82 downtown Durham businesses have closed since pandemic

Downtown Durham has lost 82 businesses since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Downtown Durham Inc.

Some of them relocated.

The Beyu Caffe is closing its downtown Durham location on Wednesday. It opened in 2009.

CEO Dorian Bolden said he is proud of the Beyu Caffe’s legacy. He said he is devastated about the downtown closure.

“You can walk downtown during the day, mid-week and it’s a ghost town,” Bolden said.

The lack of weekday foot traffic in downtown Durham has created what owners are calling a “dire” situation.”

Bolden said the rise of remote work, the high cost of parking for employees and problems with development construction contributed to his decision to close the location at 341 W. Main St.

“If the city can’t recognize some of the basic tenets of lowering parking to bring people in to support small business, I worry about downtown and the direction it’s going because we’re not making decisions and policies to keep it unique,” Bolden said.

Bolden said the other locations would remain open.

“If the market isn’t changing based on the condition in our city, then I have to make a choice, and sadly, you have to cut the leg off to save the body,” Bolden said.

Andrew Catlin has worked at Beyu Caffe for years. He said the parking price has been a problem.

“It does come at a cost when you work nine hours, five or six days a week,” Catlin said.

Beyu isn’t the only business reconsidering downtown.

A large group of owners took their concerns to the Durham City Council, led by Downtown Durham Inc President Nicole Thompson.

“I come before you to ask for your renewed partnership and support of downtown Durham,” Thomson said.

Thompson said construction sites can be an issue for getting to work, deliveries, utility shut-offs, and trash.

“Development sites that aren’t regularly inspected and supervised by the city or county lead to conditions that are almost impossible for small businesses and residents,” Thompson said.