Restaurants get creative to make up lost New Year's Eve revenue

New Year's Eve will be anything but a party scene in downtown Raleigh this year.

Posted 1:43 a.m. Dec 29, 2020 — Updated 2:11 a.m. Dec 29, 2020

Mark Boyle

, WRAL anchor/reporter

RALEIGH, N.C. — New Year's Eve will be anything but a party scene in downtown Raleigh this year.

A 10 p.m. curfew, limits on the size of gatherings and smaller capacities in restaurants – and only outdoor seating at bars – means that struggling businesses have to get creative to generate revenue on what's usually a banner night.

"We’re offering cocktails to go, and one of them is the bloody Mary that will go with the meal kit," said Jason Smith, the owner of Cantina 18 in Raleigh's Cameron Village and Harvest 18 in Durham.

Smith said the colder weather has really hurt business because it’s just not comfortable for people to eat and socialize outside right now.

"We will probably be at 30 percent revenue or 25 percent revenue, but we also will have increased cost because we are doing things that we don’t normally do like the cocktails to go, the meal kits to go," he said.

Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said that takeout orders and "eating local" will be critical to the success of the businesses in the community.

"One way people can help restaurants is to do takeout. Eat in the safety of your home and your bubble, that’s one way you can be helpful," Baldwin said.

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