NC bars making big changes after new state law

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Fries and cocktails are the signature of Wilmington bar Sauce’d, but because of a new state law that will soon go into effect, owner Courtney Osgood said their renowned fries may soon be off the menu.

 “It’s pretty devastating honestly because when we originally created this, we created a dual concept, it was cocktails and fries, and that’s all we serve,” Osgood said. 

For the last decade, bars in North Carolina were not required to be inspected and permitted in the same way as a restaurant, allowing businesses like Sauce’d to serve food on their menu even with a smaller kitchen.   

But House Bill 125 that was signed into law last year removes this exemption. Many bars across the state now have to choose between restructuring or removing temperature-controlled food from their menus.  

Business owners must apply for permitting by March 27, but have until October 1 to comply with the new restrictions. 

“There’s a lot of financial implications, there’s a lot of organizational changes that would need to be made, a lot of restructuring in our kitchen, and we just frankly don’t have the space,” Osgood explained. 

Patrons of Sauce’d said the ability to eat and have a drink offers the best of both worlds.  

“I think the atmosphere that you get at a bar is much different than a restaurant, and so that kind of is why you would go to a bar instead of a restaurant,” Jasson Mendez said. 

 “You kind of want the pairing of drinks and food and I think the fries here are like really good,” Logan Ray said. 

“Who doesn’t love a fry and a cocktail?” Madi Lovelace added. 

Osgood noted that although the future of Sauce’d fries is uncertain, her business is not the only one affected.  

“I know that we’re not alone either. There’s at least a dozen if not two dozen in downtown Wilmington alone that are affected by this,” Osgood said.