Plan out your Black Friday with Charlotte events, brunch spots you won’t want to miss

We all know what your Black Friday plans are likely going to be: shopping, brunch and possibly watching some football.

We’re with you. And to help you make the most of the busiest shopping day of the year, we’ve gathered some events for you going on in the Charlotte area and store hours so you can make plans. (Personally, I’d advise an early start, then sipping mimosas while taking a brunch break before powering through until you’ve found deals for everyone on your holiday shopping list.)

[READ NEXT: Shopping on Black Friday? Why buying an air fryer is a better deal than a 60-inch TV.]

Here are a few options for how to spend your Black Friday in Charlotte:

Black Friday at Concord Mills

Location: 8111 Concord Mills Boulevard, Concord, NC 28027

Black Friday hours: 6 a.m.-9 p.m.

Get an early start on the day and shop around Concord Mills, You can stop at Sip Co to create your own drink and grab a cookie to tide you over until brunch. While you’re at the mall, you can donate a toy to a kid in need. The Coach Outlet is collecting new, unwrapped toys for The Carolina Christmas Angels

Black Friday at SouthPark Mall

Location: 4400 Sharon Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211

Black Friday hours: 6 a.m.-9 p.m.

SouthPark Mall is another spot for those who rise early and hit the stores. If you get hungry for breakfast, you can stop at Reid’s Fine Foods after 7 a.m. for a Breakfast Bowl with sausage, cheddar cheese, avocado, eggs, spinach, red peppers and potatoes or Cinnamon Babka French Toast with fresh berries, applewood bacon and maple syrup. Make reservations ahead of time so you can visit with Santa and let him know you’ve been good this year before you leave the mall to head to your next stop.

Golden Owl Tavern

Location: 9041 Robert D. Snyder Road, Charlotte, NC 28262

Black Friday hours: 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Perfect for the early shoppers, Golden Owl Tavern serves breakfast from 6:30-10 a.m. Shop, enjoy an order of the country fried short ribs or chicken and waffles, and then promptly head home for a much-needed nap.

Park Road Shopping Center

Location: 4101 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209

Black Friday hours: Varies by store.

Drop by Park Road Shopping Center to grab breakfast — Your Mom’s Donuts opens at 7:30 a.m. — or a brunch pastry — Suarez Bakery opens at 9 a.m. You can pick up holiday decor at Blackhawk Hardware, which features a festive tree display. Other local stores include Julie’s Boutique, Omega Sports, Park Road Books and more, and there’s plenty of places to stop for a lunchtime bite to eat, such asAngry Ale’s, Cantina 1511 and Midwood Smokehouse.

Reigning Doughnuts

Location: 3120 N Davidson St., Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28205

Black Friday hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., and 5-10 p.m.

Reigning Doughnuts will be open extended hours to help you enjoy your Black Friday experience. Grab a few doughnuts and some coffee at its walk-up window.

Black Friday at Northlake Mall

Location: 6801 Northlake Mall Dr, Charlotte, NC 28216

Black Friday hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Check things off your list for gifts you need from jewelry stores, department stores and more. If you want to see Santa here, reservations are highly recommended. And don’t forget some caffeine to keep you going. Now there are two Mean Mug kioks in the mall where you can grab a specialty coffee or fresh tea.

Black Friday at Carolina Place Mall

Location: 11025 Carolina Place Parkway, Pineville, NC 28134

Black Friday hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Help those in need while you get in the holiday spirit by giving to the Sole Priorities food drive. The store will be giving a $2 store credit for each non-perishable food item brought into the store, up to $50 per day, and will match every donation, as well.

Cafe Monte

Location: 6700 Fairview Road, Charlotte, NC 28210

Black Friday hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m.

Feel like you’ve been transported to a quaint cafe in Paris while rocking your sneakers and leggings (Black Friday shopping requires comfort). Café Monte is the perfect place to discuss your purchases, laugh at your shopping experience, and get your coffee, croissant and gossip fix.

Easy Like Sunday

Location: 1600 E Woodlawn Road #100, Charlotte, NC 28209

Black Friday hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Serving an extensive and delicious brunch all day, Easy Like Sunday is the perfect place to take your family or yourself on a solo date and get away from the hectic holiday and shopping season. For entertainment, you can watch the erratic drivers turning into Park Road Shopping Center from the heated patio or admire the decor in the dining room.

Pro tip: Make sure you order the pumpkin pancake (gluten free option also available) as it is a limited seasonal offering.

Living Kitchen

Location: 2000 South Blvd. Suite 300, Charlotte, NC 28203

Black Friday hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

The Calorie Control Council has found that the average American consumes between 3,000 and 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving. If you’re feeling like a stuffed turkey and are tired from a day of shopping and need a shot of veggies and greens, Living Kitchen has you covered. Serving salads, smoothies and everything else in between, Living Kitchen is a vegan restaurant that will help you detox.

Black Friday at Birkdale Village

Location: Birkdale Commons Parkway and Sam Furr Road, Huntersville, NC 28078

Black Friday hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. (individual store hours may vary)

Birkdale Village is preparing deals, activities and a whole day of fun so you can shop for everyone on your holiday wish list. See the lineup of stores available, including Kendra Scott, Sephora and Williams-Sonoma. You can also lunch from one a variety of local restaurants in the shopping center, including Brown Bag. Seafood Co., Good Wurst and Midwood Smokehouse.

Church and Union Charlotte

Location: 127 N. Tryon St #8, Charlotte, NC 28202

Black Friday brunch hours: 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

You may have wrapped up your shopping at this point in the morning, or at least be ready for an extended break. Head uptown to Church and Union to indulge in its Holy $h!t Breakfast, a two-person experience that includes fried chicken, Fili-West Farms eggs, bacon, house-made doughnuts, biscuits, house-made jam, and a choice of mimosa or Bloody Mary for $26/per person. Sure, you could go there any Friday — but this shopping holiday calls for something memorable.

The Humane Society of Charlotte

Location: 1348 Parker Dr, Charlotte, NC 28208

Black Friday hours: 11 a.m.-5p.m.

The Humane Society of Charlotte is running special adoption discounts staring on Black Friday at its Animal Resource Center. If you’re looking for your new best friend, check these out:

• Black Friday: All or mostly black animals 1 year and older are $50 off adoption fees
• Small Business Saturday: Kittens and puppies (younger than 1 year) are $50 off adoption fees
• Secondhand Seniors Sunday: Animals 7 years and older have a reduced adoption fee of $65
• Cy-PURR Monday - BOGO ½ off adoption fees for cats and kittens

Link & Pin

Location: 155 New Bern St, Charlotte, NC 28203

Location: 8128 Providence Rd #1200, Charlotte, NC 28277

Location: 9723 Sam Furr Rd, Huntersville, NC 28078

Black Friday brunch hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (dinner menu starts at 4 p.m.)

If brunch plans are on your must-do list, Link & Pin is offering a special Black Friday brunch at all three locations (Arboretum, Huntersville and South End). The full L&P brunch menu will be available, including three-egg omelets, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles and the House Burger. While you’re there, you can purchase $100 in Link & Pin gift cards and get a $20 gift card free to mark one more person off your holiday shopping list or donate to Toys for Tots.

Pro tip: Order the mimosa tray to start your holiday season off in a festive way.

Gift card deal at Harry’s Grille & Tavern

Location: 8426 Park Road Suite 9, Charlotte, NC 28210

Location: 2127 Ayrsley Town Blvd Suite 103, Charlotte, NC 28273

Black Friday hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

On Black Friday, Harry’s Grille & Tavern will launch a holiday special on gift cards that runs until Dec. 31. You’ll receive a bonus $20 gift card for every $100 in gift cards purchased, so you won’t have to worry about adding to your shopping spree spending if you stay for lunch and grab a Derby Cobb.

Fenwick’s Restaurant

Location: 511 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC 28207

Black Friday breakfast/brunch hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

For almost 40 years, Fenwick’s has been a come-as-you-are fixture in the Charlotte food scene and the perfect place to decompress after Black Friday shopping. Order a bowl of whatever the soup of the day is and start your meal with a comforting hug in a cup. You’ve earned it.

Mert’s Heart and Soul

Location: 214 N. College Street, Charlotte, NC 28202

Black Friday hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Southern comfort at its best, Mert’s Heart and Soul will recharge you after a long morning of shopping. At Mert’s, you can order everything from fried chicken to French toast. The mac and cheese tastes like it was made in your grandma’s kitchen for the annual church potluck.

Red Rocks Cafe

Location: 4223 Providence Road #8, Charlotte, NC 28211

Location: 8712 Lindholm Drive Huntersville, NC 28078

Black Friday hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (SouthPark) and 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. (Birkdale Village)

Get away from the hustle and bustle of malls and shops and escape to Red Rocks Cafe. Serving steaks, seafood, pasta and salads, there is something for everyone, even the pickiest of eaters.

Mimosas at Bulla Gastrobar

Location: 4310 Sharon Road, Suite W01, Charlotte, NC 28211

Black Friday hours: 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

Bulla Charlotte will celebrate Black Friday with 50% off sparkling wines by the bottle, as well as its Build Your Own Mimosa deal for $25. Pair that with a Pick Two deal of ham croquettes and a spinach salad for $15.95.

Charlotte Christmas Village

Location: Truist Field, 324 S. Mint St., Charlotte, NC 28202

Black Friday hours: Noon-10 p.m.

Wander around Charlotte Christmas Village, where you can visit with Santa, drink Glühwein or nonacoholic Kinderwein, see live music and other performances and browse vendors for those last few gifts on your list. Tickets are $5 per person before 5 p.m., and $10 afterward. You can purchase tickets online or at the stadium ticket window.

Day and Night Cereal Bar

Location: 127 Brevard Court, Charlotte, NC 28202

Black Friday breakfast/brunch hours: 1-10 p.m.

Day and Night Cereal Bar is nostalgia in a bowl. After a trying and most likely stressful day, decompress by building a bowl with your favorite cereal. Don’t be afraid to mix brands or to try them as a milkshake.

This story was originally published November 21, 2022 at 10:18 AM.

Heidi Finley

The Charlotte Observer

Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits. Support my work with a digital subscription

Erin Breeden

The Charlotte Observer

Erin Breeden was the editor of Carolina Bride and is now a freelance writer and a proud business owner. She loves writing stories focused on the food and beverage scene in Charlotte, luxury travel and the stories of unsung heroes and unique characters in the Queen City. Follow along with her adventures on Instagram (@erinmbreeden) or Twitter (@erinbreeden).