После пандемии и роста цен атмосфера популярного студенческого района Чапел-Хилл изменилась

On a Friday night, conversation spills onto the sidewalks of Franklin Street as students weave between restaurants and bars. Establishments remain busy, with music drifting from open doors and lines forming outside popular spots, but for many longtime business owners and managers, something about the scene feels different than it once did. Those who have worked on Franklin Street for years say the change is not the result of a single factor. Instead, they point to a combination of rising costs, changing attitudes toward drinking and lasting shifts in how students socialize. These variables, along with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, have reshaped one of Chapel Hill’s most recognizable gathering places. “Franklin Street itself is an evolving organism,” Yeshua Sanchez, manager of Cosmic Cantina, said. “It's changing consistently, but specifically since COVID.” Sanchez said Franklin Street today looks noticeably different than it did in the late 2010s. While students still gather after class and on weekends, the atmosphere lacks some of the energy he remembers. The pandemic transformed Chapel Hill's business landscape. Over 20 local restaurants closed during COVID’s reign, including several longtime Franklin Street establishments. One of these institutions was Linda's Bar & Grill, a Franklin Street fixture for nearly five decades, that closed its doors in January 2024, after its owner cited financial challenges that stemmed in part from the lasting effects of the pandemic. But the COVID-19 pandemic changed more than just business operations — it also changed the way people interact. “People used to be out partying and super friendly in huge groups,” Sanchez said. “Which, they still are, but it just doesn't seem to have the same energy that it used to.” Other Franklin Street managers agreed that the pandemic fundamentally changed customer habits, with some saying businesses are still adjusting years later. “COVID did numbers on businesses," Insomnia Cookies general manager Tori Folk said. “Like how often and how late they can stay open.” With many businesses dealing with the lasting effects of COVID, Folk said many were forced to shorten their hours or reduce operations and some have never fully returned to their previous schedules. Still, managers said the pandemic is only part of the story. Eric Emerine, assistant general manager at Carolina Brewery, said rising prices have made it harder for many students to afford going out. “College students are already scraping by as it is,” Emerine said. “And when everything's so expensive, [they] just don't have the money to go out anymore, I think that's a big part of it.” Emerine said he has also noticed a change in students' drinking habits. He said requests for nonalcoholic beers and mocktails have become far more common over the last several years. These requests for nonalcoholic options have risen from occasional to about half of customers in recent years, Emerine said, reflecting changing attitudes toward alcohol. While the crowds may look different than they did a decade ago, business owners say Franklin Street remains a place where students come together, even if the way they gather has changed. Sanchez said he does not believe Franklin Street has lost its identity. Instead, he sees a district that continues to evolve alongside the students who frequent it. "At the end of the day, we're social beings, and we need that," Sanchez said. "So, I see that we're evolving. It's changing." @DTHCityState | [email protected]