Glenwood South bustles as restaurants serving food open — and coronavirus cases surge

Three women were waiting in line outside of Tin Roof on Glenwood Avenue Saturday evening as they planned to celebrate a birthday with tequila shots. Like most of the other people in the line, none of them was wearing a mask.

“I just feel like if I’m gonna get it I’m gonna get it,” said one of the women, who added that her grandfather died from coronavirus. She was out celebrating her 23rd birthday and said she was not afraid of getting the virus. “I’m very young, I’m active, I do biking every day, I do yoga every day.”

She said if she were staying with her family, she would have been more cautious.

Hundreds of people walked and stood in lines on Glenwood South, most without masks, as they waited to get a drink at some of the neighborhood’s bars that serve food.

The neighborhood’s bustle comes after Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said Friday that North Carolina’s positive coronavirus test rate is among the highest in the country and is rising. Despite increased testing levels, she believes the increase is because of spread in the community.

North Carolina is in Phase Two of Gov. Roy Cooper’s three-phase reopening plan. Phase Three is targeted for June 26 at the earliest. Under Phase Two, restaurants have been allowed to reopen, as have breweries that serve food. Last week, Cooper vetoed a bill that would allow bars to open.

Despite the increase in cases, the area known as Glenwood South was bustling Friday night and early Saturday morning. A video on Twitter with more than 50,000 views, posted by WRAL reporter Mikaya Thurmond, shows people packed into Southern Charred early Saturday morning.

The News & Observer has called Southern Charred and attempted to speak with the owner, but as of Sunday afternoon has not received a response.

Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin responded to a tweet of the WRAL video saying, “I have alerted Glenwood South businesses this will not be tolerated.”

Saturday night, Southern Charred had a line spilling out onto the street, but the bar itself had tables spaced out, with customers not as close to one another.

Other bars that were serving food were taking precautions Friday night. Around 11 p.m., servers at Carolina Ale House and Hibernian Pub said there was a 45-minute wait in order to make sure customers were spaced out. Early Saturday evening, a server at Tin Roof said there was a 25- to 30-minute wait. A maximum of six people were allowed per table, they tried to keep people from moving around and staff wore masks and gloves.

Lee and Meranda Howard were waiting in line to get into Raleigh Beer Garden Saturday evening around 7. It was the couple’s second night out since restrictions have eased. They said the coronavirus is not going to keep them from going out.

“I still want to live my life,” Lee Howard said. “Just practice good hygiene and don’t cough on me and you’ll be alright.”

They did not like waiting in line outside the Raleigh Beer Garden. “Nobody likes to wait in line,” Howard said. “But you’re still going to wait in line if everything has opened up.”

Come Saturday night, around 11, the line stretched far up the block.

Raleigh Beer Garden was taking several precautions, with several bottles of hand sanitizer, many tables not in use to space out customers, and more service for people from their seats so they did not have to approach the bar. Different sections of the large brewery/restaurant are separated.

“We’d like speed of service to speed up a little bit sometimes, but is a lot different with them running around what would be a walk-up bar area,” said Carlos Rivers, the area director for Hibernian Hospitality, which owns Raleigh Beer Garden.

Rivers said employees at Raleigh Beer Garden have to turn into “baby sitters” for their customers. “Keeping people six feet apart, that’s what we’re trying to do.”

At Lady Luck, about 75 people were inside. The bar’s capacity is a little over 200, owner Balu Torres said. “We’re not allowing people to crowd the bar.”

Torres opened his bar just three days before he was ordered to shut down because of the coronavirus. During the protests, his establishment was also damaged.

Torres said there are sanitation stations and employees wore gloves and masks. They tried to keep the customers in their seats. However, many of the seats were close together. “We’re doing what we can,” Torres said.

Lines grew far out the door at most bars on Glenwood South. But Hibernian Pub and Raleigh Beer Garden owner Niall Hanley said, “The optics of lines outside bars is an indication that they’re doing what they are supposed to be doing.” That means bars are limiting their capacity, he said.

Outside the Hibernian Pub, manager Wesley Alexander tried to keep people separated while they were in line.

“At 50% capacity, it has been a struggle,” he said. “This is the best time to build customers for life. I don’t want one person to hit the table, I want two, three people to hit the table.”

This story was originally published June 14, 2020 at 2:22 PM.