Greetings from Carrboro,

A friend of mine has a favorite saying: for every complex problem, there is a simple answer — and that answer is wrong. And as our team at Acme tries to tackle how our business responds to the covid-19 epidemic, I couldn’t agree more. The unprecedented nature of the crisis doesn’t allow us to lean on our experience to craft a clear way forward. We don’t know what lies ahead for our industry or for our country. And we are deeply concerned.

But we take solace in that we are part of this great community. And that whatever the solution, it will require all of us to stand together. As is probably obvious, restaurants require guests to survive; the math is pretty simple. And this is never more important than it is now. On a normal Friday night we serve close to 200 people and have well over 100 reservations. Tonight we have 24 on the books. And I know that our story echoes every other restaurant in town. I fully understand that a lot of people are concerned about eating out. We very much get that. But eating out doesn’t always require dining in.

Ordering food to go or buying gift cards are two strong, supportive alternatives. Looking for a St. Patrick’s Day feast at home over the next several days? We’ve got you covered. And over the next week, Acme will begin offering family-style meals-to-go that can be picked up at the restaurant between 3pm and 6pm. Delicious and nutritious and delivered to your car door. In the coming weeks and months we are committed to forging other, similar innovations as we navigate these clearly uncharted waters. If you have ideas, we are all ears.

But maybe the single most important thing I can say is that how you individually spend money matters. A lot. Especially right now. The coronavirus hurts small, local businesses the most; there’s no bailout plan for any of the workers who are the backbone of this industry. So please spend money at Mercato, at Lantern, at Crook’s, at Elaine’s, at Vimala’s, at Venable, at any and all of your local favorites. Your strong and continued support of these businesses are the invisible threads that hold this community together and make it the special place that it is. And right now, we couldn’t be more grateful.

All of us in the restaurant world love what we do. We love the food, the laughter, the work. And, of course, we love all of you, our guests and friends. Every local restaurant looks forward to a time when this crisis is behind us. But until then, it’s good to know that so many great people have our back.

Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.

Cheers,
The Staff at Acme
Reservations: online or 919 929 2263