Around Town

How to score a free burrito today. And other development news

jsimmons@charlotteobserver.com

Happy Monday! Let’s get right into what’s coming, maybe coming and now open in the Charlotte area.

Pedestrian friendliness

Soon it will be easier to grab a cheesesteak at Clover Joe’s and eat it in Romare Bearden Park.

The city of Charlotte said last week that it will add a pedestrian crosswalk connecting Brevard Court to Romare Bearden Park across Church Street.

We’ve definitely made the mad dash across the street there at lunchtime. Hooray for safety.

Lidl maybe coming?

Germany-based grocer Lidl is thinking about building one of its first U.S. stores in Lancaster County just outside of Charlotte, according to a report from the Triad Business Journal.

//><!--Last month, the same publication reported that the company is considering putting a distribution hub in Alamance County.//--><!

Lidl is a rival to Aldi and operates nearly 10,000 stores globally.

We were just saying that Charlotte needs another grocery store option …

Vietnamese food coming to Park Road Shopping Center

Co, Vietnamese for “feast,” will open in Park Road Shopping Center late this fall.

It will take up the 3,500-square-foot space next to Omega Sports and offer contemporary Asian cuisine like banh mi, pho, ramen, dumplings and sushi.

And it will have a $4 happy hour.

Eat more barbecue

Midwood Smokehouse’s second location near Ballantyne is now open at 12410 Johnston Road.

The popular (and tasty) barbecue joint has been open in Plaza-Midwood since 2011 and features barbecue cooked in an all-wood smoker.

The only downside? According to a May 7 Facebook post the new location is still waiting on its ABC permit.

Whisky River at the airport

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was on hand last week to cut the ribbon at a new Whisky River location at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

The location will have a stage for live performances. And a bull, because of course it will.

Tijuana Flats in Concord Mills

Tex-Mex chain Tijuana Flats, which closed its East Boulevard location this spring, will open a new location Monday at Concord Mills, across the street from Lowe’s Home Improvement.



It also plans to open a UNC Charlotte location this summer.

The first 50 guests on Monday get a free burrito. But you’d have to fight the traffic around Concord Mills.

Worth it? You decide.

Photo: John D. Simmons/Charlotte Observer

This story was originally published May 11, 2015 at 12:09 AM with the headline "How to score a free burrito today. And other development news."

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