— A popular downtown Raleigh restaurant is moving to Cary.

Buku, which opened inside the Red Hat Tower at the corner of Wilmington and Davie streets in downtown Raleigh in 2010, will be moving into the former home of An Asian Cuisine at 2800 Renaissance Park Place, owners announced Thursday.

Buku's lease in downtown Raleigh was set to expire at the end of April, but owners were granted an extension until January to give the restaurant time to find a new home.

“Given the long-term success and loyal following of our first restaurant, bu•ku, and the positive reception of so•ca, and our newest restaurant, bu•ku Wake Forest, we’re now setting our sights on the future and are ready to take this beloved restaurant brand to the next level. We’re pleased to announce bu•ku will open in January 2019 in the beautiful restaurant space in Cary which formerly housed AN,” co-owner Sean Degnan said. “We’re especially thankful for our time in Progress Energy building, now known as Red Hat Tower, and feel fortunate to have been at the forefront of the downtown Raleigh restaurant renaissance, which has transformed our food scene."

Buku is known for its global street food cuisine. It's name is an international slang twist on the phrase, "Merci, beaucoup," or "Thank you, very much."

Buku's Wake Forest location at 1228 Heritage Links Drive opened in April. Owners are planning a grand opening and ribbon cutting event on June 28. The same owners are also behind So•ca in Cameron Village.

The entire Buku team will be moving to the Cary location, including Executive Chef Amanda Haisley, who has been with the restaurant since 2011, and Pastry Director Brittany Grantham and Wine Director Troy Revell, both of whom support menus and programs for the entire restaurant group.

Buku plans to close out 2018 with a final New Year's Eve Party in its current space.

While Buku is moving out, the restaurant group is planning to open a new restaurant in downtown Raleigh in the coming months, co-owner Tony Hopkins said.

An Asian Cuisines suddenly closed in January 2017 citing "operational losses." A month later, a group of former employees entered suit against AN and its parent company, North Carolina Culinary Ventures, citing unpaid minimum wages and overtime compensation. The suit remains in litigation.