Skip to content
The Archive of The Carrboro Citizen
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Community
  • Schools
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • Mill
  • Flora
  • Print Archive
  • About
Menu

Halloween short on treats for business owners

Posted on November 6, 2008 by Staff

Margot Carmichael Lester
Staff Writer

Despite predictions of mind-boggling gridlock and a horde of marauding revelers heading to and from Franklin Street, Halloween 2008 did not deliver as advertised.

“It was unbelievably easy,” said Carolyn Hutchison, Carrboro’s chief of police. She attributes the lack of incidents to what she calls the “media blitz” that instructed people to stay home or – if they must go out — walk, bike and take public transportation.

Judging by the number of pedestrians, it worked.

“Foot traffic was as heavy as we’ve ever seen it,” said Capt. Joel Booker. “The sidewalk from [police headquarters] to Brewer Lane and Rosemary Street was full; people sometimes had to step into the street.”

There were few calls to 911. “A few involving people being extremely intoxicated and three or four calls we don’t usually get – about fighting and intimidating behavior,” Hutchison noted. “Otherwise, it was business as usual.”

Well, sort of. Restaurants saw fewer diners, despite reserved parking and special promotions.

“Dinner business was way off, as most people that would go out to dine stayed away from Carrboro and Chapel Hill,” said Mike Benson, owner of Southern Rail and the Station at 201-C E. Main St. “Bar business was good, but not that much better than other Friday nights when we have good weather.”
Business also was off at the Open Eye Café at 101. S. Greensboro St.

“Business was probably less, and in a different way — fewer folks hanging out, more fly-bys on the way to somewhere like a party, Franklin Street, etc.,” said Scott Conary, who owns the café. “We would see some surges pre-party or pre-Franklin Street walk-up times, but retention was low.”

The local police realize the restrictions and warnings may have impeded business, but say they have to go for safety first.

“We’re in the business of having to plan for the worst-case scenario,” Hutchison said. “It wouldn’t be prudent for us to not plan the way we did.”

Business owners don’t disagree, but they would like to see the town do more to encourage locals to come out.

“Let people know Carrboro is family friendly,” Benson suggested, pointing to Southern Village and Meadowmont, which promoted a local Halloween and had large numbers of families early in the evening.

Conary agreed. “I would like to see us have some more events here in Carrboro to try to retain more folks now that the allure of Franklin Street has tapered off,” he said. “But not street-closing kinds of stuff. We will try to have an event of some sort next year, music, etc., and see if we can get people happy to party in their own town.”

Web Archive

© 2025 The Archive of The Carrboro Citizen | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme