Might as Well Bar and Grill aims to open on West Franklin this month

Might as Well Bar and Grill – a popular spot for college students in Wilmington – is opening a new location on West Franklin Street.

Erik Horbacz, co-founder of Might as Well, said the restaurant hopes to open the week of Jan. 22, but that’s an estimate. He said they’re still waiting for permits.

“We’re hoping to start training our employees next week and we’re going to hurry up and try to get open,” Horbacz said.

The founders chose Chapel Hill as the spot for their second location because it was a perfect demographic fit for what they we’re looking for, Horbacz said. The restaurant and bar has taken over the space that Fitzgerald’s previously occupied.

“We generally like to stick next to college campuses,” he said. “We had the Triangle to choose from and thought Chapel Hill would be a better fit.”

The bar plans to hold multiple events over the semester that align with holidays and the school’s schedule.

“We’ll have parties for all the games, a Valentine’s Day party, a St. Patrick’s Day party – we have several events set up with local charities and different organizations, some of them out of Durham and Raleigh,” he said.

Horbacz said the news of the restaurant’s new location has been received with excitement from UNC students.

“We get people popping in there all the time – it’s great,” he said. “People just tell us all the time how excited they are.”

UNC junior Madison Godfrey said she’s excited for the restaurant to open. Godfrey is from Wilmington and said it’s a pretty popular spot in town.

“I think it’s cool and it’ll be really interesting to see if it’s similar to the one in Wilmington or if it does its own thing,” she said.

Horbacz said the menu and atmosphere at the Chapel Hill location will be the same as the original but the venue will be slightly bigger.

“I’ll be curious to see how it does in comparison to all the other bars that are already established here,” Godfrey said.

UNC junior Lindsay McConnell, said she really liked Fitzgerald’s but thinks that Might as Well will be a good replacement.

“I’m excited about a new bar opening because, being 21, sometimes the options seem kind of limited,” she said. “Having another one will add to my options when going out.”

McConnell said she is also excited about the restaurant’s food because not all bars offer food at night.

The restaurant’s Wilmington location also offers delivery – a feature which “might as well” be available at the Chapel Hill location.

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