Restaurants have their own distinct personalities, and a new personality has arrived on the scene on West Franklin Street.

Mint, a restaurant featuring contemporary Indian cuisine, opened its doors on Sept. 10.

Manager Rupinder Singh said Mint is a family business; his father, Deljit Singh, is the owner.

The family comes from the Punjab region of Northern India, and their restaurant features the food of that area. Mint offers a daily buffet featuring dishes such as palak paneer, spinach with cheese and vegetable korma. Other dishes are prepared in the restaurant''s clay oven, including Mint chicken kebab, salmon, lamb chops and chicken manpasand.

The price range is moderate: appetizers are $3 to $10, entrees $10 to $21. The lunch buffet is $9.

"In India there are two different kinds of food -- Northern Indian and Southern Indian," Singh said. "Northern Indian food is healthier."

The family previously owned an Indian restaurant called Tamarind, in Apex, which they eventually sold prior to returning to India for a time. When they came back to the United States, they settled in Chapel Hill and began looking for a location to start a new restaurant. After a long search, they found the space at 504 W. Franklin St., where the N.C. Sports Bar used to be.

In addition to its lunch and dinner menus, the restaurant features a full bar.

So far, Singh said, business has been good. "Nights are doing good," said Singh. "Lunch is OK -- sometimes busy, sometimes slow."

Mint is open for lunch 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays, noon to 2:30 p.m. weekends. Dinner is served from 5 to 10 p.m. weekdays; on weekends it stays open later.

Eco-friendly eatery in Southern Village

Mike Abdallat will open an eco-friendly Subway restaurant on Market Street in Southern Village in Chapel Hill. Subway and Abdallat are working with Green Tech Consulting, Inc., to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the restaurant.

LEED is a certification program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Eco-store elements for the restaurant include recycled floor tile, high-efficiency HVAC systems, low-flow faucets, one-gallon flush toilets and, less electrical light and more natural light.

LEED certification should be complete within two months of opening the restaurant.

Social justice event Saturday

NC Community Shares, a federation of more than 30 community-based nonprofits dedicated to working for fairness and equality in North Carolina, will host a "Social Justice Awareness Day" on Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. at Twig in Village Plaza.

The event was originally scheduled for earlier in the month, but the threat of tropical storm Hanna prompted organizers to postpone it until this Saturday.

Twig specializes in eco-friendly merchandise and is donating 20 percent of its sales during the event. The event will include music, door prizes and refreshments. Twig is next to Whole Foods Market on Elliott Road.

Partnership to hold coffee talk

Local merchants and the general public are invited to join the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership for coffee and an update on the organization and its work on Sept. 30 from 9 to 10 a.m. or 5 to 6 p.m. at University Presbyterian Church, 110 Henderson Street

The partnership will discuss its progress during its transitional period, and will also gather merchant feedback on possible holiday promotions.

Dick Mann, UNC vice chancellor for finance and administration, will be on hand. In preparation for the university's acquisition of University Square, UNC is interested in gathering input from the community, downtown business owners and property owners on changes, ideas and suggestions that could be considered in formulating plans for the future of the project.

This event is free and open to the public.

Call 967-9440 or e-mail partnership@downtownchapelhill.com with questions or for more information.