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Many of North Carolina's restaurants may permanently close because of COVID-19

Saddled with debt, payroll and mounting utility bills North Carolina restaurants are struggling to remain open even as the state starts to ease stay-at-home restrictions. Gov. Roy Cooper's plan to reopen restaurants with limitations beginning May 22, but owners are having to make tough choices right now.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Saddled with debt, payroll and mounting utility bills North Carolina restaurants are struggling to remain open even as the state starts to ease stay-at-home restrictions. Gov. Roy Cooper’s plan to reopen restaurants with limitations beginning May 22, but owners are having to make tough choices right now.

“Every day it gets harder and harder,” said Lou Reda, the owner of An American Table in Rocky Mount.

Only thirty-five percent of restaurant owners in the state have indicated that they can stay afloat beyond two months of closing down or offering limited service, according to the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Associations. That two month marker is rapidly approaching. Restaurants in North Carolina shut down around Mar. 17 to adhere to restrictions put in place to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

“I think we are going to see a number of restaurants who don’t make it,” said Lynn Minges, the president and CEO of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Associations. “We already are and we are expecting those to continue as this drags on.”

On Tuesday, Chuck’s Burger Restaurant in Raleigh announced via Facebook that it was shutting down permanently.

“It’s with a heavy heart that we announce that Chuck’s will not be re-opening when COVID-19 restrictions lift. This pandemic has been devastating to our industry, and we have spent the last few weeks thinking through solutions for survival, and how to bring our team back to work again,” the post read.

We will share more of the industry’s struggles on WRAL at 5 and 7 p.m. and detail how restaurants will handle the reopen.

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