CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Some businesses in North Carolina are making investments before reopening.

What You Need To Know

  • Some businesses invested in indoor air quality to increase safety and customer confidence. 
  • One restaurant invested $25,000 on technology to make customers feel safe. 

  • Some businesses are unable to make large investments due to losses during pandemic. 

Brewers at 4001 Yancey in Charlotte, for example, installed a technology that cleans air in indoor spaces called Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization Technology. Chief Marketing Officer Derek Detenber says the business invested around $25,000 on the technology and says it’s worth it.

“We are going to get a great return on the investment if they feel safer here than anywhere else that they could go,” Detenber said.

The business made the decision to purchase the system after asking customers about their needs to feel comfortable returning to the taproom.

“They were concerned about other guests not following protocols that were set to do and…not being able to do or feel what’s going on in the environment,” Detenber said.

Charlotte-based company Global Plasma Solutions makes the technology to improve indoor air quality. Currently, Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, Novant Health, and Atrium Health use the technology. Executive Vice President of Sales Scott Gugenheim says NPBI products work differently than air filters.

“An air filter is treating the air in one place. Our technology creates ions that move through the HVAC system and actually treat the space throughout the building instead of just one location," Gugenheim said.

Queen City Craft & Gourmet Owner Charles Read says with a 70 percent decline in sales due to the pandemic, a large investment would not be possible.

“Financially, we are not in a position to make a gigantic purchase like that unless we had to,” Read said.

He made more a more modest investment to reopen dine-in at his restaurant to keep everyone safe. Read says he also bought masks and a thermometer for employees to use. In addition, he retrained staff before returning to work.

“The safety of our staff and our customers is the foremost important of doing it,” Read said.

He says over the past two months, he has spent more money on to-go containers.

Queen City Craft & Gourmet is already open for dine-in. Brewers at 4001 Yancey will reopen its taproom on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Both businesses are following social distancing guidelines, strict cleaning procedures, and opening at limited capacity.