People in Plaza Midwood will be allowed to stroll the streets with open containers this weekend as the neighborhood becomes Charlotte’s first social district, but several of the neighborhood's most popular bars and restaurants don't plan to participate — at least at first.
Among the businesses sitting out this weekend's rollout: Snug Harbor, Thomas Street Tavern, Workman's Friend, The Diamond, Burial Beer, Supperland, The Thirsty Beaver and Common Market.
Their reasons have been varied. An employee who answered the phone for Workman's Friend on Thursday said the Irish bar was busy preparing for Saint Patrick's Day. An employee at The Diamond said staff were unprepared, and a bartender at Thomas Street Tavern simply laughed and said it wasn't going to happen.
Reached by phone on Thursday, Blake Barnes, owner of Common Market, said his primary reason was that he was having a difficult time working the details out with his insurance company.
"There’s a lot of liability in here, and that’s what threw my insurance people," he said.
In addition, he didn't have the staff to stand on the front patio and make sure people didn't bring in outside drinks — as prohibited by the social district's rules — and he didn't have a commercial dishwasher to clean the metal reusable cups people must purchase and use to take their drinks to go.
It seemed like a lot of hassle to go through for what might not initially be a big payout.
"We're already pretty frickin busy, so this just adds more, and then how are we going to manage these humans coming in and out? It was just a mixture of all of that at the same time," he said.
Still, he hoped to join the Plaza Midwood social district at some point, noting that his Common Market location in Monroe had joined that town's social district and saw a boost in business in the first few weeks.
Slow start is part of the plan, neighborhood group says
Russell Ferguson with the Plaza Midwood Merchants Association said this weekend's rollout should be considered a "soft opening."
"We've said from the beginning that we would try to start it slowly to let it ease in, and that we would be the first to call out if there's a problem ... and it's awfully hard to isolate what the reason is if you go from zero to 100," he said.
He was aware some bars and restaurants were uninterested in joining the social district and said some had good reason for their position.
As an example, Supperland serves high-end cocktails in specialty glassware, he said, which might not easily translate to reusable metal cups. Snug Harbor doesn't open until 9 p.m, Fridays and Saturdays, while the social district operates from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Other businesses might not want to encourage their customers to leave their establishment and spend their money elsewhere, he said, and some bars and restaurants just want to wait and see how the rollout goes before they join.
Still, he hoped more businesses would join in the coming weeks, saying the social district could lead to more pedestrian visibility, artsy neighborhood events, and interest in the area.
"As a group of merchants in a neighborhood working together, you can see how a rising tide lifts all boats," he said.
Some 18 businesses do plan to participate in this weekend's rollout, including Moo & Brew, Petras, Whiskey Warehouse, Giddy Goat Coffee, Legion Brewing, Dish, The Pizza Peel and Resident Culture.
Under the social district rules, people can purchase an $8 reusable cup from participating businesses for their first to-go drink. The cups can be refilled for the cost of a new drink at participating businesses, or people can return the cups for a $2 refund.
All drinks must be consumed within the social district boundaries between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., and people must finish their drinks before entering a new establishment.
