‘Our sales have fallen drastically’: After 8 years in Charlotte, doughnut shop will close.
Nearly a decade after opening its doors, Charlotte’s Pepperbox Doughnuts & Coffee is calling it quits.
“After nearly 8 years of serving delicious doughnuts and coffee to the city and people we love, we are unfortunately closing our doors at the end of this month. Our last day will be October 31st” the Pepperbox team posted via Instagram. “In the past 24 months our sales have fallen drastically and, unfortunately, our only remaining location cannot sustainably stay open. “
Named in honor of “one of the legends of the invention of the doughnut,” Pepperbox opened in 2019, selling yeast-raised doughnuts, including a variety of vegan options in South End. A second shop in NoDa came along later in 2021, but that location closed in May due to high overhead costs, which ended up creating “a loss for most of [the team’s] time there.”
“The Pepperbox brand in the grand scheme of things is doing very well. We have weathered so much over the past few years dealing with closures, high inflation, etc, (as has everyone else) and we feel that consolidating our company back to one location is the final key to getting back on stable footing,” owner Alex Beebe previously told CharlotteFive.
Beebe and Nate DeVillers, the business duo and Charlotte natives, previously told CharlotteFive that they’d always had a goal of opening multiple locations. But now, nearly a decade after opening, they’ve said goodbye to both of their doughnut shops in the same year.
“We can’t begin to express how much this time has meant to all of us. We’ve learned so much, met so many great people, and had the joy of watching people love and support our small business along the way,” the team’s closure announcement says. “Our hope is to see all of you over the next couple of weeks for one last doughnut, one last breakfast sandwich, one last latte, or simply just to say goodbye.”
After closing their NoDa dougnut shop, the team turned the former mill house space into a new concept: Copperhead Social Club.
But it’s unclear if there are still plans in the works for the duo to bring another taste of their classic doughnut flavors, locally roasted hot and cold brewed coffees and more to Charlotte’s food scene after Pepperbox’s closure.
CharlotteFive is reaching out to gather more details.
Keep an eye on this space for more updates.
Pepperbox Doughnuts & Coffee
Location: 101 W Worthington Ave #150, Charlotte, NC 28203 (closing Oct. 31)
Cuisine: doughnuts, breakfast
Instagram: @pepperbox_doughnuts
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