- [Dara] With a tall stack of stainless steel cups and dozens of stickers in their hands, Phil and Jason from the Plaza Midwood Merchants Association make their way from business to business.

The pair delivers the official items to each business owner who needs them to kick off their participation in Plaza Midwood Social District.

- We were excited to kind of be rolling out with about 12 businesses, restaurant, bars, and breweries to start off with, and a few retail places.

- [Dara] Charlotte City Council approved Plaza Midwood as a social district in October of 2023.

It allows those 21 and up to walk around with their alcoholic drinks within this outlined area.

However, they can only do that with the approved cups of participating businesses.

- We wanted it to be more than just that Historic Downtown Plaza Midwood, as people sometimes call it, to really include a lot of the businesses along the Central Corridor and encourage more exploration.

- [Dara] Just because you can sip and stroll, it doesn't mean you can disobey the law.

You'll get carded at every establishment where you want to buy a drink.

- None of the laws around alcohol consumption, serving, have changed.

All the very serious liabilities that come with having the privilege of serving alcohol in a community are still there.

- [Dara] After he carefully puts the purple sticker on his front window, which signals that to-go drinks can be purchased there, but outside drinks can't come in, the owner of Sip City Market & Bottle Shop shouts for joy.

- [Yaz] Woo-hoo!

- [Dara] It's a day that Yaz Humaideh has been waiting on for months.

- Seeing like the vision I've personally had, or socializing, you know, like getting to know the neighbors, getting to know other businesses.

- [Dara] Humaideh specializes in building relationships.

Inside his shop on Central Avenue, you'll see him chatting, laughing, and even hugging.

So when he heard about the social district's approval, he was on board immediately.

- I wanna be part of the community.

If the community is seeing that this is something that's a good fit for the neighborhood, then I wanna be part of that.

- [Dara] The shop owner says there are other benefits too.

- [Yaz] It creates more foot traffic.

So when there's more foot traffic, there's more people walking through the neighborhood.

- [Dara] And with more people walking through the neighborhood, that means more people who can potentially stop and shop.

- It's gonna be great to drive business for especially the smaller businesses in the area.

Get more foot traffic.

I mean, not just from a drinking aspect, but having foot traffic into the different shops and stores, and all the little businesses in Plaza.

- [Dara] Jason Michael, with the Plaza Midwood Merchants Association, tells me this projected economic increase is one of the main reasons organizers wanted the social district.

- Why it was kind of put forth was to, especially after Covid, to help invigorate commercial districts that had definitely been negatively affected by the pandemic.

- [Dara] Gastonia Social District has generated increased revenue.

- Initial bump was probably a good 25% bump for that month.

So, you know, all welcome, right?

And it's just another feather in our cap for downtown, and I've seen, in general, the area has improved steadily.

- [Dara] Scott Cavendish, owner of Cavendish Brewing Company, says there are other perks too.

- [Scott] It's really brought some of the business owners together where we have better open communication.

- [Dara] Gastonia Social District has been in place since April, 2023.

So for customers and bartenders at Cavendish Brewing Company, it's a regular routine, pour, and then you're out the door.

But similar to Plaza Midwood, there are limitations on where you can take your drink to-go in Gastonia.

- So this is where the social district starts or ends, depending how you look at it, right at the end of our property.

There's also periphery points around downtown for entrances and exits that'll have a similar line, and a label, and a trash can where you can put your container in it.

- [Dara] Almost one year since it began, Cavendish wipes down his beer dispensers and pours drinks confidently.

- I have not seen any negative issues at all, and I've been looking for them.

- [Dara] In Charlotte, however, not everyone believes Plaza Midwood will have the same luck.

- I have heard some challenges that people have about enforcement and how they would implement it.

- The only factor would be if people abuse it.

- [Dara] It's another night on the town for Vincent Smith and Courtney Stromme who've lived in Charlotte for 20 years.

As Charlotteans who frequent Plaza Midwood, they have concerns about safety.

- So hopefully that's not gonna be the case, as long as people are responsible and enjoy it in a way that's safe.

- [Dara] Plaza Midwood Merchants Association members tell me they're working closely with law enforcement to maintain legal compliance designed to keep people safe.

- The CMPD and ALE, we've been meeting with them so much on such a higher frequency.

- [Dara] Organizers say they'll continue to monitor the social district, and if it doesn't work well, their committee will determine whether they need to modify or terminate the district.

For "Carolina Impact," I'm Dara Khaalid.