The Stanley Cup Champion joins Prieto ahead of Prime STQ’s Spring 2027 opening at Horseshoe at Hub RTP
[Durham, N.C., September 1, 2026] – Christopher Prieto, the founder and pitmaster of the nationally acclaimed Prime Barbecue and Primo Latin Cuisine, today announced Carolina Hurricanes Defenseman and 2026 Stanley Cup champion Jaccob Slavin as his new business partner for Prime STQ, the barbecue-meets-steakhouse concept on track to open in Spring 2027. View images of Prieto and Slavin, and new exterior renderings.
“Partnering with Jaccob is one of the most meaningful moments of my career because it’s rooted in a friendship and shared faith that shapes how we think about serving others,” said Prieto. “From the first time we met, we connected over a desire to be good stewards of our time and talents and to build a lasting legacy in our community that extends beyond our individual professions. Through Prime STQ, we have an opportunity to put those shared values into action and create a place where everyone feels genuinely welcome at our table.”
Slavin helped lead the USA Men’s Hockey team to its first Olympic gold medal in 46 years at the 2026 Winter Olympics before going on to win the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes just months later, making him the second American to claim both honors in the same year. A longtime Hurricanes alternate captain, he will take a behind-the-scenes role in the partnership, supporting Prieto as a business partner and friend. This marks Slavin’s first venture into the restaurant industry, and further deepens his family’s roots in the Triangle, the community that has embraced them throughout his more-than-decade-long NHL career.
“Chris and I share the same Christian values and work ethic, and that common foundation is what makes this partnership so meaningful,” said Slavin. “My family and I love this community. It’s why we choose to stay here year-round, it truly feels like home. Being part of Prime STQ gives us another way to show up for people, pour into this community, and live out the values that we are called to live.”
Prime STQ marries Prieto’s award-winning barbecue with a classic steakhouse experience in a deeply personal way, reflecting his Texas roots, North Carolina home and Puerto Rican heritage. The 8,000-square-foot restaurant will serve as an anchor for Horseshoe at Hub RTP, set in a stand-alone building with indoor and outdoor seating for 250 and a private dining room overlooking the pit room. Prieto’s vision for the concept is a natural extension of the Prime Barbecue brand, geared toward the business diners and the diverse professional community that make up Research Triangle Park, as well as families who will travel near and far.
Prime STQ is set to open in Spring 2027 in the Horseshoe development at Hub RTP (1151 Hitchings Way, Durham). For more information as construction progresses, follow @Christopher_Prieto and @PrimeSTQ.
About Christopher Prieto, Prime Barbecue, Primo Latin Cuisine and Prime STQ
Christopher Prieto is the 2025 James Beard Foundation-nominated “Best Chef Southeast” and champion pitmaster behind the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand-awarded Prime Barbecue in Knightdale, NC. Prieto — also a cookbook author, TV personality, and lover of all things ‘cue — also helms Primo Latin Cuisine, and is opening Prime STQ in 2027. Prime Barbecue has earned Southern Living’s distinction as one of the “South’s Top 50 Barbecue Joints,” the News & Observer’s “Best Barbecue Joint in the Triangle,” and recognition from Texas Monthly as #2 in the U.S. among the “Top Texas-Style BBQ Joints Outside the Lone Star State.” Prieto’s life in barbecue has taken him to the stages of Food Network’s “BBQ Pitmasters,” “BBQ Brawl” with Bobby Flay and Michael Symon, and “Chopped,” as well as Cooking Channel’s “Man Fire Food.” He is also the author of Southern Living’s Ultimate Book of BBQ: The Complete Year-Round Guide to Grilling and Smoking. Living by his simple mantra — “Stay humble and stay hungry” — Prieto shares his expertise through sold-out “Ultimate School of BBQ” classes at Prime Barbecue, and honors veterans and their families with a dedicated civilian-sponsored table in the pit room and through ongoing participation with the Wounded Warriors Project.
About Jaccob Slavin
A native of Erie, Colorado, Jaccob Slavin has spent his entire NHL career with the Carolina Hurricanes, who drafted him in 2012, and serves as one of the team’s alternate captains. In June 2026, Slavin helped lead Carolina to its first Stanley Cup championship in 20 years, a title that came just months after he won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA — making him only the second American in history to capture both in the same year. A two-time recipient of the NHL’s Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct, Slavin is widely regarded as one of the league’s premier defensemen. He and his family live in the Triangle year-round.
About Horseshoe at Hub RTP
Designed to meet the needs of a new generation of work and leisure, Horseshoe is a mixed-use town square at the epicenter of Hub RTP, Research Triangle Park (RTP) ‘s vibrant downtown destination. Horseshoe features more than 35,000 square feet of experiential food, beverage and retail spaces centered around an outdoor courtyard and a streamside boardwalk connecting 20 miles of trails throughout RTP. This unique development is designed to seamlessly blend work, dining, retail and play with the great outdoors, providing the backdrop for dynamic culinary concepts and exceptional experiences. The destination features a growing lineup of culinary, wellness and retail concepts, including Cheeni Food Emporium by James Beard-nominated Chef Preeti Waas, DRIFT Coffee & Kitchen, Nanny Goat and JETSET Pilates, with additional concepts such as Di Fara Pizza, High Horse by Top Chef contestant Katsuji Tanabe and Prime STQ by award-winning pitmaster Christopher Prieto slated to open in 2026, adding to the district’s growing reputation as a premier dining destination. To learn more about Horseshoe RTP, visit Horseshoe at Hub RTP | Food & Retail | Office | Research Triangle Park.
About Hub RTP
Hub RTP is the new, vibrant downtown district of Research Triangle Park (RTP), North America’s largest research park. At full build out, Hub RTP will feature up to one million square feet of office and lab space, 279 hotel rooms, 1,200 multifamily residential units, and 50K square feet of restaurant and retail space, all designed to bring people together to work, play and stay in RTP. An impressive 16 acres of parks and greenspace includes the award-winning and eco-friendly Burdens Creek, which connects more than 20 miles of trails in RTP. Centrally located in the heart of the Triangle region, the 100-acre district includes Horseshoe at Hub RTP, the mixed-use town square of the development, Frontier RTP, an innovative startup community, and Boxyard RTP, a unique food, retail and entertainment destination. To learn more about Hub RTP and current leasing opportunities, visit https://hub.rtp.org.
Media Inquiries, contact: Jennifer Noble Kelly
Jennifer@JNKPublicRelations.com; 919-368-4987; @JNKPublicRelations
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