Business

Durham bar flips business around to stay afloat during coronavirus pandemic

Gov. Roy Cooper's extension of the state's Phase 2 of its coronavirus reopening plan continues to bring hardships, especially for bars that have been closed for five months.

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By
Lora Lavigne
, WRAL Durham reporter
DURHAM, N.C. — Gov. Roy Cooper's extension of Phase 2 of the state’s coronavirus reopening plan continues to bring hardships, especially for bars that have been closed for five months.

So a Durham bar owner has decided to flip his business concept. An empty space behind Kingfisher, at 321 E. Chapel Hill St., will soon be transformed into a new addition to the bar.

When the Kingfisher closed its doors back in March, co-owner Sean Umstead said he hoped it would be just a temporary situation.

“We closed. We reassessed, and then we were always working under this assumption that we were two, or three, or four weeks away from opening,” Umstead said.

Still, that wasn't the case, as Cooper announced the extension of Phase 2 until at least Sept. 11. So, Umstead and his wife decided to flip the business inside-out, literally.

“We have a private parking lot behind the bar that now we’ve turned into QueenBurger, which is our outdoor, of-the-times burger restaurant,” Umstead said.

He said he believes this is an optimistic solution to creating a better path forward. Like Kingfisher, QueenBurger’s mission is as much about delicious food and drink as it about creating community and a safe and inspiring place where all are welcome.

“We’re constantly rethinking positioning of things, how the flow works, how to offer someone an in-person experience that’s also safe,” said Umstead.

The outdoor dining area will include socially distanced high-top tables, barbecue grills, an upper deck, pop-up bars and more.

“These ideas that come out of this may be the future of restaurants and bars and hospitality in North Carolina. I’m really hopeful and excited to see where we go from here,” Umstead said.

They’re hoping to have the new business to go by mid-August for dinner. Also, 15% of profits from QueenBurger will support WE ARE (Working to Extend Anti-Racist Education), an anti-racist education organization based in Durham.

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