Charlotte, some towns plan to ban late-night alcohol sales to slow spread of COVID-19

Late-night alcohol sales will soon be limited in Charlotte and some surrounding towns to help slow the spread of COVID-19, Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio told elected officials and administrators in an email Wednesday morning.

“We are currently drafting the language that will be signed by the (county commissioners) Chair and the respective mayors,” Diorio wrote.

The planned restriction would prohibit alcohol sales after 10 p.m. in unincorporated parts of Mecklenburg County, the city of Charlotte, and in the towns of Davidson, Matthews and Mint Hill, Diorio said in the email shared with The Charlotte Observer by a county commissioner and a spokesperson for Mecklenburg.

Diorio’s email said leaders in the towns of Cornelius, Huntersville and Pineville “have decided not to sign on” for now.

Orange County, N.C., and the state of South Carolina took a similar step last week to quell the uptick in COVID-19 cases. Proponents of alcohol restrictions say the move will deter overcrowding around bars inside businesses and reduce instances of potential COVID-19 exposure when drinking alcohol may lower a person’s inhibitions.

George Dunlap, chairman of the Mecklenburg County commissioners, told the Observer on Tuesday that he also favors restrictions on restaurants and bars.

“I’ve seen enough videos of businesses that show no concern about the general public and the general welfare,” Dunlap said.

“And that’s unacceptable. While you don’t want to punish the whole community for what a few businesses do, we have to in some way send a message that we’re serious.”

Huntersville Mayor John Aneralla told the Observer he hasn’t discussed the alcohol restrictions with county leaders or the town’s board of commissioners yet. But Aneralla said Huntersville must find a balance between protecting the economy and public health.

“Is there anything different between 10:05 and 9:55, as far as contracting COVID? Philosophically, I’ve said we should always align with the governor to alleviate any confusion,” Aneralla said.

‘Take this seriously’

The restrictions in Mecklenburg will be in place while North Carolina remains in Phase Two of reopening, Diorio said. Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday he’s pausing reopening at Phase Two for at least another three weeks.

“The start date of the change is dependent on how quickly we can agree on the language and give proper notice to the impacted establishments,” Diorio wrote in her email Wednesday.

It is unclear how this new restriction will be enforced and if limits on food sales could also be imposed.

Mecklenburg County ABC Board CEO Keva Walton said the board would work together with local law enforcement as needed.

“At the end of the day, we all have a social responsible here and that’s the health, safety, and wellness of our community,” Walton said. “While it’s painful for the hospitality and entertainment community until we can find a better way to not spread this disease, we have to collectively take whatever steps we need to.”

Cooper said during Tuesday’s new conference that he wanted local governments to feel empowered to ban late-night alcohol sales “if they believe this will help slow the spread in their communities.” He specifically noted it could be effective for “college towns” where students may be returning en masse in the fall if colleges decide to allow on-campus living and in-person classes.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles had told City Council members Monday she supported the restriction, after images of crowded gatherings at local restaurants and bars circulated on social media.

“We need to be very serious about the things we’re doing to address this COVID pandemic,” Lyles told the Observer Tuesday. “We need to take this seriously. We’ve seen the spikes in other parts of the country.

And Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said he is a “strong advocate” of closing bars. He spoke during a rare visit to Charlotte on Monday.

Redfield told reporters “it’s critical that we recognize certain businesses that tend to facilitate irresponsible behavior.”

The Davidson Board of Commissioners backed the public health measure during its meeting Tuesday, town spokeswoman Amanda Preston said.

“Although such action would not affect many businesses in Davidson, the board felt it would still be appropriate to join a county-wide effort to help stop the spread of COVID-19 wherever possible,” Preston told the Observer Wednesday.

Losing sales

Walton said the decision will “definitely have an impact” on the county ABC board with restaurants and bars as customers. “We’ve seen that have an impact on our revenues,” he said of sales losses during the pandemic.

Mixed beverage sales, which includes bars and restaurants, ended down about 35% in last fiscal year ending June 30, Walton said. Retail store sales were up 14%.

Matt Wolhfarth, owner of Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, said that rather than limiting hours for alcohol sales, he’d rather see enforcement of the 50% capacity and people social distancing, as mandated for businesses open in North Carolina. Last month, Mecklenburg Public Health Director Gibbie Harris advised people who dined at crowded restaurants and breweries in the Charlotte area to get tested for the coronavirus.

Wohlfarth said he’s likely to lose about 10% of sales a week by limiting sales after 10 p.m. His restaurant is open until 2 a.m. daily.

“Right now we can use everything we can get,” he said. He said while business is getting better, he’s still only operating closer to 10-15% occupancy most of the time.

Billy Jack’s Shack in NoDa reopened its dining room May 25 and is open weekdays until midnight and 2 a.m. on weekends. Regional manager Scott Krezmer said closing early and losing those hours of sales will “definitely hurt,” especially since there’s been an uptick in customers at 11 p.m., even on weekdays.

He wasn’t sure how much revenue will drop but said it’s still “a big deal.”

Krezmer said the restaurant is following CDC guidelines — taking temperatures, seating people 6 feet apart, wearing masks and doing extra cleanings. He said all businesses should not be penalized because some aren’t taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously.

“Don’t punish the people taking it seriously, because it can put them out of business as easily as those who aren’t,” he said.

Krezmer said Billy Jack’s Shack, which has been serving lunch and dinner since opening less than two years ago and is known for its “10 napkin burgers,” is considering adding a breakfast menu and hours.

It’s unclear how much of an impact the restriction would have on some popular breweries, with most closing between 9 and 11 p.m.

For example, Heist Brewery on North Davidson Street in NoDa closes most nights at 10 p.m. but is open until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Managing partner Spencer Farrell said he doesn’t see the new measure affecting his business as much as nearby restaurants that remain open later. Before the pandemic, the brewery was open until 11 p.m on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends. He said the hours changed because of staffing issues.

“We found it’s enough to provide for the community and enough sales hours to sustain ourselves,” he said. “But I’m not too worried about business here.”

This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 12:12 PM.