There’s a new wine store and tasting room in South End.
As Petit Philippe owners Mark Meissner and Casey Hickey prepare for the wine store and tasting room’s expansion to Park Road, the couple has closed its South End chocolate shop Twenty Degrees Chocolates. Lots of changes are afoot — we’ll break it down for you:
- There are currently three locations involved: Selwyn Avenue, Park Road and Camden Road.
- There are two businesses involved: Petite Philippe is a wine store and tasting room, and Twenty Degrees is a chocolate shop.
- Hickey is retiring as a chocolatier — so yes, sadly, that means no more chocolate. She will continue to be part of the wine shop.
- The Selwyn Avenue location will close when the bigger Park Road location opens.
- The Camden Road boutique, no longer a chocolate shop, will become a satellite location for Petit Philippe.
So, in a nutshell: No more chocolate, but more wine.
Hickey cited time with her family and the need to take care of her own health as a reason for the changes. “I’m retiring as a chocolatier to be able to spend more time with our sons,” she said. “The intense demands of a multi-business, dual-entrepreneur household simply are not sustainable for our family life. I also have experienced worsening work-related physical health issues in recent months, which accelerated this decision.”
What to expect at Camden Road
On July 23, the Camden Road boutique became a satellite location for Petit Philippe, serving as a fine wine outpost featuring wines from Western Europe and the West Coast.
The South End wine outpost will offer wines by the glass and tasting flights, beginning later this summer. “We believe South End is under-served in terms of specialty wine retail, given the tremendous growth in the neighborhood,” Meissner said. “We’re excited to share our love of fine wines from smaller producers.”
You can place orders online for chocolate at Twenty Degrees until July 30. Chocolate sales will continue at Selwyn Avenue while supplies last.
The back story
Twenty Degrees Chocolates and Petit Philippe originally opened December 2010 on Selwyn Avenue. “I feel so lucky to have been able to do what I love and to have been so warmly received by the Charlotte community and beyond. I’m proud of what we created and feel that we’re closing the chocolate chapter on a high note in terms of our creativity. That’s a great feeling,” Hickey said. “And now I get to direct more of my energies toward our sons at a crucial time in their lives, while supporting Mark at Petit Philippe operationally as we embark on our expansion.”
Petit Philippe
Current location: 2820 Selwyn Ave #160, Charlotte, NC 28209
Neighborhood: Myers Park
Future location 4001 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209
Neighborhood: Montford
Opening date: Summer 2022
Instagram: @petitphilippe
Outpost location: 1930 Camden Rd Suite 135, Charlotte, NC 28203
Neighborhood: South End
Twenty Degrees Chocolates
Online ordering available until July 30.
Instagram: @twentydegreeschocolates
This story was originally published July 15, 2022 at 9:18 AM.
