CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After days of back and forth, Charlotte city officials say the entirety of the business portion of the RNC will stay in Charlotte. Governor Roy Cooper made it clear he wants the convention to stay in the Queen City, but the health and safety of North Carolinians will remain his top priority.
The news that the city may not see the $200 million windfall was a major blow to businesses already struggling. It was the final straw for one popular Uptown restaurant, Queen City Q.
Even if part of the RNC is in Charlotte, it's not enough for the managers of the BBQ restaurant. Compounded with the coronavirus pandemic and recent protests in Uptown, they just don't see a way to survive.
Just a month ago, Queen City Q was dishing out meals to first responders to say thank you for being on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s the pandemic that ultimately decimated their business.
“We lost 100% of our business overnight,” says managing partner Bryan Meredith. “We really have no clue when normal is coming back.”
Right after reopening the dining room this week, there was a second punch, the unrest in Uptown forced them to close again. And now another blow with the uncertainty around the RNC. The owners say they just can't wait and see what economic boost if any, there will be.
“You put all of those pieces together, it just clearly spelled out that there’s no path for success. There’s no reason to go borrowing money unless you have a pretty good idea and indication you can repay it and we just didn't have that feeling,” says Meredith.
Governor Cooper wants the convention to stay in Charlotte and according to the City, the business portion will be.
“There’s been discussion about having all of the other events in Charlotte except for the acceptance speech that the President has insisted upon making sure there’s an absolutely full arena with no social distancing and no masks. I hope that can come about,” Governor Cooper said at a press conference on Thursday.
It's not clear to city officials what this version of the RNC looks like or what the financial gains could be for hotels, restaurants, and other businesses.
After 8 years in town, it’s just too late for Queen City Q.
“I think it’s great for the folks who can make it that long and wait for it to come at the end of August, who have that kind of staying power. We just found ourselves in a position that makes it not realistic to try and wait and hope that that works,” says Meredith.
The City of Charlotte released this statement:
“The morning, the City Attorney and members of his staff met with representatives of the Republican National Committee, the Local Host Committee, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, and the Charlotte Hornets to discuss the current status of preparations for the 2020 Republican National Convention. During that meeting, RNC representatives confirmed that at this point in time, they intend to locate the entirety of the business portion of the Convention in Charlotte. What those intentions mean in terms of the number of visitors coming to Charlotte, the length of time and the amount of space needed to properly host the business portion of the convention is unclear with the RNC representatives agreeing to provide the parties with further information as their plans continue to develop. It was understood by the parties that some of the Convention events that were originally set to occur in Charlotte may be relocated to another community outside of North Carolina. The parties agreed to reconvene the conversation on Monday, June 8.”