In 2012, a visit to Franklin Street consisted
of lunch at Pepper’s, a trip to the Bookshop, and
then gelato from Sugarland. Today, all of these
beloved businesses and more no longer exist.
Let’s face it: Franklin Street is just not as good
as it used to be—unless you like smoke shops
and açaí bowls.
It’s hard to own a business on Franklin Street.
In 2018, restaurants in downtown Chapel Hill
had about a 75 percent retention rate over five
years, according to the Chapel Hill Downtown
Partnership. Six businesses closed, among them
Spanky’s, which had been open for 40 years.
Even successful businesses have a hard
time staying open due to costly rent, including
the latest business to close this year, Mellow
Mushroom.
Mellow Mushroom closed Nov. 3 because of
an increase in rent, according to East senior and
former Mellow Mushroom employee Yasmin
Shemer. Shemer and her fellow employees
received a three-weeks notice before it closed.
“For me, it was pretty disappointing because
we had a nice little family there,” said Shemer.
“Since I’m just a high-schooler, I was more
concerned for the people that really depend on
the job.”
Having a job at a businesses on Franklin
Street is risky, especially in buildings with high
turnover rates. Kyle Long, the former manager
of Mellow Mushroom, said that when landlords
raise the rent, some businesses don’t see staying
open as worth it when the cost of doing business
on Franklin Street is already so high.
“This is a pretty popular place for students
and families,” Long said to The Daily Tar Heel.
“The overwhelming reaction is upset because
they like this place and don’t want to see us go.”
Carolina Coffee Shop is Franklin Street’s
oldest restaurant, and one of its last original
businesses. Kyle Shea, Carolina Coffee Shop’s
general manager, said that the business’s
involvement in the community and the
University are very important to them.
“The older businesses are what originally
gave Chapel Hill its charm that drew so many
people to this area,” Shea said. “I understand
that growth is inevitable, but it shouldn’t be at
the expense of what initially gave this town all
of its charm. I think the old-school businesses, if
you will, should be a priority.”
In 2017, when Carolina Coffee shop faced
the threat of closing, a group of UNC graduates
invested in the restaurant and gave it to new
ownership. If only the same could be said
about Mellow Mushroom. Though it was
not a historic business, it was well-loved and
important to the community.
The rapid turnover of businesses on Franklin
Street needs to stop. More people should fight
to keep established businesses open, as keeping
businesses around for a long time connects
them to the community and creates sustainable
jobs.
