A popular Charlotte market and eatery with two locations is permanently closed
Both locations of a popular all-day restaurant and market in Charlotte have permanently closed this week, citing “financial stress” and other obstacles.
The People’s Market, with locations in Elizabeth and Myers Park, said goodbye via Instagram in a lengthy post Thursday confirming the closure.
“We wanted to create a space that was welcoming to everyone, no matter who they were or where they came from. In today’s world, it seems like big dreams like that are hard to come by, but we managed to make it happen! Unfortunately, the dream of The People’s Market is coming to an end. I’m so sad to say that we’re closing doors at both our stores in Elizabeth and Myers Park,” the post said.
“There’s no single reason for this decision, but the financial stress of running the stores to our full potential became too much in the current environment. From the challenges of opening a new location to broken equipment, repairing an old HVAC, electrical fire in the summer, and the rising costs of food and labor. Top that off with a government shutdown that delayed an opportunity to inject some much-needed capital from the SBA. The sum of all these parts just made it too much for me to handle alone,” it continued.
“It hurts me to my core to be forced to make this difficult decision as I tried everything to make it work. I’m so disappointed that we weren’t able to finish our goals of serving our community with our brand of ‘Good Vibes.’ We did fight like hell but ultimately came up short,” the post said.
Shortly after the post, dozens of people comment to share their sorrow and let the market’s owner know it would be missed. And before the day was out, an effort to save the restaurant via GoFundMe was well underway — and more than $5,000 had been raised so far.
The announcement followed a few days of uncertainty. Earlier in the week, online ordering site for the Elizabeth spot owned by Cory Duran said that location was closed for “maintenance and inventory,” although a sign posted at the door noted it was “closed today due to staff shortage.” A notice for online ordering at the Myers Park location also said it was closed “due to staff shortages.”
A Reddit thread said closures for staff shortages had been increasingly common at The People’s Market recently.
Calls placed to its phone number each day this week went unanswered, and messages sent via email and Instagram weren’t returned.
The People’s Market’s Thursday Instagram post thanked the community and its staff, as well.
“I want to take this time to thank the communities of Dilworth, Elizabeth, and Myers Park, as well as the greater Charlotte community. As a Charlotte native, I love this city with all my heart, and it breaks my heart that we let you down. Lastly, I want to thank our amazing staff. Many of you weathered the many tough days with so much grace and dedication to the customer experience and loyalty to what we built,” it said.
The People’s Market had closed — and reopened — before
It’s not the first time The People’s Market has closed temporarily. In February 2020, the restaurant and market shut down its original location in Dilworth due to financial strains, along with cocktail space The Queen & Glass, Charlotte Business Journal reported.
Almost exactly three years later in February 2023, The People’s Market bounced back. Duran opened a colorful and fun new space in Elizabeth, accented with custom art.
Coffee drinks brewed with Magnolia Coffee, tea, smoothies and pastries were available, along with breakfast options, handhelds and pizzas. An inventive lineup of cocktails was available later in the day to pair with dinner
By that July, plans were in the works to open a South End location at Station 4 at 3600 South Blvd., but that never materialized. Instead, the restaurant and market’s second location on Selwyn Avenue in Myers Park opened over the summer.
Like the Elizabeth location, the all-day restaurant’s Myers Park spot offered wraps, salads, pizza and more.
The People’s Market
Location: 1609 Elizabeth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204 (now closed)
Location: Tranquil Court, 2810 Selwyn Ave, Charlotte, NC 28209 (now closed)
Instagram: @the.peoples.mkt
This story was originally published November 11, 2025 at 9:18 AM.
