Desy’s is one of the last bars left standing in Morrisville, North Carolina.

Owner Desislava Nikolova made her American dream come true by opening Desy’s and another bar in nearby Cary after immigrating to America from Bulgaria 11 years ago. While the coronavirus pandemic forced the majority of her counterparts in the local bar scene to close, she has been able to keep hers open through the support of longtime customers.

But Nikolova has been served another restriction from state officials, which she expects will exacerbate her struggle to stay open: a new statewide mandate to stop serving alcohol after 11 p.m.

“This could even destroy us completely,” Nikolova said. “Nobody wants to come to a restaurant or bar with these restrictions.”