Popular Concord restaurant shuts down after nearby construction hits water line

CONCORD, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — A popular restaurant in downtown Concord had to close its doors for the day Tuesday because the owner says construction crews working on a massive city infrastructure and streetscaping project in downtown hit a water line, knocking out water to the business.

Each day it gets harder to dig out of the hole.

“For us, we’re operating already 50 percent below our break-even point,” said Bob VanAtta, owner of Table 11.

It’s not what VanAtta had in mind when he realized his dream of owning a restaurant more than two years ago.

“One reason I like Concord is because it’s a small town and I started this restaurant because I like to know the people that I serve,” said VanAtta.

It’s the people who have kept him going through so much of the construction that is now right up to his doorstep.

“All of it, I mean people can’t find the area,” said VanAtta.

For almost a year and a half, Union Street has been torn up and blocked off in various sections except for the use of sidewalks.

It’s part of a massive city infrastructure and streetscaping project in the heart of downtown Concord.

“There’s a lot to offer here and that’s why I keep pushing through and trying to say, ‘ok we can hold on,” said VanAtta.

VanAtta says on Tuesday construction crews hit two different water lines, knocking out water to his restaurant and forcing him to shut down for the day.

“It’s tough, it’s just like watching, watching it go, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

He blames his overall drop in business on the construction.

“It’s like trying to hold your breath, it’s like, ‘Well how long do I have to hold it?”

And he doesn’t know how much longer he can hang on.

“It’s the small mom and pops that can’t survive this stuff, and we’ll go away and somebody else will come here and they’ll act like it never happened,” said VanAtta.

Queen City News asked the City of Concord for the latest end date on the major construction. It’s now September 14, 2024.

The city says the contract spells out that the construction company has to pay $250 a day each day they go past the construction end date.

Concord officials released the following statement to Queen City News when we asked about the impact of construction on downtown businesses:

Our small businesses are truly what make our downtown so special. The streetscape project is our commitment to ensuring downtown is a vibrant community where our residents and businesses can thrive for generations to come. We are excited about the future but we understand this period of construction has been difficult. When updating 100-year-old infrastructure, there are unexpected challenges and while we never want those to impact our businesses, when they do, we work to get it resolved as quickly as possible. One of the best ways to support our small businesses is to continue to come downtown and shop small, dine at the local restaurants, and check out the live music, shows, and other events happening every week.

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