Linda's Bar and Grill will close its doors for good on Friday after 47 years of business.
Christopher Carini, who purchased Linda's in 2011, said the restaurant is shuttering due to "a slew of things" that began with the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the restaurant has accrued substantial debt in the past few years, adding that legal troubles are preventing him from selling the restaurant after closing it.
Carini also said he is hopeful a buyer might come forward to purchase the space to 'preserve' Linda's. The building that Linda's is located in is owned by Linda Williams, who is the original owner and namesake of the restaurant. Kim Williams, Linda Williams' daughter, told The Daily Tar Heel that the building is not currently for sale.
"Once I shut it down, I will have not have access to it anymore. Like it will be beyond my control to do anything," he said. "That's why I'm hoping at some point this week someone comes in says, 'Hey, I've always wanted to have a place here."
Carini started a GoFundMe for the restaurant this fall — which raised $35,125 of a $135,000 goal.
He said that Linda's "turned the corner," but after UNC's fall semester ended and students went home three weeks ago, the business did not have enough coming in to continue operating.
"I got to a point this weekend where I realized that what was coming in from the last week was not going to cover moving forward to the next week," he said.
Linda's will host its final events this week — trivia at 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and karaoke on Friday at 9 p.m.
"We're gonna have trivia the next few nights, we're gonna have karaoke on Friday and then after karaoke on Friday, we will be shut," Carini said.
