The truth behind the Fayetteville neighborhood rumored to be off-limits for soldiers

“Stay away from the Murch.”

That's a phrase Crown Fried Chicken owner Tercel Walker said he's frequently heard around Fayetteville, warning people to avoid Murchison Road due to what he said is a misperception that the area is dangerous.

At his restaurant in the historically Black corridor, Walker said he often encounters soldiers who believe military personnel are prohibited from patronizing Murchison Road businesses at all — despite the fact that Fort Liberty’s off-limits list does not include a single establishment on the five-mile road.

The restaurant is typically busy throughout the day and late into the evening, but Walker said the rumor is bad for business.

"Think of all the people we miss," he said.

Most recent list: Fort Liberty: These Fayetteville-area spots are off-limits to soldiers

Establishments on the list are determined by the post’s Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board to adversely affect the health, safety, welfare, morale and discipline of soldiers.

Businesses named on the list are located on Bragg Boulevard, Gillespie Street and Raeford Road. The list also includes all unlicensed tattoo parlors and parties hosted by certain DJs.

Murchison Road establishments have been named on the off-limits list as recently as 2018 , according to The Fayetteville Observer archives.

Fort Liberty spokesperson April Olsen said in an email Tuesday that Murchison Road is not included on the post's off-limits list.

"While it is possible that a specific geographic area could be included on the list, Murchison Road is not on the list, and there is no official Fort Liberty policy prohibiting Soldiers from simply being on Murchison Road," Olsen wrote.

The perception that Murchison Road is off-limits to soldiers is in direct opposition to the fact that children who live on Fort Liberty are bussed to E.E. Smith High School, located just off the corridor.

So, why do some soldiers have the impression they’re not allowed to be on Murchison Road?

Soldier says Murchison Road gets a bad rap

An 82nd Airborne Division infantryman who asked not to be named because of the nature of his job said that some soldiers confuse off-the-cuff guidance from fellow military members with the official off-limits list.

He said both coworkers and locals have warned him not to set foot in the area.

The soldier said when he mentioned to an Uber driver that he and his wife were looking for a place to live, the driver had a word of advice.

"Don’t go on Murchison Road.”

Some Murchison Road businesses feel the love from soldiers

Hafeena Ali-Martinez, owner of Feena’s dessert shop and dollar store in the Bronco Midtown shopping center on Murchison Road, said soldiers are some of her biggest supporters.

“Officers come in with their children and their wives,” Ali-Martinez said.

She’s been so well-received by the military community, she said, that she's working on opening a second location just outside a gate to Fort Liberty at 724 N. Reily Road.

Owners of former Murchison Road restaurants like the longtime NY Supreme Steamers and short-lived B&B Grill have also told The Fayetteville Observer that soldiers were a large part of their clientele.

The owner of The Executive Club, a Murchison Road adult venue that was once on the off-limits list, told The Fayetteville Observer in 2016 that he found being named on the list was good for business. He said it attracted soldiers to the club.

“The list has always helped us,” said the unnamed owner.

Changing the narrative

Walker, whose Crown Fried Chicken gets a four-star customer rating on Google reviews, said that he hopes soldiers will give the area a chance, despite the rumors they may have heard.

“We want Fort Liberty to know that their soldiers are gonna be protected,” he said. “We're going to support them.”

Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com. Want weekly food news delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter .

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: The truth behind the Fayetteville neighborhood rumored to be off-limits for soldiers