We’ll be introducing senior operators and entrepreneurs from the UK and US to one of the southern states most exciting growth markets for food and drink. Together we'll take in a raft of contrasting concepts, from bakeries and coffee shops to wine bars and breweries, from taco bars to stylish restaurants mixing southern comfort food with Mediterranean flair, not to mention a Pickleball club with craft cocktails and a private members club for motorsport enthusiasts. We’ll meet Charlotte’s top restaurant and bar entrepreneurs as well as developers driving change.
Here’s a preview of what we have in store...
(Image credit: Ten Tenths Motor Club)
Atlantic Club Charlotte
Day One - Wednesday May 13
We’ll start the day with optional cultural visits for those keen to explore more of Charlotte's wider attractions, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame or the U.S. National Whitewater Center.
The official tour kicks off at 1.15pm - we'll in the lobby of the Kimpton to board the bus and head out for a private visit to The Heritage Center at Hendrick Motorsports, a top NASCAR team.
Next, we'll step into something truly unique at Ten Tenths Motor Club: An exclusive private member's club for car enthusiasts, complete with its own race track, where we'll meet general manager Graham Smith.
We’ll head back towards Charlotte to visit Goodyear House, a neighbourhood restaurant and events space from from locally-based Built On Restaurants - where we’ll meet co founders, CEO Sean Potter and chef Chris Coleman.
We’ll continue on to Bar Vins, NoDa’s neighbourhood wine and dive bar, before heading to Mi Cariño and VINYLL - a top rated cocktail bar with a neighbourhood feel, big on music. Both part of locally-based B-Side Group; we’ll meet founders Kamal and Ankoor Patel.
We’ll wrap up the evening with a nightcap at Folia, a stylish cocktail bar from Built On Restaurants.
Day Two Daytime - Thursday May 14
We’ll start the day with a breakfast meeting at the offices of Asana Partners, major investors in retail and hospitality developments across the USA, followed by an Inside Charlotte presentation by James LaBar, Chief Economic and Community Development Officer, Charlotte Center City Partners.
We’ll hear more on driving hospitality growth with Tom FitzGerald, managing director, leasing strategy, and Olivia Summerford, director, leasing strategy, at Asana Partners.
Next, we'll head out on a walking tour of the Design District, taking in Barcelona Wine Bar - part of a growing national chain of tapas themed restaurants, and meeting CEO Adam Halberg and COO Amy Hom.
We'll visit Hawkers, a fast expanding South East Asian restaurant that started in Florida, meeting founder and CEO Kaleb Harrell.
Next stop is Pins Mechanical Co., an old-school ‘experiential’ bar with pinball and duckpin bowling.
Day Two Daytime Continued - Thursday May 14
We’ll continue with tours of The Line and Linea developments, followed by The Commonwealth at Plaza Midwood, guided by Katie Grissom, Global Head of Retail at Nuveen Real Estate, part of the Nuveen global investment house, and Anders Fry of national real estate developer Portman Holdings.
Along the way, we’ll visit Chapter 6, a western Mediterranean-influenced restaurant from Charlotte-based Rare Roots Hospitality and Club West, a top spot for craft beer and cocktails, before taking a fly-by of Half Shell and Night Swim Coffee.
We’ll continue on to Maman, the headline-making New York City cafe chain for a tour around with founder and CEO Benjamin Sormonte, followed by a stop at Bar Taco, another growth brand, about to open in Charlotte. We’ll be meeting chief development officer Brad Sanders for an ‘on-site sampling’.
We’ll wrap up the daytime tour at 4pm.
Day Two Evening - Thursday May 14
We’ll regroup at 6.00pm in the Kimpton lobby before heading out for an evening tour of Charlotte’s vibrant dining scene.
We’ll return to Barcelona Wine Bar for sampling and to pick up the evening vibe, again with CEO Adam Halberg.
Next, we’ll visit Fin & Fino, a social seafood house, part of Rare Roots, where we’ll meet co-founder Jon Dressler from Rare Roots Hospitality.
We’ll continue on to Superica, an Atlanta-based restaurant group serving American and Mexican food, growing across the South-East.
We’ll round off the evening at Supperland, a striking steakhouse in a church building, part of the eclectic Tonidanel Brown Restaurant Group, run by entrepreneurial couple Jeff Tonidandel & Jamie Brown.
Day Three - Friday May 15
We’ll meet at 9am in the Kimpton lobby to board the bus for our final day.
We’ll start with breakfast at Rally Pickleball, a Pickleball club founded by foodies, with craft cocktails, ‘elevated’ street food and speciality coffee from Night Swim. We'll be meeting co-founder Barrett Worthington for tour (and a game for anyone interested) plus a visit to Henrietta’s neighbourhood restaurant.
Next, we’ll head to Sixty Vines, a fast growing wine-focussed restaurant group, part of Dallas’s-based FB Society, where we’ll sample some of the 60 sustainable wines all on tap.
We’ll continue to Leluia Hall, steak & surf restaurant part of the Tonidanel Brown Restaurant Group, before stopping once more at Club West for a final taste of Charlotte’s craft beer and cocktails.
And that’s it - time to relax.
It’s a 2pm finish for everyone to get their flights home - or to stay a little longer to explore more of Charlotte.
