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Brian Watts waited more than an hour for a table at the Pewter Rose restaurant during the brunch rush hour Sunday. It was his last chance to try the amazing scones he’s heard so much about.
“I’ve always wanted to try this place, but I never got around to it. So I had to come on the last day before it closed,” he said.
The Pewter Rose, a Charlotte landmark known for romantic décor and Sunday brunch, planned to close after Sunday night’s dinner.
Operating partner Susie Peck announced last week that the restaurant, which would have celebrated its 25th anniversary in the 1920s textile building on Feb. 13, was closing after finding it harder to maintain the business because of declining sales and equipment problems.
Hundreds of Charlotte-area residents stopped by the restaurant to reminisce about milestones they’d celebrated at the restaurant and enjoy one last meal on Sunday.
Near the front, well-wishers dropped off vases of colorful flowers with notes such as “Pewter Rose, We Will Miss You.” Patrons said the restaurant had come to define the South End neighborhood – both of which exuded a funky flair that can’t be found anywhere else in the city, they said.
When Avril Blackstock of Charlotte heard the restaurant was closing, she quickly sent out an email to her friends, she said.
“Let’s toast the Pewter Rose with a butterscotch scone,” the email said.
“We wanted to celebrate their time here as opposed to mourn it,” Blackstock said.
For Pewter Rose regular Bridget Scharpenberg, the South End restaurant holds a particularly strong sentimental value – it’s where she and her husband decided to have another baby.
On Sunday, Scharpenberg said their son, 11-month-old Teddy, tried the restaurant’s scones and loved them.
“It’s become a really special place for our family,” she said.
Newlyweds Harrison and Lindsay Heiman said the restaurant holds fond memories for them as well, which is why they made it a point to eat there on Sunday.
“It was a no-brainer,” Harrison Heiman said. “We don’t have the luxury of time. Today’s the last day. We can’t let Pewter Rose close without one more Sunday brunch.”
