Category / Restaurants

by Leo Suarez

Feedback on Outdoor Dining in Downtown, PUPS

Dear members of the Raleigh City Council,

I want to write to you today with some concerns about the proposed change in hours for outdoor dining in downtown Raleigh. In my opinion, closing down outdoor dining areas earlier will reduce the noise levels a negligible amount to be useful at the expense of economic vitality in our city’s core. There are also other contributors to noise that I feel were not mentioned during the Law and Public Safety meetings on this issue.

What I see missing are the proper metrics that balance noise levels and resident acceptance. How many hours less does it take to get the desired noise levels? What metrics are being used here? I would like the council to discuss this because cutting an hour or two off outdoor dining may reduce noise but not to a level that satisfies the source of the complaints. If reduced hours of operation on outdoor dining must take place, please implement a 6-month trial period here. The trial period could test this rather than putting in place unnecessary restrictions that benefit no one and only restrict local businesses.

From my point of view, noise is the problem trying to be solved and outdoor dining has been pinned as the source of this noise late at night. Due to the thriving nightlife we have, a few others contribute to the noise pollution in downtown also that are not being talked about. Vehicle traffic, food carts, and amplified music are other elements that add to the hum of downtown’s nightlife yet no restrictions on them are being proposed.

From a resident point of view, vehicle traffic, including motorcycles with loud exhausts, trolleypubs with woohing riders, and cars that are all about that bass, have been another noise-related pain point. These contributors only raise the noise level of conversation from outdoor patrons. Food carts with generators and amplified music add to it as well. The relative noise level from outdoor dining is a product of the surrounding environment and this has not been discussed.

An alternative view could be to look at removing noise contributors first before harming local business. Please take a look to see if removing all outdoor amplified noise would help. Please consider closing down certain blocks of Glenwood Avenue and Fayetteville Street every Fri/Sat night, removing vehicles that contribute to the noise. Please work with food carts to provide electrical plug access rather than run loud generators.

After this discussion has taken place and possibly attempted on a 6-month trial basis should we start to talk about limiting the local businesses themselves.

Thank you for taking the time to think about my feedback.

Leo Suarez
208 Freeman Street

by Leo Suarez

Renovation Near Complete at 501 South Person Street, New Restaurant Planned

The building at 501 South Person Street has been under heavy renovation.

The building at 501 South Person Street has been under heavy renovation.

I love seeing building reuse stories and this one has really piqued my interest.

The building located at the corner of Cabarrus and Person Street is done, or nearly done, with its renovation and the owner, Phuc Tran, wants to put a restaurant here. The blocker from starting work on the restaurant is zoning as the lot is currently zoned for Residential Business (RB) and Mr. Tran wants it to be Downtown Mixed Use. (DX) The DX zoning would allow him to open a restaurant that serves alcohol.

For a great catch-up on the issue, check out the story on the Raleigh Public Record.

Since 1922, the site had been home to a Seventh-day Adventist church. They continued to use the facility until the 1980s, by which time the congregation had outgrown the facilities. After that, it had been the place of worship for other churches, but when the building was damaged by a tornado in 2011, the church was abandoned. Scheduled for demolition, Phuc Tran stepped in and repaired the church.

…

While the planning commission had voted 8-2 in recommending approval of the rezoning, the central citizens advisory council had voted unanimously in disapproval of the rezoning. A valid statutory protest petition had been filed as well.

Speaking at the meeting, several members of the audience said their primary concern was the selling of alcohol and that litter might become a problem because of the restaurant.

*Downtown Rezoning Divides Neighborhood Residents

Even though the Raleigh Planning Commission voted in favor of the rezoning, the Raleigh City Council still has to approve it. That vote came up recently, on June 2, 2015, and was delayed after some discussion. Here’s the video of it which also includes some great photos of the renovation work and interior of the building.


If the video doesn’t show for you, watch it here.

No vote was made as it was delayed two weeks because city staff needs to determine the validity of the submitted protest petition. The council should discuss it again at their June 16, 2015 meeting.

The residents immediately around the site came out to voice support or concerns about this rezoning request, as you can hear in the video. (lots of comments by the way)

Those for the rezoning want to see Mr. Tran open a restaurant here. Reasons are that it will bring some vitality to the area and possibly raise property values.

Those against do not want restaurant, especially alcohol related, activity nearby and feel it inappropriate to be near college students (Shaw) and young children of the nearby youth centers. Possible trash, smells, and public drunkenness were other reasons to be against the rezoning. There were also worries that if the rezoning was approved and the owner changed later, what holds the new owner to the same promises as the old one?

In my opinion, there are two way to look at this issue. One is to decouple the restaurant opening and the rezoning case. The other is to see them as linked together.

As far as the rezoning goes, the city’s comprehensive plan and unified development ordinance (UDO) have pretty much included this property into the downtown mixed-use (DX) camp. Actually, the proposed rezoning for that entire area is to be downtown mixed-use zoning. You can verify it with this tool by entering in the address.

The case here is that Mr. Tran wants to have the rezoning now so work can get started on the restaurant and not wait until the new UDO rezoning goes into effect. It’s completely consistent with what the city wants already and city staff confirmed that everything is indeed consistent with all policies.

Proposed UDO map around 501 South Person Street.

Proposed UDO map around 501 South Person Street with 501 South Person highlighted. It is surrounded by DX rezoning under the new UDO. Click for larger.

As a rezoning case, this is a no-brainer and the council can point to the adopted policies in order to make a decision. The rezoning should be approved.

One major difference I noticed between those that are for and against the restaurant at 501 South Person is the difference of time each resident has lived in the neighborhood. Those against have decades under their belts of living nearby. Relatively speaking, those for the rezoning are new to the area. I’m generalizing sure but if you watch the video and note the addresses given, the sale dates of the properties of those for the rezoning are less than 15 years compared to those against who claim to have lived in the neighborhood for multiple decades.

I could be wrong but there’s something to this.

East Raleigh doesn’t have experience with a restaurant of this type right in the neighborhood so they have every right to scrutinize. If you look at history, the past few decades have shown very little new businesses in the area so the neighborhood that these residents have grown to love and protect is being challenged by something new.

The new residents most likely came to the area riding on the downtown revitalization wave and of course a new restaurant appeals to them. That is what has been happening around here in case you haven’t noticed.

Another view of the building at 501 South Person Street.

Another view of the building at 501 South Person Street.

My personal opinion is that a renovated one-story building turned neighborhood restaurant is a much better contributor to any neighborhood than an empty lot or future development. The building, which has been now saved, maintains character and honors those that built the neighborhood in the past.

I think whatever the outcome, a lot of good has taken place with the building being saved. The community, new and veteran residents, should come together and work out the concerns in an open communication instead of coming off as rivals during a government meeting.

In the many more decades to come, the building may evolve to serve more than just the new downtown residents as the nearby culture embraces it. I think that’s the first step and is something worth supporting.

by Leo Suarez

Outdoor Seating Ordinance Changes Being Discussed

Email readers: This blog post has embedded video. Read the post on the blog if you can’t see it.


If the video doesn’t show for you, watch it here.

I’m into this outdoor seating “controversy” and wanted to get some ideas and thoughts out there on the blog.

First, let’s start with some history. If you recall, our downtown’s vibrancy was questioned during a Raleigh City Council meeting in January 2015. Developer Greg Hatem introduced the concerns (watch it in the previous link) and was quoted as saying that downtown Raleigh was “unlivable.” During that discussion, it was mentioned that a group was doing some independent thinking on this and wanted to work with the city to address it. In Hatem’s opinion, noise and disorderly behavior on Fayetteville Street was one of the reasons holding back downtown’s vibrancy.

Now, all of a sudden this is on the consent agenda for the June 2, 2015 council meeting.

3.1 Private Use of Public Spaces Ordinance Update
Marchell Adams-David, City Manager’s Office
Recent discussions of vibrancy within downtown Raleigh and the Fayetteville Street District have revealed a number of issues that need to be addressed. One prevalent issue is the need to re-define Outdoor Dining as currently addressed in the City code. Staff is currently revising the existing Standards for Private Use of Public Spaces (PUPS), originally authorized in 2007. The original intent of an Outdoor Dining Permit was for PUPS areas to be utilized for dining; since that time a number of Outdoor Dining permits have been issued to businesses and private clubs where no associated dining activity occurs.

Revisions to the current Outdoor Dining ordinance include additional clarity, strengthening of enforcement and a means to resolve administration of the ordinance. The two Outdoor Dining ordinances, Sections 9-7007 and 12-2121 of the City code, require a text change for the purpose of revision and modernization.

Recommendation: Authorize a public hearing for June 16, 2015.

Watch the video, it’s short, as City Manager Ruffin Hall explains the ordinance and who it affects. The council did not vote on this and instead moved it to the Law and Public Safety Committee and it’ll be discussed at their June 9 meeting.

The bar owners have definitely come out against this with some that are not affected showing opposition as well. The claim is that the bars spend thousands of dollars on policing and managing their patrons while on the public sidewalks so to not allow it, the city then has to police it. Could there be a liability issue here too? Some think so.

The supporters of this ordinance update argue that the noise levels on Fayetteville Street are already too high and with over 5 new outdoor amplified noise permits recently submitted for Fayetteville Street, the levels will increase. This is a detractor from a vibrant downtown.

I’ve thought about this for a bit and think I’ve formed my opinion on the matter. Like most controversies, both sides may be at an extreme where a compromise should satisfy everyone. Someone shared a photo with me on Twitter that helps the discussion.

That is what a typical Friday or Saturday night looks like in front of a handful of businesses on Fayetteville Street. It’s alive. It’s buzzing. There are people everywhere.

It’s also a side effect of those very large sidewalks we built on “North Carolina’s Main Street.”

Many would agree that having a drink outside is fantastic. I LOVE sitting outside with a beverage. It could be a pint of beer, glass of wine, can of soda, glass of water, it doesn’t matter. Still tastes better outside in my opinion. So remember that drinking outside is fantastic and clearly that is helping businesses thrive on Fayetteville Street.

However, because of our huge sidewalks here and the lack of defined spaces for the public versus a business, the dominant force takes over. The bar patrons are taking over the sidewalks and not allowing the sidewalk to function like a transportation network. You can’t easily walk up and down Fayetteville Street. Forget it when it comes to those in a wheelchair.

I’m not calling anyone out but some do it better than others.

So what’s the middle ground? To disallow businesses from having outdoor seating because they do not serve food shows a lack of understanding of the issue and a failure to work with those owners on an improved solution that benefits everyone. I’d like to think that a vibrant community is one where visitors can flow from place to place with ease.

If you look at the photo embedded above, the problem is the “massing” of people standing outside a bar/restaurant from the front door all the way to the curb. Is this not a safety hazard? How does someone walk through that, especially someone in a wheelchair? What if an emergency happens, won’t this slow down the emergency folks that respond?

A good conversation with bar owners could be around this topic. How can the city and owners create a process to allow a more defined sidewalk seating/entertaining area? The sidewalk must function as transportation just like the street must be clear so vehicles can get through.

We should up our outdoor seating game and let owners set up decorative ropes, umbrellas, awnings, etc. in order to define a space that says, “in this area, you are outside for this bar/restaurant.” That also sends the message that, “being outside of that area, you are not a part of this bar/restaurant, keep moving.”

That’s a much better look than the borderline chaos we have going on with these droves of people congregating outside bars.

The other side of it is enforcement and I expect that to be a big discussion at the committee meeting next week.

Wrapping up, my thinking so far is that defining our public spaces so that there is balance between moving pedestrians (transit network) and outdoor entertainment (drinking. outside. Fantastic!) would benefit everyone without further limitations that the city has to work hard to enforce.

by Leo Suarez

Spring 2015 Restaurant Roundup

Pho Pho Pho

Spring has been quiet, relatively anyway, in the downtown Raleigh restaurant scene. Lots of new places are working hard to open up and the ones that have open are offering something unique that we haven’t had before.

For a complete list of eats, drinks, and coffees in and around downtown, make sure to bookmark the DT Eats page. Try something new!

  • In Glenwood South, the Raleigh Beer Garden looks close. You can follow the progress on their Facebook page. They keep saying that they will be open in the Spring.
  • Pho Pho Pho, pictured above, is now open in the former Oryx space in the 510 Glenwood Building.
  • Also in 510, here is a good blog post from the Raleigh DLA blog about the upcoming Italian restaurant, Big Boom.
  • The building at 606 Glenwood that used to have the club named after it’s address is now a new club called Alchemy.
  • Death and Taxes has had a packed house recently as the place is hosting some pop-up dinners through the end of this week. Maybe full opening soon??

Level Up Kitchen and Barcadium

Level Up Kitchen and Barcadium

  • The Level Up Kitchen and Barcadium is now open on Salisbury Street. They have a mix of classic arcade games and a great selection of drinks and foods.
  • I’m still keeping an eye out for major updates on Whiskey Kitchen. You can see some very cool murals that were done out front on their Facebook page.
  • A few weeks ago, I posted a photo on Twitter of the future site of Taverna Agora on Hillsborough Street.
  • Standard Foods, located over in Person Street Plaza, is….????
  • A new bar named William and Company has opened next to PieBird.
  • Circa 1888 has opened at the end of West Davie Street. The new spot has a big patio outside and pool tables inside.
  • On Wilmington Street above Centro, you’ll find Gallo Pelón Mezcaleria, downtown’s (the Triangle’s?) first mezcal bar.
  • Is the West at North tower getting a boutique market and brewery? Twitter seems to think so.
  • An ice cream shop called Treat wants to open in May in City Market. It will be located along Blount, in those shops facing the Skyhouse Apartments.
  • And finally, inside the Skyhouse Apartment building a restaurant called Provenance is planned. You can sign up for updates on their website or follow them on the Facebooks and Twitters.

by Leo Suarez

Winter 2015 Restaurant Roundup

Carolina Ale House in Glenwood South
Each year, downtown Raleigh seems to have a burst of new shops. 2013 was the year of the bottle shop. As we wrapped up last year, I think it’s safe to say that 2014 was the year of the bakery. 2015 could be the year the barcade but that’s still left to be seen. Here’s the list of Winter openings and coming soons for 2015.

For a complete list of eats, drinks, and coffees in and around downtown, make sure to bookmark the DT Eats page. Try something new!

  • Pictured above, the Glenwood South Carolina Ale House is finally open after being announced years ago. On the top floor of the new 3-story building at the corner of Tucker Street and Glenwood Avenue, the flagship restaurant has some pretty nice views and plenty of space for large sports parties.
  • For the rest of the building at 500 Glenwood Avenue, plans are in place to set up a Mediterranean restaurant and a banquet hall. When I asked, I was told that these were hoping to be ready by August of this year.
  • The construction work on the Raleigh Beer Garden is really taking shape. The beer garden, with over 100 taps, should be open later this year.
  • Pho Pho Pho Noodle Kitchen & Bar is now hiring for the restaurant going into the former Oryx space in the 510 Glenwood building. Owned by Quy Duong, who also owns Sushi Blues, the new spot will be “bringing authentic Vietnamese cuisine and crafty cocktails” to Glenwood South.
  • Could this be a cannoli from the upcoming Italian restaurant Big Boom? (planned for the corner space in 510 Glenwood)

  • The downtown bakery scene has really heated up with the opening of Lucettegrace on Salisbury Street. There are some very tasty pastries, almost works of art, here and I highly recommend.
  • Rounding out the 2014 year of the bakery is Night Kitchen Bakehouse and Cafe in Seaboard Station. I’ve picked up some delicious breads here recently and is another recommendation.
  • The Level Up, Kitchen and Barcadium, located at 126 South Salisbury Street, is opening very soon. The place wants to serve pub food and craft beer around classic arcade games.
  • Still nothing new, of significance, on Ashley Christensen’s new place, Death and Taxes, planned for 200 South Salisbury Street.
  • On Fayetteville Street, La Volta has closed but has quickly turned around to a new Caribbean concept called The Twisted Mango.
  • The restaurant space in the Marriott Hotel is open again but this time as Rye Bar & Southern Kitchen.
  • A small, cozy bar, called Anchor Bar, has opened on the 200 block of Fayetteville Street.
  • WRAL reports of a new brewery coming to downtown Raleigh by the owners of Bida Manda. The article says that the location hasn’t been determined but I was at a Central CAC meeting about 2-3 months ago and the same owners were there presenting plans for a restaurant at 501 South Person Street. (The CAC didn’t vote for the needed rezoning) The renovated church at 501 South Person is probably not big enough for a brewery so either there are two projects going on by the Bida Manda folks or this is where the brewery is trying to go.
  • Mo’s Diner has changed their name to Holly’s on Hargett.
  • A Facebook page and website for a gastropub called Whiskey Kitchen has popped up. The maps show it going at 201 West Martin Street.
  • The Boxcar Bar and Arcade has opened in the warehouse district on Davie Street. They are continuing to add more games and is a pretty fun place to visit if you’re into video games.
  • A cockatil supply and tasting bar called ABV, run by Crude Bitters and Sodas and Eco-Tech Draft, is open at 517 West Cabarrus Street.
  • The folks behind The Busy Bee Cafe and Trophy Brewing have opened a Bottle Shop, The State of Beer, at 401 Hillsborough Street. The new shop sells craft beer and tasty sandwiches.
  • Highlighted on the blog last week, work continues on the new space for Taverna Agora on Hillsborough Street.
  • A coffee, wine, and beer shop called Drink, Drank, Drunk has opened near the West Morgan Street and Hillsborough Street roundabout.
  • Nearby, in the 927 Morgan Apartment building, P.G. Werth’s is now open.
  • The highly anticipated opening of Standard Foods is coming soon as the restaurant, grocery store is now hiring.
by Leo Suarez

Huge Renovation Underway at 326 Hillsborough Street

326 Hillsborough Street in February 2015
The renovations happening at 326 Hillsborough Street are really showing off these days. The restaurant Taverna Agora, currently in North Raleigh, is planning to move to this spot in downtown Raleigh. New awnings and lots of work on a second floor are visible from the street.

This building has been empty for several years. At one point, next-door neighbor Second Empire had plans to renovate this space but that never came to be.

326 Hillsborough Street in February 2015

by Leo Suarez

Fall 2014 Restaurant Roundup

Tasty 8's on Fayetteville Street

Tasty 8’s on Fayetteville Street

The year of the bakery continues with some very delicious looking places that should be opening soon. Some new renovations are included in this season’s update including some activity on Hillsborough Street. This area primarily doesn’t see very many new shops and retail so perhaps this is the beginning of something.

For a complete list of eats, drinks, and coffees in and around downtown, make sure to bookmark the DT Eats page. Try something new!

  • Tasty 8’s has opened on the 100 block of Fayetteville Street. (pictured above) They have really done a nice job with renovating the space and the gourmet hot dog menu looks, well, tasty!
  • Across the street, Capital City Tavern has opened where Isaac Hunter’s Oak City Tavern used to be.
  • We’re still waiting on the contemporary patisserie, Lucettegrace, to open, located at 235 South Salisbury Street. They are currently hiring so perhaps the opening is soon.
  • Ashley Christensen’s latest, Death & Taxes, is still undergoing work at the corner of Salisbury and Hargett Street.
  • Posta Tuscan Grill, the restaurant in the Marriott Hotel, has closed and is being redone into Rye Bar & Southern Kitchen. The new restaurant concept should be open this winter.
  • Seaboard Station has landed a coffee shop. Brew is open along Seaboard Avenue serving coffee, tea, and beer ever day.
  • Seaboard Station is also getting a bakery. Night Kitchen Bakery and Cafe is currently hiring and you might run into them at nearby events. Check their Facebook.
  • Taverna Agora is moving from their location in North Raleigh to Hillsborough Street. Their space next to Second Empire is currently being renovated and you can see steel rising above the building. Rooftop seating perhaps?
  • Nearby, a beer bottle shop is coming to 401 Hillsborough Street. The shop hopes to open this winter.
  • Standard Foods still has their sign up for a “late Fall” opening.
  • In Glenwood South, Clouds Brewing has opened up on West Street in the former Napper Tandy’s space.
  • Work continues on the Raleigh Beer Garden, a 100-tap beer garden located at 614 Glenwood Avenue. Follow their Facebook page for updates.

Corner of Glenwood Avenue and Tucker Street

Corner of Glenwood Avenue and Tucker Street

  • The building at the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Tucker Street is finishing up and the Carolina Ale House, planned for the top floor, should open sometime before the end of the year.
  • In the 510 Glenwood building, a Vietnamese noodle shop is planned for the former Oryx space. It will be called Pho Pho Pho Noodle Kitchen & Bar and you can see work actively taking place.
  • Same building, Vincent Barresi, owner of Vincent’s in North Raleigh, is opening an Italian restaurant at the corner space where Myst used to be. The new place will be called Big Boom.
  • Shuckers Oyster Bar and Grill has opened in the rear space of the building where Bogart’s (and more recently Cantina South) used to be.
  • Eden Ultra Lounge has opened at 3 Glenwood Avenue where the former Dive Bar used to be.
  • Another bottle shop and beer drinking locale has opened, located in the former Amra’s space, called The Stag’s Head.
  • After Benelux Cafe moved out of their space in City Market, plans for a new coffee shop quickly came out. Expect City Market Cafe to open soon.
  • In the Warehouse District, it looks like Spy Lounge has closed at 330 West Davie. In the works is a bar and arcade called The Boxcar Bar. If you don’t check them out, at least play some Pacman on their website.
by Leo Suarez

Summer 2014 Restaurant Roundup

Death and Taxes
Summer nights in Raleigh are good for sweets and ales. Maybe not at the same time but if you happen to like a beer after a sweet treat, this season’s eats news has you covered.

For a complete list of eats, drinks, and coffees in and around downtown, make sure to bookmark the DT Eats page. Try something new!

  • We’re still waiting on the newest Ashley Christensen restaurant, Death & Taxes, to open at the corner of Salisbury and Hargett Street. Fancy signs are up covering the windows. Oooooooo.
  • Nearby along Fayetteville Street, Happy and Hale has opened in one of the city plaza kiosks. Their salads and juices look pretty tasty.
  • The dessert and cocktail bar, Bittersweet, has opened in PNC Plaza along Martin Street.
  • After closing down Isaac Hunter’s Oak City Tavern at 112 Fayetteville Street, the guys behind the outfit have opened a Roaring Twenties themed bar called Common 414 at 414 Fayetteville Street. They officially open in less than two weeks.
  • Meanwhile back at 112 Fayetteville, someone else has put some work into the space and is opening up another bar. No official word is out there about it but I heard they have had a soft opening and should be open soon. [UPDATE: Just learned today that the place is called Capital City Tavern and they are indeed open.
  • A small shop, Harvest Sundries & Deli, has opened in the Progress Energy building. Sounds like a good place for a cheap breakfast or lunch.
  • The people behind Tasty 8’s Hot Dogs is doing a big renovation job at the space where Spize Cafe used to be and I think it looks great. Gourmet hot dogs are in our future.
  • Lucettegrace is a bakery that’s “Coming Soon” according to their website. They plan to be on Salisbury Street kind of behind Capital Club 16.
  • A new coffee shop is coming to Seaboard Station. Brew plans to open in the row of shops along Seaboard Avenue and they are crushing their kickstarter! Raleighites love their coffee.
  • Also in Seaboard Station, Night Kitchen Bakehouse and Cafe will be opening in October, according to a TBJ article. The bakery will have “breads, pastries, sandwiches and salads” and be open for lunch and breakfast.
  • A bread shop, Boulted Bread, has opened on South Street. You can find their goods at the shop or at the Wednesday afternoon Farmer’s Market at City Market each week.
  • Work is slow but progressing on the empty space between Second Empire and the Holiday Inn, future home of Taverna Agora. The restaurant is relocating from Glenwood Avenue to this space on Hillsborough Street. Their website says they will move this winter.
  • Chef Scott Crawford has, or is, leaving his spot at Herons, the fine-dining restaurant at Cary’s Umstead Hotel. He is taking on two new projects in downtown Raleigh. First, is Standard Foods, a grocery and restaurant in Person Street Plaza.
  • Crawford’s second project is Nash Tavern, a classic American style tavern, in one of the buildings on the south side of Nash Square. A lot of planning is going into this one so it most likely will be a 2015 project.
  • In Glenwood South, DeMo’s Pizzeria & Deli has opened in the 222 Glenwood building.
  • Clouds Brewing, formerly called Storm Clouds Brewing, in the old Napper Tandy’s space near Powerhouse Plaza is looking close to opening. There are some construction photos on their Facebook and the TBJ has a nice article about them, saying they will open next month.

you’ll be able to pay when you enter, receive a bracelet and pour your own beer from 40 different taps.

*Hey Triangle: Order your fall beers from Facebook

  • Visible work hasn’t yet started on the Raleigh Beer Garden or the 100 taps that will be inside this place.
  • We’ve watched construction on the building at the corner of Tucker Street and Glenwood Avenue, planning to house a Carolina Ale house, all year. I read awhile ago that they planned to have the Ale House open before football season so there really isn’t much time left. Will they make it? Not sure.