How far would you drive out of your way to get lunch? Well, that might depend on how hungry you are...

but Meriwether's Restaurant Owner Julie Irey says ever since the roadblocks went up on River Road, her lunch crowd has gone down.

Irey says daily sales have been down about 1/3.

She estimates they are losing about 1-thousand dollars a day.

She says a typical lunch crowd is 12 to 20 tables.

Today they served two.

(Jamie Irey / Meriwether's Owner) "I think the biggest thing with lunch is people only have so much time to get here. And if they are having to go an extra 10 minutes around, they are going to go somewhere else that is quicker and easier. We have been doing the 2 for 1 lunch specials, we have been advertising, we have been in the paper. I just think that has alot to do with it. It is not easy access."


Irey says their business is seasonal

Summer is their busy time. And she says this is the second summer the road has been completely closed from the south.

(Jamie Irey / Meriwether's Owner) That really killed us last year and I thought, ok I will try and fight this another summer and hopefully have a really good summer and then this happened."


It is likely the section of road will be closed for several months.

Irey says she would appreciate a little better signage just to let people know that they are still open and how to get there. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites list