Iconic Charlotte restaurant to close as owner shifts from whimsy to waffles
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mattie’s Diner will close Aug. 10 as owner Matt King shifts business focus.
- Originally opened in 2010, the vintage diner relaunched in Plaza Midwood in 2022.
- King cites financial strain and plans to grow his new venture, The Wafflery.
Beloved Plaza Midwood eatery Mattie’s Diner will close after lunch on Aug. 10, owner Matt King announced Monday in an Instagram post.
“We have decided to sell to focus on growing our other concept,” King wrote. “We will never forget the memories and the wonderful people and connections we have made.”
He also put the business up for sale, offering it to “someone who wants to carry on the tradition of Mattie’s.”
Originally purchased by King in 2005 from a car lot in New Jersey, the vintage diner was restored and opened in Charlotte in 2010, becoming a fixture at the North Carolina Music Factory location until 2015, when construction displaced it, The Charlotte Observer reported.
After years in storage, Mattie’s made a comeback in April 2022 at its new Plaza Midwood location, renovated within a former tire shop that added seating and an event space.
Known for its chrome exterior, red leather booths and signature items like “Mattie’s Mom’s Meatloaf,” “Hot A** Burgers,” milkshakes and vegan options, the diner carved out a nostalgic niche in Charlotte’s restaurant scene.
But according to King, the diner had struggled financially despite its appeal.
“The diner, as much as we love it, it’s sort of sucking us dry,” he told Axios Charlotte, who was the first to report the news. “It’s a different animal ... It’s all about volume.”
Now, King plans to shift focus to his growing breakfast-focused business, The Wafflery, which launched in May 2024 in Belmont.
This story was originally published August 4, 2025 at 2:57 PM.
