Mint Hill Pulls Out Of Mecklenburg​ Ban On Dining At Bars

MINT HILL, NC — Restaurants in Mint Hill will no longer be prohibited from serving food in bar areas thanks to a new proclamation that aligns the town with Gov. Roy Cooper's health and safety orders instead of Mecklenburg County's.

The county's restriction prohibits bars and restaurants from serving food and alcohol after 11 p.m. and from serving food in restaurants' bar areas. It went into effect on July 23 and is set to expire on Aug. 31.

The proclamation states that Mint Hill restaurants will now be allowed to serve food to bar patrons as long as social distancing and other public health measures are followed.

The proclamation bans restaurants, private clubs and bars from allowing patrons to use gaming equipment like pool tables, darts, pinball machines or other gaming machines that require "social touching of the game equipment."

Mint Hill Mayor Brad Simmons told the Charlotte Observer the decision was made to help bolster restaurants already affected by the pandemic economy.

“We always want to listen to Mecklenburg. This just fit better with Mint Hill,” Simmons told the Observer. “We want (residents) to know that we’re still taking this pandemic very seriously.”