Even Harris-Teeter has been closing all their local stores at 10:00pm for several months now. A retail establishment WITHOUT a ‘help wanted’ sign is becoming a rarity these days. Part of the new normal, I guess. We better get used to it.
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Yeah, 11 pm closes became 9 pm closes but quick.
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Curious if there might have been a disconnect between the event promotion and RCC or the CVB. I saw fewer lanyards around downtown this weekend than I expected.
RE: the food desert claim, I think it can be both — plan your meal at a normal time, and don’t be surprised by reduced options during late-night. By the same token, a late-night diner would be fantastic. We also don’t have much fast food in DTR’s core, and visitors crave familiarity. As little as I need a Wendy’s taking up a ground-floor unit on Fayetteville or wherever near RCC, maybe it’s not the worst idea.
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Mc Donald’s right around the corner from RCC is open until 1a on Sat according to Google. Wouldn’t be my choice but I would have used my head to find an open establishment vs bitching.
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For sure. The real culprit here is attendees taking the absolute laziest route to satiating their hunger.
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Speaking of diners and ‘news’ - anyone have any info on Rainbow Luncheonette opening anytime soon in 2022 ?
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“The worker was a LEGEND…absolute W of a night.” I didn’t know people still did the Epic Bacon dialect.
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New bar just opened next to Layered Croissanterie by the team behind the Cardinal Bar: https://www.instagram.com/raleighmagazine/p/CX6C7KuLxgU/?utm_medium=copy_link
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I love the dude’s concepts, just not his attitude - this is the guy who uses The Cardinal’s public Instagram profile to publicly shame The Player’s Retreat (a much longer standing and legendary local business, owned by two very elderly/immunocompromised people) for requiring proof-of-vaccination for indoor dining. It’s fine if he doesn’t like that or agree with it, but he could’ve said nothing at all - instead, he literally made posts on the Cardinal’s IG to shame another business. It just reeks of tackiness, and really put me off wanting to support his establishments. What truly sucks is that I love his concepts and execution. He just seems like a petty asshole, when it comes to public health concerns, at least.
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I can tell you that Gus (owner of PR) couldn’t give a rats ass what this guy thinks. A) Gus has more money than this guy will ever see (Ask Darius Rucker) and B) PR’s business has exploded, in part to their proof of vaccine requirement. He probably grosses more at one place than this guy at all of his combined.
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I think he did something similar to Trophy for requiring employees to be vaccinated. Dude seems to have a real chip on his shoulder.
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Just went back and looked at the posts you mentioned. I will continue supporting the Cardinal bar and look forward to the new location. I, and many others, have plenty of logical reasons why their thoughts on this matter don’t offend.
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Apologies as I’m certain this isn’t the best place to ask (is there a recommendations / advice thread anywhere?), but for anyone that has been in years past is the NYE acorn drop downtown worth going to? First year living here and trying to figure out the best plan.
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I mainly went for the Acorn drop/fireworks. I enjoyed it. I’ve been twice or three times. It’s something to do. I like the business (busy-ness?) of it. It will probably be one of the better times to be on Fayetteville St.
I may skip this year but am hoping to go next year. I believe tickets are needed this year. I don’t believe tickets were needed back in 2019. If so, I didn’t pay. I don’t remember seeing a checkpoint.
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I’ve never actually seen it in person, only on TV, but I would like to. Downtown is a fun place to be usually for NYE. Personally we’re planning to go to Jolie for a late 11pm dinner and wander around before that.
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Wife, myself and some friends have tickets for NYE DTR. Hoping the weather holds up.
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I saw the post as marketing play. Like it or not the country is split pretty much down the middle as far as ideology goes and in Raleigh almost every business is messaging and creating policies that resonate with one of those sides.
This guy is making a play for the other 50%. He’s one of the few messaging and creating policies that resonate with the other side.
While you may not agree with him, it’s not a bad business move if you’re looking to put dollars in your pocket during a time where bars/restaurants are really struggling.
Have you been past the Cardinal recently? The place has stayed crowded the entire pandemic.
I’m not sure if this guy really is that passionate about what other companies are doing, or if he’s striking on an opportunity to hit a market that isn’t being served in Raleigh.
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Maybe… I won’t overfeed the topic, but quickly I’d add that Jason probably is expressing his opinion just like everyone else does, and is using his platform to elevate his voice, just like anyone else would. He has eyes, ears, and a brain, and obviously interacts with many diverse people in real life while running multiple bars. I’m guessing his real life experience informs his opinion, as my real-life experience informs mine.
Anyways, I always have enjoyed the Cardinal - it’s a welcome dive bar in an ocean of new trendy watering holes, and I really resonate with the owner’s marketing strategy to continue creating public places that appeal to average people - not just urban socialites. Sometimes the “no frills” experience is exactly what I’m going for.
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That makes sense to me, but I think the way he went about it sucks. It’s one thing to market that you’re not going to require vax cards or masks or whatever. It’s another thing to dunk on another small business that didn’t do anything to hurt you.
Ultimately, if you’re a small business, it’s in your best interest for the small business scene in your city to thrive. Some small business owners get in this mindset that it’s “me versus the other small businesses,” and that’s true to an extent (healthy competition, if you will), but there’s a much more existential threat coming from big chains. I remember an episode of NC Food & Bev where the guys from Crank Arm and Trophy expressed a similar sentiment: if the scene thrives, we all thrive.
Dude had no right to crap all over Players Retreat. He should have left them out of it. The world is divisive enough as it is. They’re just trying to survive the pandemic like everyone else.
Edit: I should note that I’ve never actually been to Cardinal or Players Retreat, so I don’t really have a dog in this fight beyond my personal stances on masking and vaccinations. Just thinking out loud here.
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And it’s exactly why I keep going back. I’m tired of the stale BS everywhere with $12 cocktails.
Cheap local draft beer and fantastic hotdogs, oh and the staff let you decide whether you find the mask necessary or not.
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