other people to execute your vision and being there to micromanage it,” Christy said.

They don’t have to be on-location for their businesses to function, but they often are, both working hundred-hour work weeks. When they do get the chance to breathe, they cherish simple chores and family time.

Matt said that there has been a lot of learning throughout the years. They’ve learned how to communicate vision and expectations, as well as how to learn from the people they work with. He emphasized the importance of adaptability, as well as determination and confidence.

“Stick with your passion. But also, don't be afraid to adjust,” Matt said. “We've changed. Even before we opened, we probably changed the concept of Pimiento Tea Room three times. Don’t be afraid to pivot.”

Overall, the couple said they’re very satisfied with what they’ve put together at both locations.

“When you start a business, you have to be comfortable providing a livelihood for employees. Your goal is to make your guests comfortable and happy,” Matt said. “The fact that that exists on a daily basis is really unbelievable.”

WHAT’S NEXT

The Pimiento Tea Room has special features throughout each week and month. Every Saturday night, they fulfill Matt’s dream of owning a jazz bar by hosting live musicians.

“It's very well insulated. That, combined with those original floors and ceilings, makes the music that plays here so beautiful. And it's not overwhelming. Like, it doesn't matter where you're seated in the restaurant, it's just perfect,” Christy said.

On the first Friday of the month, they have rock music on the patio, with speakers and the occasional drum set.

“I just want people to be pleasantly surprised,” Christy told me. “It's just so unexpected, because we still have people who haven't come in because they didn't think we offered ‘real food.’ It’s like, you’ll get full here. Don’t worry.”

They also offer a monthly themed supper club. It’s a seven-course meal with wine pairings for each dish. The club is where Christy will often test new dishes to see how guests respond. All proceeds from the events go to Cure Search for Children's Cancer, which has a personal connection with the family.

When their youngest child, Eve, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of two, the Griffiths started hosting fundraisers for cancer research. Christy cited one of these fundraisers as an important moment in forming a connection to the town of Holly Springs.

“We had several fundraisers that we hosted, and the one that had the most support was the one we had at Bombshell,” Christy said. “The Holly Springs community was just awesome.”

The supper club has raised over $100,000 towards Cure Search. This month's theme is “Taste the Rainbow,” in honor of Pride Month, where every dish will be a different color. The event will take place on June 30th, and tickets are available on the Pimiento Tea Room website.

Nightingale Rooftop Bar also offers a monthly cocktail club, where guests enjoy signature cocktails, bartending lessons, hors d’oeuvres, and live music.

On Sundays at Pimiento, which are by reservation only, guests enjoy a full tea service. It’s a three-tier dining experience, but it’s only as fancy as the guest wants it to be.

“It’s something else we wanted to make accessible to people,” Christy said. “It’s just a fun, relaxed way to enjoy afternoon tea without feeling like you have to get super dressed up.”

Pimiento Tea Room is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday for any occasion.

“All that leads to now, where we’re both incredibly proud of what we offer from products to experience,” Matt said.

You can follow updates on supper clubs, crab cake nights, and more by visiting their websites at:

https://www.pimientotearoom.com/

https://www.nightingalerooftop.com/

or following both on Instagram and Facebook.