Saw the list of the 600 Starbucks location that are closing in the United States over the next several months. With 12 locations scattered throughout the city with most of them opening in the past three years, it was with some surprise that the only location Winston-Salem location closing is the one at Harpers Commons shopping center. When we lived in that area of the city, I used to frequent that location regularly.

As far as shopping centers go, this is a good one. Anchored by a Harris Teeter grocery store, there is a good mix of restaurants and shops and services there that always brings in a crowd. Like many people, a typical time there would be going to one of the restaurants (Japanese, Deli or Mexican), followed by a trip to the grocery store for the week’s groceries then pick up a snack whether it be a coffee & pastry from Starbucks or ice cream for the kids from Cold Stone Creamery to take home.

Not sure why this location is closing because it seems that traffic was always steady in the evening and weekends but there is probably a good reason for it.

Seems typical with the economy in a virtual recession that we are seeing more businesses especially in the food trade closing shop. Higher food prices and the cost of the gas are just two of the factors that are leading to this troubled times. The Cotton Mill restaurant, an upscale restaurant featuring Southern cuisine and located at the Brookstown Inn, is closing shop this week. Run by the same people behind Sweet Potatoes restaurant on Trade St, the Cotton Mill was done in by poor location and timing. People will not go out of their way for expensive meals right now. Had the owners persisted in making a go of it there, it may have cost them Sweet Potatoes as well and that just can not happen as that restaurant is a true gem of downtown dining.

Fabians is gone again, victim of higher food costs. There are others though not closing as of yet, are teetering. It will remain tough in the food trade for awhile here in Winston until the economy turns around. I just hope that for all of the hard -won success that the downtown restaurant program has brought to Winston, that it does not all disappear in just a few months.