Businesses voice frustration over Howard Street split

Businesses voice frustration over Howard Street split Categories: News Businesses voice frustration over Howard Street split Kai Luglan, Reporter October 14, 2026 Jackson Snipes The FizzEd bar on Howard Street Sept. 31. Trivia night Sundays, piano bar Mondays, crafts and cocktail class Tuesdays, R&B Wednesdays, jazz jam and karaoke Thursdays and open-mic night Fridays — there’s not much more FizzEd can do, co-owner Amy Forrester said. Despite ample efforts to promote their establishment, Forrester and her husband are down 28% in sales since Aug. 5, the business owner said. That date marks the day Howard Street, where the restaurant sits, transitioned to a one-way traffic pattern as part of the Town of Boone’s Revitalization Project. The effects of the change could be clearly seen over the weekends, Forrester said. The perpetual rush that was typical of the weekends noticeably tapered around meal periods. “It’s busy, but it’s only busy for an hour and a half, whereas it should be busy for 3 hours,” Forrester said. Even throughout the project’s construction, the decline wasn’t typical. FizzEd showed massive growth during this period, Forrester said. However, the new traffic pattern restricted visibility of the restaurant and forced the typical traffic flow to take an unprotected left turn in order to access Howard Street from King Street. This limited the restaurant’s discoverability by tourists, which FizzEd relies on for new business. “Regulars can’t keep you afloat with the kind of expenses that we have in this area,” Forrester said. The FizzEd sign on Howard Street Sept. 31. (Jackson Snipes) William Barnes had his own difficulties with the Howard Street construction. Barnes is the owner of Willy B’s Grill, a food truck business previously operated out of a parking lot on Howard Street. Barnes has since relocated his food truck to the parking lot of Lil Rudy’s Mountain Tap. “It’s been way better since I moved here,” Barnes said. When the construction began, Barnes’ business was a few months old, and he hadn’t seen the project coming. Once construction began, it would often leave his truck blocked in and unable to move from the lot. In such instances, he’d have to pay to park in a separate lot elsewhere downtown, couriering his dishes to and from the truck parked within the construction. At times, he’d have private events to cater to that he wouldn’t be able to attend because his truck was stuck; at others, he’d run out of propane. Unable to move his truck to refill, he would have to shut down. “I asked the construction workers to be able to move the truck and got laughed at,” Barnes said. The construction workers were reliable customers, though, he said, and would often order from him if he opened before lunch. “Those guys love some burgers,” Barnes said. Aside from the construction, Howard Street posed some inherent difficulties. Howard Street is a “back road,” as Barnes sees it, and limited in foot traffic, especially come summer when the students are gone. Lil Rudy’s, where Willy B’s Grill is parked, and the adjacent Lily’s Snack Bar, on the other hand, bring in more consistent foot traffic and greater exposure. “You can’t really drive in Boone without passing this at some point,” Barnes said. This limited foot traffic is one of the problems the Revitalization Project aims to fix, according to Lane Moody, the downtown development director for the Town of Boone. Moody is overseeing the project. She frequently walks the site of construction, sometimes four times a day, and calls each worker by name. Whether it’s the conspicuous brick pavers and above-ground work or the serpentine channels of conduits, stormwater lines and sewage that run beneath, Moody is excited by it all. She hopes that businesses will reap the project’s benefits in the long run but recognizes it has been a tough process. “Is it a perfect project? No. But nothing really is perfect,” Moody said. New sidewalks have already been put in, which Moody expects to bring in more pedestrian traffic. To aid this, landscape additions and public art pieces are to be installed along the strip. Moody pointed particularly to an alleyway located between Off the Rack vintage store and Alumni Hall, historically known as Ice House Alley. Josh Johnson’s Hellbender mural, located at the Howard Street entrance to the alley, is to be expanded, and an additional mural is proposed to be installed at Off the Rack. “I’m hoping that we can encourage people to use that alleyway because it drops you right in the middle of Howard Street,” Moody said. The installation of new conduits will also provide additional power for events. When it’s finished, Moody expects Howard Street to become a “parallel corridor” to King Street. In order to best serve the businesses in the meantime, her aim is to communicate as best she can. Prior to the initiation of the project, Town of Boone staff and Downtown Boone Development Association board members met with Concord Municipal staff, who had just completed a streetscape project of its own. In the meeting, Concord members gave advice from their own experiences on how to communicate with the businesses. Moody took their advice and every Friday afternoon throughout construction has sent emails to businesses and delivery drivers detailing project plans for the coming week. She said the plans sometimes change, but the emails help the recipients prepare nonetheless. Moody also announces updates once a week on the Downtown Boone website and twice a week over the radio. Aside from communication, the Town of Boone was limited in ways to help the businesses, Moody said. It was able to expand grant funding for facade renovations to some businesses but were otherwise restricted on grants due to statutory requirements. “There’s a lot of times where your hands are tied on how you can support businesses,” Moody said. Once the project is completed, Moody said it may be beneficial to sit down with some of the business owners and discuss how to handle a similar project in the future. “I totally get business’ frustration,” Moody said. “I feel like there’s some opportunity for feedback.” Following grievances from Forrester at a Boone Town Council meeting Sept. 8, the Town of Boone put up temporary signage directing passersby to FizzEd’s section of Howard Street. Moody said the Interim Town Manager William Perkins also put in a request to the Department of Transportation for a protected left turn signal onto Appalachian Street. Forrester said she appreciated the responsiveness, but it may not be the solution. Permanent directional signage would be necessary and she’d like to see it implemented before the project is completed, she said. “I’m hopeful and optimistic,” Forrester said about the project. “But when it’s your livelihood, you really do have to take it very seriously.” View Story Comments 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Leave a Comment Tags: Howard Street News Donate to The Appalachian $400 $2,500 Contributed Our Goal We hope you appreciated this article! Before you move on, please consider supporting The Appalachian's award-winning journalism. The bulk of our operational expenses — including printing, website hosting, training, and entering our work into competitions — is dependent upon advertising revenue and donations. 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