Clyde Cooper's owner 'soulfully searching' for another location
The owner of Clyde Cooper's Barbecue says she is actively looking to move the popular barbecue restaurant out of downtown Raleigh because the area "does not have a positive" feeling anymore.
Debbie Holt told WRAL News on Monday that downtown has been "neglected" in recent years.
"It's been more focused on apartments and high rises, but there's no draw for people to come downtown," Holt said. "I feel sorry for everybody down there who's trying to make a dollar, especially in the retail industry."
While Holt said she is grateful for the museums in downtown that help attract visitors, she is tired of the "negativity" in the city.
Catering and a loyal customer base have helped keep the restaurant in business, she said.
"I can pay my bills, but I'm tired of the complaints, the negativity," Holt said. "Downtown does not have a positive, good feeling vibe anymore."
Clyde Cooper's has been located for more than 10 years at 327 S. Wilmington St., in the heart of downtown. Before that, it was located on East Davie Street for 76 years. The restaurant dates back to 1938 when founder Clyde Cooper started Clyde Cooper’s Barbecue.
For Holt, crime has been a major concern since the 2020 protests that followed the death of George Floyd in police custody.
"I called 911 eleven times," Holt said. "I got hung up on, yelled at, told they weren't sending anybody. We were vulnerable. My life was in jeopardy ... we had no protection. So, yeah, it put a rotten taste in my mouth."
Holt said the main complaint she has heard for years from customers is the lack of available parking downtown.
"I talk to everybody that comes into that restaurant, and I have learned that I am a destination that people come and seek out to eat, and I am so appreciative of that but they tell me their thoughts about downtown. I've had many people ask me 'Why are you still here? Why don't you move it?'" Holt said.
Holt said moving the restaurant "didn't feel right because it was born and bred in downtown Raleigh," but has finally decided it is time to make the change for the 85-year-old restaurant.
"I want it to be here 85 more years. I do not want people to struggle to come and eat with me – and that's by parking, by harassment from people on the streets and from crime," Holt said. "I need to make it easy for them to come to me."
While there isn't a specific location in mind, Holt said that she is "soulfully searching for another Clyde Cooper's location where it can flourish and make customers happy."
While she would love to stay somewhere close to downtown, Holt said she is hoping to stay in the Raleigh area.
"It is going to break my heart to move Cooper's," Holt said.
Clyde Cooper's became the center of a viral moment last year when a customer called 911 because of "pink meat."
