Chef Ashley Christensen to temporarily close restaurants, joining others in Triangle
Some top Triangle restaurants have started to announce temporary closings as pandemic-fighting measures, including those owned by influential Raleigh dining leader Ashley Christensen.
The James Beard-winning chef announced on social media that three of her restaurants would become takeout-only operations, while three others, including flagship Poole’s Diner would be closed starting Monday evening.
“We have suspended in house dining in our restaurants today, for the safety of the community and to give our leadership team time to formulate a plan for the path forward,” Christensen said in a statement on Instagram. “To say that this is a difficult time would be an understatement. We are working hard with government officials to get support for our industry and to navigate this with thoughtfulness and care for our teams and our future.”
Similarly, Niall Hanley, who owns Morgan Street Food Hall, Hibernian Pub and Raleigh Beer Garden, some of the busiest spots in Raleigh, announced his dining rooms are also shut down until further notice. a
‘This is one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make ever,” Hanley said in a statement. “After monitoring reports from CDC and WHO, and in the interest of safety for our staff and guests, I have decided to temporarily offer dine out options only for now.....As a local business owner, I implore you to keep supporting your local establishments wherever they are, and in any way, you can.”
An increasing number of states, including New York and New Jersey, are enacting restrictions that effectively close bars and restaurants temporarily as the country attempts to control and lessen the spread of the coronavirus.
Currently, there are no such restrictions in North Carolina. An order last week from Gov. Roy Cooper to cancel gatherings of more than 100 people exempted businesses like restaurants and shopping malls.
But individual businesses have made the decision themselves to close, including the cocktail bar Kingfisher and wine shop Bar Brunello in Durham and Gallo Pelon in Raleigh, among others.
Raleigh chef and current James Beard semifinalist Cheetie Kumar said on Instagram that her restaurant Garland will be closed indefinitely, though it may add takeout in the future.
“After much thought, we have decided to suspend lunch and dinner service until further notice,” Garland posted on its Instagram page. “With the rapid spread of COVID19, we feel that acting quickly is the only ethical choice. Limiting contact his week is so crucial in curtailing the spread of the virus. This was a difficult decision and not one we ever anticipated having to make.”
Many restaurants are closing down dining rooms and operating as take-out only, including bakery Union Special Bread in Raleigh, NuvoTaco in Durham and Christensen’s Beasley’s Chicken+Honey, Chuck’s Burgers and Poole’side Pies. Others are adding takeout options for the first time, including upscale restaurants like Copa in Durham and Mandolin in Raleigh.
Lynn Minges, president and CEO of industry group the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association said her office has been in contact with state officials, encouraging any future restrictions to allow restaurants to keep takeout and delivery options.
“We have asked for restaurants to continue doing delivery and takeout and drive thru operations,” Minges said. “It’s good for our state and good for our citizens.”
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 1:55 PM.
