Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen says Chuck’s, her hamburger restaurant, will not reopen
When restaurants reopen in downtown Raleigh, one of the Triangle’s most popular burger joints will be missing.
Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen announced Tuesday on Instagram that Chuck’s Burgers will close permanently.
“While we love what we’ve all created at Chuck’s and appreciate what it has meant for the community, we believe that this decision is the right one for the future of our company, and our staff,” said Christensen in an email. “We feel that we will have greater opportunity to bring more people back to work by expanding what we do at Beasley’s, and by continuing to evolve that restaurant’s offerings.”
Chuck’s opened in 2011, next door to Christensen’s fried chicken spot, Beasley’s Chicken + Honey. The two restaurants share a kitchen. In closing Chuck’s, Christensen said she will expand Beasley’s into that space.
Beasley’s will also take on a few items from the Chuck’s menu, including a burger, fries and three of the restaurant’s milkshakes.
Chuck’s is among the first restaurant casualties of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has closed North Carolina businesses in an effort to stop the spread of the virus. For at least the next three weeks, restaurants are closed to dine-in customers, but in recent weeks Gov. Roy Cooper has started outlining possible reopening strategies and timelines.
Christensen is a leader within the Triangle restaurant community and the national hospitality industry, last year taking home the James Beard award for Outstanding Chef in the country.
Since North Carolina restaurants have been closed, Christensen has offered some takeout and some family style meal delivery, but has largely suspended operations at her six restaurants. In announcing that Chuck’s will not return, Christensen said that Beasley’s will be her first restaurant to resume takeout, though there’s no opening date at this time.
“This pandemic has been devastating to our industry, and we have spent the last few weeks thinking through solutions for survival, and how to bring our team back to work again,” Christensen said on Instagram. “We love what we have built at Chuck’s over the past 8 1/2 years, and are grateful to have contributed to the downtown Raleigh community. While this decision is hard, we are optimistic for the future of our team, and our industry. We feel that we will have greater opportunity to bring more people back to work by expanding what we do at Beasley’s, and by continuing to evolve that restaurant’s offerings. We have not yet decided on a reopening timeline at this time, as we continue to research and develop our safety protocols for staff and guests. Thank you.”
