'Construction ruined us': Restaurants struggle and close during downtown Wilmington project

Maxine Pender has been running Pender's Café since 1977. She's had ups and downs over the years, but recent months have been more difficult than most. Since late spring, the road in front of the restaurant at 205 N. Front St. in downtown Wilmington has been closed for construction.

The sidewalks remain open, but Pender said she's noticed less foot traffic. That's meant it's been harder to hire help. Although she has a couple of workers, it's mostly her at the restaurant.

"And I'm 75, it's not easy," she said. "I'm lucky if I'm open 15 hours a week."

Meanwhile, Waffle House, which has a location on the same block, is closed temporarily. A sign on the door says they plan to reopen in September. And another business a few doors down, Local 910 Bar & Lounge, has closed and is looking for another location in Wilmington.

The city of Wilmington has been working on a $3.5 million project for improvements that include new utilities and pavement between Chestnut and Walnut streets.

Dylan Lee, a spokesman for the city, said the whole project is scheduled to be completed by November. Workers are also expected to finish work on the current part of the project on the 200 block of North Front in September and move to work on the street in front of The Cotton Exchange.

Background: Headed to downtown Wilmington this summer? Here's what you need to know about construction

More: Owner closes Market Street seafood restaurant to focus on new Ogden location

Lee said he knows the construction has been an inconvenience for some of the businesses, but that the city is working to "get the project done as quickly and safely as possible."

"We have made sure the public knows that the businesses are open and accessible and that the sidewalks are open," he said. "And we've been supportive of efforts by Wilmington Downtown and the DBA to help the businesses."

Terry Espy, president of the Downtown Business Alliance, said the organization has been organizing the Downtown Alive Weekly Cash Drawing. It's a program where shoppers at the 60 or so businesses that are impacted by the project, can enter to win.

It was originally going to be funded by the Downtown Alive concerts. When they were canceled, they found a way to keep it going, Espy said. It offers cash prizes for the shopper and business totaling $300 each week.

Espy said that some businesses in the corridor have still been successful during construction, like Cape Fear Footwear in the Cotton Exchange. And new businesses are still interested in the area. Drift Coffee & Kitchen, for example, recently opened their fifth location at 221 N. Front St.

Others have done what they can to prepare for the construction project. Gwenyfar Rholer, owner of Old Books on Front St., experienced a similar construction project in the bookstore's former location. In this case, she's done what she can to manage expenses ahead of this one.

Other owners, though, say it seems like their struggles have gone unnoticed.

"It just feels like they don't care about the small business owners," Pender said.

Brittany Brown, owner of Local 910, said her business was going well when it opened in February at 265 N. Front St.

"The neighborhood really supported us, especially the service industry employees," she said.

More: Wilmington chef, mixologist and distillery take home honors at N.C. Chef Showdown

On Facebook: Follow Port City Foodies for more food news from StarNews Media

The business had a late-night kitchen, but Brown said she ended that soon after the construction project started. Since then, business has declined rapidly. In addition to the reduced traffic, she also had to deal with frequent water and internet outages.

"The construction 1000% ruined us," she said.

She officially closed that location at the end of July and said she is currently looking for another space elsewhere in the city to re-open.

Both she and Pender said they'd like more awareness about the impact the project is having on small businesses downtown.

In fact, if not for the loyal locals who come in for lunch on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, Pender said she might consider closing.

Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Restaurants struggle with construction on Wilmington's N. Front Street