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A Charlotte restaurant owner is accusing Charlotte's public transportation of putting her South Boulevard restaurant out of business.
Theresa Randall, the owner of Sonny's Barbecue, said she believed city officials in 2007 that the light rail would bring in business, but her faith faded fast.
"We were actually projecting an increase, but we actually saw a 25 to 30 percent decrease in sales over the three years we were there from when it opened to when we left," she said.
Randall said customers and employees' cars were broken into and that their patrons were approached for money in the parking lot.
"When they were coming in and bathing in our sinks or destroying our bathroom and they weren't our customers, it created a problem," Randall said.
Sonny's shut down in January and moved to the Arboretum after the franchiser threatened to pull the license.
Texas Roadhouse, which was next door, closed, too.
Corporate officials told Eyewitness News they couldn't overcome the crime, either.
Now, there could be even more businesses popping up along the light rail. Interested vendors are talking about opening a city center market at the 7th Street station.
Eyewitness News asked one vendor if he had any safety or security concerns.
"I have a little bit," Ben Thorman said. "It won't scare me away. I think you're going to face those challenges in any community, and you either embrace them or you don't."
Randall said she contacted city officials to voice concerns about safety at the light rail station; however, she said, the response was always short-lived.
Eyewitness News contacted the Charlotte Area Transit System. Officials checked their customer service records and said there were no complaints at Sonny's restaurant from November 2007 to June of last year. They also said they checked with police and crime is significantly down since 2007.
More Information: Charlotte City Market Light Rail Routes, Schedules