Snack shop opening in Birkdale Village supporting NC Hurricane Helene recovery
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was updated Oct. 17, 2024 with the opening date of a snack shop.
A flavored popcorn snack shop will debut this month in Birkdale Village with a portion of sales supporting Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in western North Carolina.
Asheville-based Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn will open Oct. 25 in a 250-square-foot space at 16942 Birkdale Commons Parkway in Huntersville, the company said in a news release Thursday. Birkdale Village is about 16 miles north of Charlotte. Popcorn flavors include Pimento Cheese as well as seasonal flavors like Pumpkin Spice, Southern Pecan Pie and Chocolate Peppermint.
Poppy was founded 10 years ago by CEO Ginger Frank as a small retail store in Asheville. The store closed during the pandemic to become a wholesale business selling its gourmet popcorn online and in stores like Nordstrom, The Fresh Market and Whole Foods Market.
Poppy will donate 20% of opening weekend sales to hurricane emergency relief. On Sept. 26, Helene hit North Carolina causing landslides and flooding leaving mass destruction including the Asheville area.
“We are in the midst of processing everything that has happened to our hometown and Western North Carolina with Hurricane Helene,” Frank said in a statement Thursday. “There has been so much loss ... our team is depending on us to get back to work. So production is back up and running and we’re moving forward even as we’re all grieving and processing.”
Poppy will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The snack shop will be joined by two other North Carolina businesses planning expansions this fall at Birkdale Village.
Baby store growing
Airlie Baby, which opened less than two years ago in a 225-square-foot space in Birkdale Village’s “Tiny Retail District,” is moving into a space six times its size, property owner North American Properties said.
The Tiny Retail District is part of Birkdale Village’s $20 million redevelopment featuring four freestanding retail shops for local business owners to test their concepts.
“It’s especially rewarding watching these small businesses flourish,” Maureen Smith, Birkdale Village marketing manager, said in statement.
Airlie Baby is moving into a 1,460-square-foot space on Lindholm Drive, next to Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, NAP said.
The bigger store means space for more products, co-owner Robin Galloway said in a statement. Galloway owns the store with her daughter Samantha Stevens.
“It’s been so cool watching families grow with us,” Galloway said.
Airlie Baby was born from the original Airlie Square shop at Birkdale Village. The store’s expanded merchandise will include baby clothing up to size 5T, more toys and accessories, as well as baby gear and equipment. Other expected additions are events like story time, mom meet-ups and vendor demos.
The original location will remain open during the transition.
About Mon Macaron
Mon Macaron was founded in 2019 by Autumn Hicks, who started baking macarons for Parent Teacher Association meetings. Macarons are a meringue-based sandwich cookie.
Hicks started a catering kitchen and has since opened a production facility, and three retail stores in the Raleigh area.
The menu will include macarons like crème brulée, salted caramel, red velvet cake and raspberry lemonade, as well as drinks. Macarons can be bought as singles, dozens, towers and for weddings.
Mon Macaron’s fourth store in Birkdale Village will open in the fall, led by Hicks’ cousin Shawn Harrison.
About Birkdale Village
Birkdale Village has been undergoing a major transformation over the past four years when North American Properties acquired the mixed-used development. Terms of the deal were undisclosed.
Birkdale Village was one of the first developments of its kind in the Charlotte area when it was built in 2003 by Charlotte development firms Crosland and Pappas Properties. The 250,000-square-foot complex has 60 retail stores and restaurants, a 16-screen movie theater, 320 apartments and 50,000 square feet of offices.
North American Properties’ re-imagined the 52-acre property as an entertainment destination with the addition of an outdoor stage, greenspace and retail kiosks.
In August, Atlanta-based Jamestown acquired the Atlanta subsidiary of Cincinnati-based North American Properties, which owns the mixed-used development. Terms of the deal, expected to close by the end of the year, have not been disclosed.
This story was originally published September 10, 2024 at 1:45 PM.