Greensboro Chamber Restaurant Takeover Heads to Dave's Hot Chicken

The Greensboro Chamber of Commerce brought its weekly Restaurant Takeover series to Dave's Hot Chicken at 1949 Battleground Avenue last Thursday, rallying Greensboro residents, professionals, and families to flood the Battleground Avenue location with lunchtime support from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Since February, the chamber has been hosting the weekly takeovers, with the stated goal of rallying support for the city's downtown businesses through the often slower winter months, according to Tracy Myers, vice president of member and investor engagement with the chamber.

Myers has been direct about what struggling restaurants need most: "We saw that downtown businesses and due to the changes in the weather the last several weeks, we immediately thought about what is something we can do to support our downtown businesses today, and the thing they need the most is foot traffic," she said.

Dave's Hot Chicken marked the sixth stop in the series, which has previously descended on Stumble Stilskins, Jake's Diner, Inka Grill, Natty Greene's Brewing Co. and, most recently, Pita Delite. The format carries no formal agenda: attendees were free to dine in, bring a work team, or grab their order to go.

The chamber asked attendees planning to come to register online ahead of the event. The premise is straightforward: the chamber takes over one Greensboro restaurant at a time by inviting the community to enjoy lunch together, whether dining in or taking a meal on the go.

Ahead of the event, Dave's Hot Chicken moved to address a concern that has circulated among some Greensboro diners: towing in the parking area near the Battleground Avenue location. Dave's stated plainly that it does not tow guests' vehicles and "would never take action that negatively impacts our customers," adding that it has made multiple efforts to work with the landlords of the neighboring IHOP and Outback properties to address parking in a way that supports all guests. The restaurant acknowledged those landlord negotiations have not produced a resolution and that those policies remain outside its control.

The winter months can be challenging for business owners, and the Greensboro Chamber has made supporting local restaurants every Thursday its response to that seasonal pressure. With more than 1,300 member businesses, the Greensboro Chamber is the largest business organization in the community.

Those interested in future takeover locations can follow the chamber's announcements, or reach Tracy Myers directly at tmyers@greensboro.org or 336-830-4598.