Abari Game Bar in NoDa comes to the end of the line

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Zach Pulliam’s dream of becoming an entrepreneur was built around a collection of classic Nintendo games. It crumbled Thursday as he announced Abari Game Bar won’t reopen in NoDa following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It just didn’t make sense anymore. I don’t want to keep just throwing money away and having to worry about the future because I don’t know how the virus is going to affect us,” Pulliam said. “It wasn’t the choice I wanted to make.”

He opened the popular arcade bar in March 2016. The pandemic forced him to close its doors when stay-at-home orders were issued in March of this year, just shy of its four-year anniversary.

Bars have been prohibited from resuming operations in Phase 2 of North Carolina’s reopening plan, which now lasts until at least Sept. 11.

“It was going to be a great year for us,” Pulliam said.

He talked with CBJ about how he built the business, where things stand and what he hopes comes next. Read the full story here.

Carolinas among slowest states to recover economically, study says Carolinas among slowest states to recover economically, study says

Cox Media Group