Charlotte small businesses seem to be in an end-of-summer slump. But what can we do about it?
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What’s going on at Camp North End recently?
Sourdough pizza and Korean barbecue restaurants will open, and popular ramen and burger spots are closing at the Charlotte destination spot.
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There is a long list of small businesses around the Charlotte area — with bakeries, boutiques, bookstores and everything in between.
After an Instagram post went viral about a lack of support for shops at Camp North End, several local business owners have spoken up about the struggles of staying open, especially during the summer season.
“We’re dying,” Wentworth & Fenn baker and owner Sam Ward said in a post that’s since been deleted. “If things don’t turn around, we’re done.”
During a time when many local businesses are battling a summer slump in sales, there are several ways you can shop small and support both in-person and online:
1. Support Camp North End’s small businesses
Head to Camp North End, where you can visit many small businesses at once. Grab a bite at one of the many restaurants, including La Caseta, Room Service and Bleu Barn Bleu Barn (before it closes). Then go shopping at Current Nostalgia, Grow plant shop or another retail store.
2. Swap big business purchases for local goods.
Stop by Smelly Cat Coffee House & Roastery instead of a chain coffee shop standby. Shop for music at Hardy Boys Records and Comics instead of an online monopoly. Order a birthday cake from Suarez Bakery instead of a big box store. You get the idea.
3. Visit artisan markets and farmers markets
Shop for local goods, clothing and accessories at Front Porch Sundays, Nebel’s Alley Night Market, and stock up on fresh produce and veggies from a local farmers market.
4. Splurge on multiple courses, from multiple foodie places
Make yourself a multi-course meal from a local food hall. Some ideas:
Visit Alley 51, where you can grab Itaewon’s Dak-Gang Chicken, then a vermicelli bowl from Saigon Cafe and finish it up with a croffle from Honey Cow.
Head to Charlotte’s original food hall, The Market at 7th Street, where you can start with an Island Time Mexican lager from Resident Culture, grab a Margherita Grandma Pizza from Geno D’s and take home some truffle brie for later from Orrman’s Cheese Shop.
Or stop by the always popular Optimist Hall, where you can enjoy a Miami Vice frozen cocktail at The Spindle Bar, a Mac Melt from Papi Queso and a scoop of milk chocolate gelato from Honeysuckle Gelato.
5. Tip your local bartender, barista and server
If you tip as much as you can, you might be keeping the lights on for someone in the service industry during a summer slowdown period.
You should be tipping at least 18 percent on restaurant checks these days, Bankrate recently reported, citing Cortney Norris, an assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management at Oklahoma State University. Norris, who studies tipping habits, said the extra tip amount will help offset “everything else going on in today’s economy.”
Others suggest at least 20 percent — and yes, even on takeout.
6. Support your favorite local bookstore.
Buy a new read from Park Road Books, That’s Novel Books or another local bookstore around the city. Bonus points if you support a local author while you’re at it, such as “Call It What You Want” by Charlottean Alissa DeRogatis.
7. Instead of traveling out of town, take a staycation
We know you work too much, which means there are so many Charlotte gems that you haven’t seen yet. Skip the plane ticket (and save all that fare and hassle!) and instead, plan a Charlotte staycation. You’ll be able to highlight all the can’t-miss places that your 9-to-5 never lets you get to.
Need ideas? Kayleigh recently published a guide to some under-the-radar spots you won’t want to miss, including a beer trail, some favorite museums and more. Make sure to check out her places to stay — because no, you don’t want to stay at home. You’ll be too tempted to clean or do a project.
8. Day trip to a nearby town or suburb
Rent a boat on Lake Wylie and take it to Drift for dinner. Take a pre-dawn run along Davidson’s greenways and then enjoy a banana and nutella waffle from The Egg at Davidson. Check out The Power House in downtown Rock Hill, where you can meet a chef who is “obsessed with sandwiches”.
Check out our CharlotteFive coverage for more ideas that won’t break the bank:
Coffee, crepes, cookies and a cheese shop: 6 ways to spend a day in Matthews for under $50.
From coffee to famous-family dinner, 5 ways to spend a day in Belmont for $50 or less.
A root beer float or dinner in an old mill: 5 ways to spend a day in Davidson for $50 or less.
9. Eat more sugar
Host a dessert party, and the only rule is that every guest has to bring a treat from a local bakery.
Craving cupcakes? Head to Swirl, the made-to-order cupcake shop that told CharlotteFive it will have to close its Oakhurst location soon in order to save the shop in South End. “You’re not alone,” Swirl told Bleu Barn on Wednesday afternoon via the CharlotteFive Instagram, when Bleu Barn announced its closure.
Want a box of chocolate and candied cookies? Honeybear Bake Shop has one with your name on it.
Feeling French? Treat yourself to croissants, macarons and more at Amelie’s, which has locations all around the city.
10. Don’t have money? You can support for free
Leave online reviews — like on OpenTable and Yelp Charlotte — or spread support on social media by sharing posts and leaving comments (positive vibes only, please!) on local businesses’ Facebook, Instagram and TikTok accounts.
If you need proof for how effective this can be, just check out what happened when local TikToker Wynee Bermudez visited Another Food Truck and made a post about it. Charlotte content creators help shape the city, and your likes, comments and shares help boost the local businesses they highlight.
If you don’t have food money now but still want to show support, consider leaving a review for restaurants you’ve visited in the recent past. It helps — here’s some proof:
Benny Pennello’s just made Yelp’s “outrageous oversized eats” list for 2024, and it probably helps that the pizzeria has plenty of 5-star reviews, including photos showing off the impressive slice sizes.
OpenTable recently named the nation’s best brunch spots, including On the Nines in Mooresville, which includes multiple comments boosting its quality service, experience and Charleston-style shrimp and grits. Consider us influenced!
Chyna Blackmon, Heidi Finley and Melissa Oyler contributed to this story.
This story was originally published August 1, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
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