Go-to seafood restaurant closes suddenly after 2 years in Charlotte. What’s next?
Two years after Nick’s Gyros & Seafood expanded from Columbia to Charlotte, it posted on Instagram that it had closed its West Boulevard restaurant.
“On 09/30/2025 We made the difficult decision to close our (CHARLOTTE LOCATION) doors permanently. It has been an absolute pleasure serving you all. Thank you again,” the restaurant wrote in a now-deleted post on its Instagram page on Wednesday afternoon. The Columbia location remains open, it stated in the comments.
However, all is not lost: Owner Khalif Muhammad told CharlotteFive on Wednesday that he has simply sold the location to friends of his. “As of now, nothing has changed except owners,” he said. He told us customers can enjoy the same food served by the same employees, with a name change to come later.
An employee at the Charlotte location confirmed via phone that the restaurant was indeed open on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
The new restaurant’s manager and partner Ali Abu Al-Hassanin stated on Instagram that the restaurant is open and running, and its new name will be Fishin Chicken.
‘Delicious food at a great price’
Muhammad told CharlotteFive in 2023 when he opened the restaurant that he had been eyeing the West Boulevard spot since 2014. It was located in a former Jack in the Box building.
“We knew it would do well here, and the steady stream of customers proves that there’s a desire for this type of delicious food at a great price,” he said at the time.
“I’ve been in the restaurant business for over 30 years, but the customers here are the best I’ve ever seen. They came to us with open arms, and I’m very overwhelmed and grateful,” he told us then.
Nick’s food is loved
The post about the closing hit those loyal customers right where it hurt, with Instagram commenters writing about how much they will miss the food.
“I was just there the other night. It was my go to for fast food halal,” wrote Jibril Hough, who went on to request a Steele Creek location be considered.
Another commenter stated she is from Baltimore and every year when she visited Charlotte, she would come there for the shrimp. “This place will be missed,” @blonde_dredz wrote.
There’s a lot of Nick’s food to love, with the menu spanning more than 50 items.
Heidi Finley contributed reporting.
Nick’s Gyros & Seafood
Location: 1600 West Boulevard, Charlotte, NC, 28208 (permanently closed; will reopen under a new name)
Cuisine: American, seafood
Instagram: @nicksgyrosandseafood
This story was originally published October 1, 2025 at 3:57 PM.
