Once upon a time, not so very long ago, there was a notion that you could be mugged or raped getting out of your car if you went downtown. It was hyperbole, but still a prevalent view people held who never went downtown anyway. When Ed Riley opened The Prime Smokehouse it was a game changer. Great food, great staff, great everything. It brought people downtown as word spread about the experience. I said then, “I can’t wait until you have to wait for a table.” When that came true, the restaurant reopened out at the Mill in order to serve more people. Ed Riley got the kitchen of his dreams, and the rest of us have a favorite destination. The repurposing of the Mill was perfect for reopening this top restaurant in the area. The ambiance fools you. You could be anywhere, Chicago or New York, Charleston or Atlanta.
With Main Street Gastropub closing on Main Street and Tap 1819 at the Mill, I’m ‘bewitched, bothered and bewildered’. SO disappointed. When a restaurant closes its doors or changes management, don’t assume it’s because of bankruptcy but the owner’s personal reasons. And when restaurants do fail, it’s not always from bad management; external factors can prevail over otherwise successful operations.(Covid) The National Restaurant Association estimates a 20% success rate for all restaurants. About 60% of restaurants fail in their first year of operation, and 80% fail within 5 years of opening. The restaurant business is tough.
You have experienced reasons that doors close. Bad food, bad service, location, competition, bad management. The cost of food is hurting all of us. If these reasons are in play, customers eat elsewhere.
Are you familiar with the children’s rugs that they run their cars or trucks on? This is Main Streets version with all the good restaurants to choose from. This dilemma is a welcomed problem to have. I’m not dismissing the fast food choices. I’m addicted to Dunkin’ Donuts sweet tea and breakfast-like sandwiches. I’m talking about places to go with friends or family, out of town guests, date night, or on your own that is on the new food scene. I’d like to write about the owners and chefs that are key to Rocky Mount’s revitalization. Take a tip from an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian. Born: June 25, 1956, New York, NY
Died: June 8, 2018,
Main Street Rocky Mount 
Ms. Houghtlin, you are a gift to Rocky Mount with your keen perception about what is important for our city, and I hope you continue to enlighten the rest of us so that we may appreciate what we have here, and just maybe we can all develop at least a modicum of your marvelous perspective.
Paul Duffy
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Amen. Couldn’t have said it better.
Bravo!!
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