Three strikes and you’re out? I doubt Bridge Street will take the hint, considering The Tavern is the third restaurant to close at the location beside the Westin following Ketchup and the Smokehouse.
The Tavern, another producer of American-style food, offered Bridge Street diners options ranging from seafood to burgers to their customer favorite, the prime rib.
Yet it seems like this restaurant just couldn’t stay afloat. Why?
For many, it was just a matter of time before the “cursed” lot threw another restaurant into the abyss. The restaurant’s last day of business was Tuesday, September 3rd. Elisa Rhodes, a frequent customer of The Tavern, states that she honestly anticipated the closing.
“Especially when Bar Louie opened up,” she confessed. “I think we worried about it because it never was really that busy, and the location seemed to be doomed.”
She adds that the location is too far for people to walk, most don’t realize it is there, and the construction is killing business. “Owners can’t afford the rent.”
Jessie Franklin, an employee at The Tavern, confirms these claims.
“When the construction started on the other side of Bridge Street, it affected business for us.
“The rent in that location is over $10,000 a month. [The owners] tried to set up a meeting with the property managers of Bridge Street to request a rent reduction, but the managers were unwilling to compromise so they closed their doors that exact day.”
Franklin explains that there had been rumors of the restaurant closing for months but was surprised that the management didn’t give the employees any warning.
She states that she was thrown off about how she heard about her job’s termination. “I had to hear about it from my mom who heard it on the news. I never actually heard it from a manager or the owner of the business.”
Despite the restaurant’s fate and the aspects that sealed it, Elisa Rhodes and Jessie Franklin both agree that they are going to miss the restaurant.
“We were bummed about it [closing],” Rhodes admitted. “We went there after church almost every Sunday.” She says she’s already researching how to make some of The Tavern’s dishes.
“It was a great place to work, and I appreciate the experiences I got to have while working there,” Franklin states.
But take a closer look into the body system of Bridge Street, and you’ll find that The Tavern wasn’t and isn’t the only store that faced issues.
According to Katie Cole, assistant manager of The Chocolate Crocodile, similar problems forced the local chocolate shop to move from its large location across from Café 153 to a much smaller location beside Sunglass Station.
“Bridge Street’s rent is absolutely insane, which drives everybody’s prices up. Our store was so big in the other location that, even though our stuff is really expensive, we were still struggling to pay the rent. The majority of the stores can barely afford their rent.”
The relocating of the chocolate shop to its much smaller location meant losing the store’s bakery and coffee shop portion.
Cole also agrees that construction is interfering with many stores’ business but adds that the furlough leaves its scar as well. “All of those certain types of customers that Bridge Street is trying to attract suddenly can’t really afford to keep spending that much money on nonessentials.”
It seems like history is repeating itself. According to WHNT’s news report, Tommy’s Pizza was forced to close because the construction for the upcoming Belk began interfering with his business.
The news report states that owner Tommy Bergin tried to negotiate a rent reduction with Bridge Street’s property managers, but when they refused and responded by increasing his rent, he was forced to close his doors.
How many more shops and restaurants will be affected by the by-product of the current construction?
Will Bridge Street stay afloat with management that is seemingly unmerciful and unwilling to help stores keep business?
Only time will tell.
