WSTB

Bib's Downtown will close for good at 4 PM on New Year's Eve.

And so another unique aspect of DT Winston is extinguished through this unrelenting pandemic! I feel so badly for all the small business owners here and everywhere who are finding their life's work getting blown up by this pestilence. I'm sad that the health care worker shelter strategy was not enough to carry her through the crises. Sounds like what they had on tap prior to the pandemic will be a case of us looking back in some point in the near future and wonder at what could have been.

Downtown is over-hoteled right now. I think hotels in Winston-Salem are around 49.5% occupied and have around 50% of their usual RevPar (revenue-per-available-rooms). It should be interesting to see if a similar hotel (in downtown's Industry Hill neighborhood) by Will Spencer, called Robert Hall, moves forward? I guess he could slow construction and open around Fall Furniture Market? So far, it appears as if Hyatt Place and Moxy are cancelled and now the Art Hotel has closed. If Wake Forest can do so, it would be nice to see them temporarily close Graylyn, until RevPar recovers, to help other hotels and event spaces.

It sounds as if she may have explored other ideas for the space, but maybe the bank or banks said no? This (Art Hotel) space could be reused to bring visiting artists to the city to create/perform and maybe that could be done at a more affordable cost? It could also become affordable housing for artists, maybe with sponsors to help bring rents down? I'm guessing the space wouldn't need a major upfit for that use? Maybe, when downtown recovers, it could be renovated to performance spaces or an art museum/gallery? Maybe it could be renovated for food-related startups that don't need a storefront? The banks could be open to this idea? Ghost kitchen spaces for restaurants only offering to-go orders could be interesting during COVID-19, which favors to-go. That would be expensive to build-out, though? I think the spaces would perform well in profit. Those spaces are far more in demand than hotel rooms and it can help launch businesses (jobs), including woman-owned and minority startups. It could also lead to new downtown restaurants, as the restaurant industry recovers later this year or next year. It's possible other non-bank sources of money could be available? Co-working space could also be an option?

The Wherehouse Art Hotel occupies the upper floor of Krankies - just to be clear.
There is nothing else in the city quite like it . . .

https://www.wherehousearthotel.com/

Downtown still needs the visitors to make "any" hotel idea work. Until visitors return, downtown is over-hoteled. I shared updates on the Art Hotel project when it was under construction and it was an awesome project to share with others. I think downtown missed a few opportunities, like creating drive-through attractions in downtown during Christmas and Halloween to bring people to downtown. Imagine if a downtown light show was created for a few blocks of a street in downtown. It could bring a few out-of-town guests to the hotels and a few more customers to downtown restaurants. An art-light attraction like that would likely benefit the hotel with art in the rooms. Yes, some visitors will return home after driving-through the light shows, but if even 15% of those visitors park and visit a restaurant, that helps. If just 7% spend the night at a hotel, that helps. This city has amazing talent in lighting design and could create amazing light shows that would attract visitors. We need to work on more ideas to bring people to downtown to save these businesses.

Been saying this for years - a Downtown version of the Festival Of Lights.

Per Forsyth County GeoData, the Krankies building is still owned by John Bryan (or, rather, an LLC registered to him and Chris Leiser). I hate they weren't able to work something out with the Wherehouse to keep it going, but I guess business is business.

For reference - https://triad-city-beat.com/john-bryans ... al-circus/

Seen this yet? Holy moly!!!

Kowabunga Buffalo Bob - I bet that cost more than $100.

I noticed this weekend that a new retail store named "Soccer Shop" has moved to 532 N Liberty St (next to Reboot). From google it appears that the store has been around awhile but has recently moved to this location. It has good reviews and as a nonsoccer player it appeared clean and had nice merchandise.

Finally . . . a vegan restaurant opening Downtown

From the owner of Mozzarella Fellas:



https://journalnow.com/entertainment/di ... 1rSHI2GAJM

If Noble is behind it, it will never see a dime of my money or that of any of my friends. No hate chicken for me!

https://goqnotes.com/56484/in-response- ... ity-a-sin/

https://triad-city-beat.com/restaurant- ... 15ZMpo5s0Y

Ate at Bossy Beulah's on Freedom Drive yesterday for lunch, and it was good. The atmosphere was fast-paced casual, loud, and good quality food and service, which appeals to the young set. The main thing about the announcement to open at the First Street location is that it will finally replenish life to that corner! I love that little area near the medical center (I only wish Rose & Thistle was still in the mix!) Noble knows what he's doing in the restaurant business, as does Frank Scibelli (Wake grad) who owns Mama Ricotta's in Chlt, and Bad Daddy's in Chlt & W-S. This helps affirm Noble's commitment to Winston-Salem with Rooster's and now Bossy Beulah's.

And the new vegan restaurant is opening in one of the worst spaces that seems very disconnected from the actual downtown. In my opinion, that space isn't downtown. It's Holly Avenue Neighborhood. It shares a block with single family homes and there isn't much around it. It will have to be a destination in that location. In good news, it did appear in Eater, as one of the Carolinas most anticipated restaurants.

In other news, Current Co-Working is the new tenant on the top floor of the LTP Building at 210 West Fourth Street.