Another bar/restaurant bites the dust

[Matthew.Brendan]

Thanks! yeah it's a really interesting building. I'll have to checkout the backside sometime. I could tell it was multi-story but 6 is impressive!

I wonder what would do well there. probably large enough to subdivide for small offices? more retail would be great but the ingress/egress to Providence is pretty crappy at the busiest parts of the day.

[videtur quam contuor]

Mecklenburg Furniture was the family business of Milton Short.  His obituary here captures enough of his life. The business lasted only a short time after he left it. 

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/charlotte-nc/h-milton-short-4743845

He was on City Council during the dangerous and defining times of the 1960's and '70's. He was on Council when the first black member was elected, and he supported Mayor Brookshire on the progressive (for the times) issues facing this city.

Here is another passage to tell of his time and responsibility:

https://danandmary.com/historyofcharlottechapter12newfinal.htm

Edit: Obituary corrected

Edited May 8, 2019 by tarhoosier

[Vitamin_N]

DeSano Pizza has closed:

https://www.charlotteagenda.com/166237/desano-pizza-closes-midtown-location/

Not too surprising as that place was never crowded. Very good pizza though, sorry to see it go.  

[videtur quam contuor]

https://images1.loopnet.com/d2/Dk_Tguzxyc9k89bTEJbzoflbIC6jfZA73HnX8tkubcI/document.pdf

This is the leasing brochure for Mecklenburg Furniture building, 520 Providence Road. Restaurant is included as a use.

[videtur quam contuor]

I drove to Mecklenburg Furniture building this evening at dusk and the store extends well back from the street but there is certainly not 6 full levels. The rear has two roll up doors and the rear section is obviously warehouse type space and two floors high. The front part of the building is two floors, maybe three. From the brochure, which has a floor plan, and my exterior view of the building I think there may be several partial levels with steps up and down but not more than three floors as we commonly know them. Half levels maybe, and a mezzanine, that kind of "floor" difference.

[KJHburg]

12 minutes ago, tarhoosier said:

I drove to Mecklenburg Furniture building this evening at dusk and the store extends well back from the street but there is certainly not 6 full levels. The rear has two roll up doors and the rear section is obviously warehouse type space and two floors high. The front part of the building is two floors, maybe three. From the brochure, which has a floor plan, and my exterior view of the building I think there may be several partial levels with steps up and down but not more than three floors as we commonly know them. Half levels maybe, and a mezzanine, that kind of "floor" difference.

it would make a great indoor antique and furniture mall with booths like the Sleepy Poet.  

[CLT>]

On 4/2/2019 at 9:17 PM, EllAyyDub said:

Can't remember where but think I heard they owed back-taxes and were reopening soon

I heard they were retooling the menu and planning to reopen in June, but that was about 2 months ago. Agree that the fitout and concept were great, but the food so so and service pretty bad.

[stw52]

I hear Bentleys on 27th will be closing in the Charlotte Plaza building and are planning to reopen in South Park Piedmont Town Center. 

[Desert Power]

55 minutes ago, stw52 said:

I hear Bentleys on 27th will be closing in the Charlotte Plaza building and are planning to reopen in South Park Piedmont Town Center. 

Oh man.  Will have to go for the view one last time.  Any idea when they close?

[Crown]

2 hours ago, stw52 said:

I hear Bentleys on 27th will be closing in the Charlotte Plaza building and are planning to reopen in South Park Piedmont Town Center. 

the georges brasserie space would be perfect for them. . . 

also, I wouldn't expect this to be the only steak-related news for this area you hear about soon...

Edited May 16, 2019 by Crown

[InSouthPark]

Taco Mac in Piedmont Town Center has closed.  Good riddance.  Place was a crap show from day one. 

Southpark needs a bar/tavern but TM did almost everything wrong.  Old beer. Bad food.  Worse service.  Way too big.  

Someone on Katie's P twitter mentioned they hoped a Hickory Tavern or Fox and Hound takes their place.  Both good ideas but I think Blackfinn would fit perfectly in that location with a little bit more upscale food options.   Or a large Mellow Mushroom like in Ballantyne (no offense to Selywn but that location blows). 

[KJHburg]

T Macs are retreating in this market it seems and I did see a few in Atlanta where they are from.  I agree another concept and one with local ties could do well there. Hickory Tavern is a good fit I would think. 

[davidclt]

4 hours ago, InSouthPark said:

Taco Mac in Piedmont Town Center has closed.  Good riddance.  Place was a crap show from day one. 

Southpark needs a bar/tavern but TM did almost everything wrong.  Old beer. Bad food.  Worse service.  Way too big.  

I don't get out to Southpark much but hasn't Village Tavern been there seemingly forever. Does it not pass muster? Just asking, it may be crap for all I know. 25 years ago, it was a happening place (you can't mock me for being an old fart - well you can but I'd prefer you not).

3 hours ago, KJHburg said:

T Macs are retreating in this market it seems and I did see a few in Atlanta where they are from.  I agree another concept and one with local ties could do well there. Hickory Tavern is a good fit I would think. 

Looks like their UCity location closed as well. It was never impressive. Their only location left not in Georgia is in Chattanooga. I'm not sure what they did better than Hickory Tavern.

[KJHburg]

Hickory Tavern is a great NC based small chain they open one in Hilton Head and usually chains are shunned there and don't last.  However they are doing great and people are surprised when I tell them we have them all over the Charlotte region.   Yes T Mac university closed a bit ago so they have retreated back to  the ATL. 

[tozmervo]

We also have Duckworths all over Charlotte, which is/was far far superior to t.mac

[kermit]

13 hours ago, tozmervo said:

We also have Duckworths all over Charlotte, which is/was far far superior to t.mac

Completely true.

Taco Mac’s only charm from  ‘back in the day’  (mid 90s Virginia Highlands / Little 5)  was that it was a dive with melted cheese (meaning it had cheap beer and was a convenient carbo load mid bar-crawl).

A South Park location can’t be cheap  and a U City location, out by the interstate, can’t be charming (which a dive gotta be).

Taco Mac was a money machine back in Atlanta, whoever lost money on the TM expansion only has bad site selection to blame.

 

Edited May 22, 2019 by kermit

[InSouthPark]

13 hours ago, davidclt said:

I don't get out to Southpark much but hasn't Village Tavern been there seemingly forever. Does it not pass muster? Just asking, it may be crap for all I know. 25 years ago, it was a happening place (you can't mock me for being an old fart - well you can but I'd prefer you not).

Village Tavern isn't what I would call a bar/tavern.  It's mostly a nicer restaurant.   Most folks aren't going there for a beer and burger after work or go there to watch a game.  I am talking more about a local hangout.  Montford has all kinds of these places like Brazwells, Angry Ales, Moosehead, etc.  Southpark doesn't have any beside Legion.   We need a place to grab good wings, decent beer, and watch the Panthers in shorts and a t-shirt.   

And yes I know Montford is like a mile away, but with the influx of apartments in Southpark, it seems like a good opportunity to get the right tenant in here.  

[InSouthPark]

11 hours ago, kermit said:

Completely true.

Taco Mac’s only charm from  ‘back in the day’  (mid 90s Virginia Highlands) was that it was a dive with melted cheese (meaning it had cheap beer and was a convenient carbo load mid bar-crawl).

A South Park location can’t be cheap  and a U City location, out by the interstate, can’t be charming (which a dive gotta be).

Taco Mac was a money machine back in Atlanta, whoever lost money on the TM expansion only has bad site selection to blame.

 

I wonder if the CLT Taco Macs were franchised and not part of the corporate group.  But I agree with you on bad site selection.  The Southpark Taco Mac is HUGE (especially with the upstairs that was never used after the first football season) in a high rent area.   They could have done 1/3 of that size and  maybe not have everything be a crap show. 

[Bruco72]

1 hour ago, InSouthPark said:

Village Tavern isn't what I would call a bar/tavern.  It's mostly a nicer restaurant.   Most folks aren't going there for a beer and burger after work or go there to watch a game.  I am talking more about a local hangout.  Montford has all kinds of these places like Brazwells, Angry Ales, Moosehead, etc.  Southpark doesn't have any beside Legion.   We need a place to grab good wings, decent beer, and watch the Panthers in shorts and a t-shirt.   

And yes I know Montford is like a mile away, but with the influx of apartments in Southpark, it seems like a good opportunity to get the right tenant in here.  

Agreed, I like Village Tavern, but its not really a casual hang out. Legion is a fantastic addition, but an actual decent sports bar/ gastro pub would be very welcome. And I mean something better than the Rusty Bucket. 

Hopefully Legions raging success will prove that you can do something besides a steak house in Southpark and be successful.  

[Sigma]

The best use of this space, IMO, is large sports bar / tap room, or a restaurant / night club (see Blackfin and or Ri Ra).  It is large enough to support a brewery, but I'm getting concerned about market saturation.  Hickory Tavern was also my first thought as a backfill this space. Flying Saucer also came to mind, but my only experience is at the Columbia location, not the U-City one.

[HighRiseHillbilly]

On 5/21/2019 at 6:33 PM, davidclt said:

I don't get out to Southpark much but hasn't Village Tavern been there seemingly forever. Does it not pass muster? Just asking, it may be crap for all I know. 25 years ago, it was a happening place (you can't mock me for being an old fart - well you can but I'd prefer you not).

I remember this. I used to go with my coworkers after work.  It really was a cool place to hang out and have a few drinks.

[Crown]

@fumanchucupcakes announced via social media it is closing its Plaza Midwood storefront on May 26, due to its rent tripling in cost.  (via charottefive on Instagram) 

Edited May 23, 2019 by Crown

[wilmore]

3 hours ago, Crown said:

@fumanchucupcakes announced via social media it is closing its Plaza Midwood storefront on May 26, due to its rent tripling in cost.  (via charottefive on Instagram) 

Live by the gentrification, die by the gentrification. 

[tozmervo]

7 hours ago, Crown said:

@fumanchucupcakes announced via social media it is closing its Plaza Midwood storefront on May 26, due to its rent tripling in cost.  (via charottefive on Instagram) 

It's too bad there isn't more storefront in all those new apartment complexes for options.

[elrodvt]

Exactly!!!