20+ LGBTQ+ friendly businesses in Charlotte to support during Pride and beyond
Editor’s note: If you’d like to add your small business to this list, drop us a note at charlottefive@charlottefive.com.
Every June, Pride month celebrates the LGBTQ+ community. Rainbow flags are raised, LGBTQ+ voices are amplified and Pride parades are held nationwide.
The month is also used to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising in 1969 in New York, which marked a turning point in the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights.
Whether you are part of the community or an ally, here are LGBTQ+ friendly businesses in Charlotte to support during Pride and beyond.
The Artisan’s Palate
Location: 1218 E 36th St A, Charlotte, NC 28205
Established in 2017, the restaurant, cocktail and wine bar and art gallery provides an intimate and relaxed atmosphere to all guests. The gallery features local artists that change monthly. The restaurant holds monthly drag brunches for charity, as well.
How to support: Make a reservation and indulge in the chef-prepared meals, then check out the exhibits in the restaurant’s gallery.
Bar Argon
Location: 4544 South Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28209
Ready for a night on the town in the Queen City but don’t know where to start? Head to Bar Argon, an LGBTQ+ video lounge and bar. The bar has so much to offer with a video lounge, dance floor and a large selection of drinks, including specialty drinks, craft and draft beers, wine and a large selection of imported and domestic beers.
How to support: Grab a specialty drink, such as The Knockout, made from Crown Royal, orange juice, lemonade and cherry liquor and garnished with an orange slice and a cherry, then sing your heart out on karaoke night, hosted every Thursday.
Billy Sunday
Location: 1115 N Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28206
Billy Sunday is a cocktail bar that has locations in Chicago and in Optimist Hall in Charlotte. The bar is known for hosting and drag brunches.
The bar regularly partners with organizations like PFLAG, Eat Gay Love and Time Out Youth. In August, the bar will host a series of events during Charlotte Pride.
How to support: Grab your friends and sit in on one of its fabulous drag shows and mark your calendar for one of its Charlotte Pride events.
Birdsong Brewing
Location: 1016 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28206
Birdsong Brewing Co. is a community-driven brewery that gives back to community organizations with a focus on inclusiveness, sustainability, arts and culture, community development, water conservation and preservation, environmental causes and animal rescue.
How to support: For every pint of Better In Color blonde ale sold during June, Birdsong will donate $1 to Time Out Youth, a local nonprofit organization that helps LGBTQ+ youth. Birdsong Brewing also offers a pride t-shirt ($30), featuring the slogan “Birdsong Brewing Co. Brewed for Everyone.”
Biblio/Counter-
Location: 2001 W. Morehead St., suites B and D, Charlotte, NC 28208
Biblio is a wine-focused bar that matches the food to the drink instead of the other way around, and Counter- is a reservation only tasting restaurant — both owned by chef Sam Hart in the same building. Counter- — which earned Hart a James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef: Southeast — is the first in the country to pair individual dishes with music. The menu, design and music changes with the seasons, and the work of local artists is included.
How to support: Make a reservation and try one of the restaurant’s seasonal meals.
Ever Andalo
Location: 3116 N. Davidson St., Charlotte, NC 28205
Ever Andalo is the newest restaurant from the Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group (which also includes Growlers Pourhouse, Haberdish, Reigning Doughnuts and Supperland). It cooks up Italian specialties using fresh, local ingredients, as well as a few imported from Italy.
How to support: Settle in for dinner at the neighborhood spot, or order takeout — and don’t forget to add on an order of cannolis.
Growlers Pourhouse
Location: 3120 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205
Growlers Pourhouse is a craft beer bar in NoDa that offers the famous pesto brie fries once served by its former sister spot Crepe Cellar.
How to support: Take a seat at the bar, order a craft beer and share a plate of those fries (or keep them all to yourself — we won’t tell).
Haberdish
Location: 3106 N. Davidson Street, Charlotte, NC 28205
If you’re looking for Southern cuisine, Haberdish has you covered. The restaurant offers crispy fried chicken, southern vegetables, barbecue ribs and banana pudding. The restaurant is located in the NoDa Arts District, where the textile mill industry once thrived.
How to support: Take your family and friends for a nice Southern dinner and debate over who has better fried chicken, Haberdish or your grandma.
Hattie’s
Location: 2918 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28205
The LGBTQ+ friendly pub that is also dog-friendly has been open since 2017. The pub has a pool table, claw machine, board games and old school video games like NES, Sega, NES and SNES. The bar accepts donations and sells merchandise like stickers, can holders and t-shirts.
How to support: Take a load off after a stressful day by sipping on a beer, playing pool with friends and maybe buying a shirt while you’re there.
House of LeMond
Location: 2300 N Davidson St Suite 1, Charlotte, NC 28205
Do you have a wedding or company party coming up? House of LeMond can help you find an outfit. The men’s boutique sells made-to-order clothes and shoes, as well as handmade suits. Charlotte native LeMond Hart showcases his designs on his Instagram page.
How to support: Make an appointment and have a suit custom-made to your personal taste.
Lupie’s Cafe
Location: 2718 Monroe Rd, Charlotte, NC 28205
You’ve probably driven by the small cafe a few times. Lupie’s Cafe is an LGBTQ+ friendly restaurant located on Monroe Road known for its chili. Restaurant patrons can pop in and try the restaurant’s Texas chili, Cincinnati chili, vegetarian chili or Southern style chili.
How to support: Stop by the cafe and have a bowl of hot chili with a side of mac and cheese. Finish off your meal with a dessert — preferably the banana pudding.
Mallory Candle Co
Location: 6126 Brookshire Blvd, Suite E, Charlotte, NC 28216
Mallory Candle Co. uses American-grown soybeans for its candle wax and organic cotton for its wicks. The business’s products provide a natural scent and are vegan, eco-friendly and sustainably produced, and they’re made without animal testing. The business also sells a candle-making kit for customers to create their own personalized candles, using scents they choose.
How to support: Try the business’s Smart & Sassy candle collection, which has a sassy saying on the label paired with a scent profile.
Moxie Mercantile
Location: 2008 Commonwealth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Location: 202 S. Main St. Davidson NC 28036
Location: 219 Main St., Suite 101, Fort Mill SC 29715
Location: 19 N. Trade St Matthews NC 28105
Location: (Betty by Moxie) 1219 Thomas Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Moxie Mercantile is a lifestyle boutique that sells locally made items. The boutique offers a wide variety of clothing, accessories and gift items. The shop also sells gift sets that change based on the season, so there is always something new.
How to support: 10% of all brand sales across Moxie & Betty will be donated to Transcend Charlotte throughout June.
NoDa Company Canteen/NoDa Company Store
Location: (Canteen): 1824 Statesville Ave, Charlotte, NC 28206
Location (Store): 3221 Yadkin Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
NoDa Company Canteen and NoDa Company Store owners Joey Hewell and Scott Lindsley were among the first to marry in Mecklenburg County when gay marriage became legal in 2014. The store has a wine club that offers white, red, mixed and vegan wine boxes ranging from $70 for a box of 6 bottles of wine to $120 for a box of 12 bottles of wine.
How to support: Try the frozen NoDa Colada, made with coconut and pineapple, at either location for a tropical treat on a hot summer day.
Paper Skyscraper
Location: 330 East Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203
Paper Skyscraper, a locally owned and independent gift shop, is boadly inclusive. It even carries a line of LGBTQ+ cards to help shoppers find just the right sentiment for a variety of occasions.
How to support: Stock up on cards, or pick up a gift from the store’s Pride collection such as a towel, socks or a mug showcasing famous gay people.
Rally
Location: 101 Southside Dr, Charlotte, NC 28217
Rally — a locally owned pickleball social club — hosts Queer Pickles, a non-competitive league for the LGBTQ+ and ally community.
How to support: Sign up to play a game of pickleball, try out a class or just stop in to sip a drink, snack and socialize.
Reigning Doughnuts
Location: 3120 N Davidson St., Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28205
Reigning Doughnuts is not only welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community, but it’s also accommodating to those with allergies and special food needs — just like its sister restaurants in the Tonadandel-Brown Restaurant Group. The shop recently began carrying an allergen-friendly banana bread bundt cake, available for pre-order.
How to support: Order a dozen doughnuts or a few bundt cakes online, then stop by the store’s pickup window to grab them and spread the love by sharing.
Sidelines Sports Bar + Grill
Location: 4544 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28209
Since 2007, Sidelines Sports Bar + Grill has been offering a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community and allies to watch sports and play games. Even non-sports fans can find a place to relax in the bar. The bar has a foosball table, four pool tables, two dart machines and 12 televisions.
How to support: Cheer on the Panthers while sipping on the bar’s signature Dark & Stormy cocktail, made with dark rum, ginger beer and lime juice.
Spindle Bar
Location: 1115 N. Brevard St., Charlotte, NC 28206
Wander the food hall of Optimist Hall with a drink from Spindle Bar. The bar has gives off relaxed patio party vibes, and has been known to create an array of colorful cocktails to celebrate Pride.
How to Support: Celebrate Pride month by trying one of its rainbow cocktails.
Supperland
Location: 1212 The Plaza, Charlotte NC, 28205
Supperland, a restaurant with family-style servings that’s located in a former church, is welcoming to all. While you’re there, you’ll dine on floral-patterned dishes designed specifically for the restaurant. (If you really like them, you can even order a set for yourself.)
How to support: Share a prime ribeye and a side of Miso Mac & Cheese with a friend or loved one.
The Wine Vault
Location: 9009 J M Keynes Dr #1, Charlotte, NC 28262
If you are in the University area, head down to The Wine Vault to enjoy a nice red or white wine. Try new wine flavors at the business’s wine tastings held once a month on Wednesdays. Stay tuned to the business’s Facebook where they announce when wine tastings will happen.
How to support: It offers a large selection of wine that you can sip and even take home.
White Rabbit
Location: 920 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204
In a pinch and can’t find a shop with any good LGBTQ+ themed items nearby? Look no further than White Rabbit on Central Avenue. The shop has everything you need: underwear, LGBTQ+ themed figures and more.
How to Support: Stop by White Rabbit and pick up a cute Pride themed swimsuit before heading to the pool.
This story was originally published June 22, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
