'Bring it on': Restaurant patios return to life in S.C.
Plus: Friday retail reopening appears likely; Photo essay; ABC sales still rising; Arts grants awarded; Grocery stores take action against meat hoarding
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South of the border, servers and customers return to outdoor tables; plenty of wine, beer, disinfectant
Scott and Kelly Martin of Indian Land (left) and Kathy and Ken McKee of Waxhaw say they’ve been “quarantining together,” or socializing within their circle of four, during the last six weeks. They enjoyed a dinner out with a couple of bottles of white wine Monday to celebrate the re-opening of South Carolina restaurant patios.
by Cristina Bolling
The beer taps were flowing and the blue cheese-stuffed fried olives were coming out hot at The Office Craft Bar & Kitchen in Indian Land at dinnertime Monday, where for the first time in six weeks, customers could grab an outdoor table, sit back and be served.
It wasn’t a madhouse — but it wasn’t a graveyard, either. At the peak, around 6:30 p.m., there was a 20-minute wait for the 15 or so tables on the patio and on the sidewalk. Customers wore smiles and sunglasses as they ate and drank, servers spraying disinfectant around them as tables cleared.
“We’ve been itching to get out and experience this again, so when we saw they were opening up the patio again, we were like, ‘Yeah!’” said Scott Martin, who rode up on his motorcycle with wife, Kelly, and were joined by their friends, Kathy and Ken McKee.
Monday was a huge day for the South Carolina restaurant industry, because it marked the first day that restaurants could go beyond curbside takeout and delivery since Gov. Henry McMaster ordered restaurants closed on March 18 to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Cross-border advantage: Not all South Carolina restaurants reopened Monday. Only those with outdoor seating have the option of table service, and some are choosing to wait. Others that are ordinarily closed on Mondays will restart today. Restaurants in North Carolina won’t reopen for dine-in service until late May at the earliest, state officials have indicated. That means Charlotte residents could be sizing up dining options in Fort Mill, Rock Hill and Indian Land for the next few weeks — similar to what they have done for years when it comes to fireworks and cheap gas.
New rules: Monday wasn’t a total return to normal. New rules require 8 feet between tables, no more than eight people per table, and sanitizing tables and chairs between customers.
At The Office, located a mile south of the border with North Carolina along U.S. 521, workers were spraying disinfectant on menus, and condiments were being brought out only when requested and then being taken back inside the restaurant to have their bottles cleaned.
‘Thank God’: It was extra work for server Cassie Digsby, but she didn’t mind. She said she was thrilled to get a call from her manager last Friday telling her to report back to work on Monday.
“I was like, ‘Thank God,’ because I’ve been out of work for six weeks now, I still haven’t received unemployment, no stimulus check, and I haven’t got my taxes back. It’s been stressful,” she said. “And I still gotta get my roots done,” she laughed.
Cassie Digsby sprays down a table at The Office Craft Bar & Kitchen between customers. What’s the disinfectant? “I don’t know what it is, but it works,” she said.
The Office, like the Red Rocks Cafe next door in the RedStone shopping center, are operating at about half staff but expect to call back more workers within the week.
Managers and workers at both restaurants said they expect business to pick up quickly.
Few masks, gloves: On Monday, hardly any customers came into The Office wearing masks. No front-of-house restaurant staff wore them, either. (Employees said they were given the option to wear them or not.) Busboys and the host had on black disposable gloves, but servers were bare-handed.
Digsby said she expects to work 70 hours this week, having only Mother’s Day off, which she’ll spend with her 12-year-old daughter.
Today is Cinco de Mayo, and she’s looking forward to serving margarita drink specials on the patio and hoping for big crowds.
“Bring it on,” she said.
Reach managing editor Cristina Bolling: cristina@cltledger.com
Restaurants and customers were enthusiastic about Monday’s reopening of outdoor dining areas in South Carolina. Red Rocks Cafe in Indian Land encouraged celebrating the “End of Lockdown” on its Facebook page.
Diorio: All signs point to Friday retail reopening
County Manager Dena Diorio said state health officials indicated to her and to health director Gibbie Harris that they will recommend reopening retail businesses on Friday.
“Every indication to us is that we will be going into Phase 1 as of May 8,” Diorio told a group of business leaders on Monday. She said she had talked to N.C. Department of Health and Human Services secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen on Sunday.
Gov. Roy Cooper has outlined a three-phase reopening that would start with retail businesses, provided they follow social distancing guidelines. The stay-at-home order is scheduled to expire Friday at 5 p.m. Diorio said it is likely residents will still be urged to stay home, but that they will be permitted to shop or head to work at the newly opened businesses.
A second phase could start as soon as two or three weeks later. It would likely include the limited openings of bars, restaurants and hair salons. Cooper is expected to make an announcement on the reopening decision today or tomorrow.
Asked if the state’s data supported moving toward a reopening, Diorio said the state initially seemed to want reductions in certain key areas but that now “what they are looking for is that those metrics remain stable.” —TM
For a full analysis of state and local data, check out The Charlotte Ledger Covid-19 Data Room.
Know more: The N.C. Retail Merchants Association made recommendations to Gov. Roy Cooper on how retailers can safely reopen. Read the suggestions here.
Photo essay: Visions of the Not Normal
Continuing with our weekly photo essay series in partnership with The Biscuit, this week’s photographer is Will Jenkins, one of the founders of BLKMRKTCLT, a gallery and studio. He shares a few glimpses of what he’s seen as he traveled through Charlotte in April. He can be found on Instagram as @Simplisticphobia,
Each week, The Biscuit and The Ledger offer views of neighborhoods and communities across the city through the eyes (and lenses) of local photographers.
I came home to my neighbors having a social distancing conversation. The family stood at the door while the other neighbor stood on the sidewalk with his mask on.
It feels like a new normal shopping for groceries at the local Harris Teeter — from safety instructions to the new wine bar closing and distance markers on the ground.
In my neighborhood is the historic Shuffletown Diner on Rozzelles Ferry Road. They are still open, but the parking lot is usually packed.
These are images from Camp North End where my studio BLKMRKTCLT is. My friend lives in an apartment complex where he can’t have a grill, and their grills are in the closed pool area. Since we are closed and the area is empty, he will bring his grill to the studio to grill some food when he has the need.
The now-empty raceway courtyard at Camp North End, which normally has a lot of people and events, is now quiet except for the random walking guest.
You can view the full gallery here.
Bottom’s up: ABC sales remain strong in April
Mecklenburg County drinkers pushed sales at ABC stores sharply higher for a second straight month, according to figures released Monday.
Sales at liquor stores rose 13% in April compared with the same period a year ago, said Mike Tully, the Mecklenburg County ABC Board’s chief financial officer, in an email to The Ledger. That follows a 29% increase in March.
But direct sales to bars and restaurants — another key source of revenue — were (of course) almost zero for April, he said. Because of that, overall sales fell about $4M for the month.
The ABC Board’s new bottle buyback program also proved popular. Some 48 establishments returned 2,776 unopened bottles through April 30, for a total of $82,528. —TM
Ledger honored with Charlotte magazine award
The Ledger is honored to have been named the best “email to land inside your inbox” by Charlotte magazine, part of its 2020 “Best of the Best” awards.
Here are the kind words they had to say about us:
In a little more than a year, Tony Mecia, a former writer and editor at The Charlotte Observer, built a trusted e-newsletter that covers business news in Charlotte. Subscriptions are on the rise, and this one-man operation continues to scoop all of us.
Generous, indeed. We don’t naturally seek the spotlight, but we appreciate the recognition.
Since that item was written, The Ledger has expanded from its one-man-band roots — if not into an orchestra, then at least into an ensemble. The biggest new player is our managing editor, Cristina Bolling, who joined The Ledger after a 20-year career at The Observer.
And we’ve temporarily shifted from four mornings a week to more like six, as Charlotte needs more trustworthy, smart local news from an experienced crew in these unsettling times.
None of that happens without the support of our paying subscribers, and if you are one, thank you. If you’re not, please consider a subscription. You receive access to everything we write — including all those scoops Charlotte magazine recognized. And you’re supporting an innovative, forward-looking digital publication that’s built for times like these, and for the future. Thanks. — Tony Mecia
Business Roundtable: No wine before it’s time
From the start of Monday’s online meeting of Mecklenburg County’s Covid-19 Business Leaders Roundtable:
County Manager Dena Diorio: “Jennifer Appleby [president of ad agency Wray Ward], I saw you dialed in. Good to hear from you.”
Female voice: “Good to see you! Thanks for all you’re doing, Dena!”
Diorio: “You’re welcome.”
Male voice: “Jennifer, I think we need to have some big celebration when this is all over.”
Female voice: “I agree! With lots of good wine!”
Diorio: “OK, so let me just remind everybody that we are streaming live on YouTube today.” —TM
In brief:
Meat limits: Costco on Monday said it is limiting purchases to a maximum of three beef, pork and poultry products. Kroger, the parent company of Harris Teeter, said meat-purchase limits on ground beef and fresh pork will apply at certain stores. Food Lion and Walmart have also imposed limits. (Fox Business)
Oops on CMS start date: The portion of the new N.C. law that mandates school districts to start classes on Aug. 17 was written without thinking about the timing of the Republican National Convention, which starts a week later, a key lawmaker said. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools had scheduled classes to begin Aug. 31. The Ledger was the first to report on the conflict. Lawmakers said they might correct the problem and allow the original start date. A CMS spokeswoman told The Ledger the district is awaiting guidance from the state. (Observer)
20% of North Carolinians out of work: More than 1 million N.C. residents have filed for unemployment insurance since mid-March. “That means more than one in every five people in the entire state labor force have lost their jobs in the last six weeks.” (Raleigh News & Observer)
Mask mandate? Representatives of Charlotte’s two major hospital systems said that when retailers reopen, they would like to see as many workers and customers as possible wearing masks. The county’s Covid-19 Business Leaders Roundtable on Monday discussed the possibility of mask mandates on retail and office workers.
Classes delayed: Classes at UNC Charlotte will start Sept. 7, two weeks later than originally scheduled, Chancellor Philip Dubois said Monday. (WCCB)
City budget: City manager Marcus Jones recommended a budget that keeps taxes flat and has no layoffs, despite a $22M gap related to Covid-19. The city covers the gap by “reducing discretionary expenses, eliminating vacant positions and shifting funds.” (WSOC)
Elizabeth rezoning: The Keith Corp. is seeking to rezone 2.4 acres in Elizabeth, on the corner of East Fifth Street between Lamar and Clement avenues, for a mixed-use development. Plans call for a five-story medical office building, eight townhouses and a parking structure. (Biz Journal, subscriber-only)
ASC announces grants for local artists: Eleven emerging and mid-career artists and creatives have received fellowships totaling $90,000 “in order to refresh their creative energy,” the Arts & Science Council announced Monday. Four emerging artists are inaugural recipients of $5,000 ASC Emerging Creators Fellowships: visual artists Meredith Connelly and Irisol Gonzalez, writer and teaching artist Angela Haigler and voice instructor Jay Smith. Seven mid-career creatives are recipients of ASC’s Creative Renewal Fellowships, awarded to individuals who have been pursuing a career in the creative sector for at least 10 years. They are: multifaceted artist MyLoan Dinh, artist entrepreneur Carmella Jarvi, multimedia artist Marcus Kiser, documentarian Beverly Penninger, movement-based theater director Sarah Provencal, journalist Amy Rogers and playwright Stacey Rose.
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The Charlotte Ledger is an e-newsletter and web site publishing timely, informative, and interesting local business news and analysis Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, except holidays and as noted. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing, or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.
Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire; Reporting intern: David Griffith