I live in Raleigh and can tell you this is hard to believe. This city is left of center and downtown is a melting pot for sure. I’m guessing they ran into financial problems but blamed the nasty racists for their failure.
My brother-in-law is a regional manager for restaurants right in the center of town. I have not been there in a year, but I can tell you that the streets are always packed. It’s a college town and I it’s always very very busy. It’s impossible to find parking.