ASHEBORO – About a half-year after opening, Gather on MLK is closing.
The restaurant that specialized in sushi and soul food was a victim of circumstances.
“I am left with the task of running two restaurants that are located an hour apart,” owner Jasmine Mohamed wrote. “Add to that the severe lack of staffing that seems to be everywhere has left me in a position where I must choose.”
The restaurant opened in January as a sister restaurant to Umani Downtown in Salisbury.
Mohamed said that with business partner Shawana Farmer going through health issues, it has reduced the available personnel to maintain two operations.
“With her condition she will not be returning to the everyday restaurant life,” Mohamed said, “though she will be doing small jobs. … It breaks our heart to do this, but without staff and my best friend, I can’t do it alone.”
The restaurant was located at 746 Martin Luther King Jr. Road. Mohamed is looking to rent or lease the building, which is at the location of the former Soul Food Country Kitchen.
Mohamed hasn’t given up on the idea of a restaurant in Randolph County.
“We hope that when things settle down, and more people go back to work, we will meet again,” she said.
