Albemarle, restaurants team up for ‘The Duke’s Feast’

Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation will present “The Duke’s Feast Restaurant Week” Aug. 5-11.
The Duke’s Feast, much like “Queen’s Feast: Charlotte’s Restaurant Week, will feature dine-in specials by three restaurants in Downtown Albemarle, Christine’s Wood Fire, 197 N. Second St., Five Points Public House, 304 E. Main St., and The Courthouse Tavern & Table, 114 S. Second St.
Menus will be available starting at 4 p.m. daily for Five Points and Courthouse Tavern and at 5 p.m. for Christine’s.
Albemarle Main Street Manager Joy Almond said Chad Shumate, owner of Five Points Public House and The Courthouse Tavern & Table, approached her about hosting such an event in downtown.
“He had experience with similar events in other cities and commented that they were a great way to bring business to restaurants during what is a typically slow season for them,” Almond said.

“The Duke’s Feast” includes choices of menus at Five Points Public House (above) and the Courthouse Tavern & Table (below) as well as Christine’s Wood Fire.

Shumate spoke of how it has worked in other cities.
“We have seen other cities do restaurant weeks and saw the excitement around doing something for locally owned and operated businesses,” Shumate said. “Most cities have tried to do the restaurant weeks several times a year, normally once during the summer and then once during the winter, trying to pick times when restaurant traffic slows down a little.
“We are all doing a three-course dinner that will be offered along with our regular menu for people that want to order their normal favorites. We will also be featuring a beer provided by local brewery Uwharrie Brewing,” he added. “Overall it is just a great opportunity to celebrate Downtown Albemarle and local small businesses.”
Almond said they included Christine’s, as well, since it would be open during the evening hours.
ADDC has promoted the event on behalf of the restaurants on its website and Facebook event page.
“As I pondered a concept for promoting the event, I thought it was important for our restaurant week to have a local tie to give it specific branding to Albemarle,” Almond said. “Charlotte restaurants host an annual ‘Queen’s Feast,’ and since our city is named after George Monck, the Duke of Albemarle, it made sense to call our restaurant week ‘The Duke’s Feast.’ ”
Ryan Bybee, owner of Christine’s Wood Fire, hopes the event “will not only bring in new customers unaware that Christine’s is open, but also offer something special/different to those loyal customers that have been supporting us from the beginning.”
Bybee believes this event will be a win for all of downtown.
“We feel strongly that one businesses’ success is everyone’s success,” Bybee said. “So, we are hopeful that it is a terrific week for not only the three participating restaurants, but for the surrounding downtown businesses as well.”
Bybee said that the summer is usually a slower time in the restaurant industry.
“Hopefully, these specially curated menus will bring people out with friends and family to enjoy a wonderful meal at three great restaurants,” Bybee said. “Our new chef, Cody Fincher, has created a wonderful fixed price, three-course menu for guests to enjoy. If a fixed price menu is not a guest’s preference, we will still have our traditional menu offerings as well.”
Bybee thanked Shumate for including his business and Almond for promoting the event.
“We are thrilled to be a part of this special week for downtown Albemarle,” Bybee said.

B.J. Drye is general manager/editor of The Stanly News & Press. Call 704-982-2123.

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