Cafe with over 1,000 games to open as more vendors join revamped Charlotte-area mill
Two more businesses have signed on sign and a third vendor is readying to open at the food hall-style Gibson Mill Market repurposed textile mill in Concord.
Luck Factory Games, a cafe that includes more than 1,000 board games, will open at the end of the month for Labor Day weekend, according to a news release Thursday from Southpaw Investors, which is revamping the century-old mill.
The cafe will host Dungeons & Dragons, Magic the Gathering and other games. Hours will be noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 1-7 p.m. Sundays. In March, the market had announced five new tenants, including Luck Factory Games, the Observer previously reported
Luck Factory Games is the second vendor to open at the market after High Branch Brewing opened in its 5,400-square-foot space last month.
Joining the growing list of vendors is Cara’s Cookie Co. and Taco Street at the 122-year-old former textile mill at 325 McGill Ave. NW, according to the release.
Cookie sales at Cara’s Cookie Co. will go toward the nonprofit Cara’s Purpose, which helps support families of infants diagnosed with terminal illnesses.
“At many Cara’s Purpose fundraising events we made different flavors of cookies to give as a way to say thank you to our donors,” said Jennifer Hamilton, Cara’s Cookie co-founder and mother to Cara, who died from a terminal brain tumor at 50 days old. “This inspired us to create a cookie company, which will funnel a portion of its profits directly into the charity.”
Taco Street, a new concept by Mexicasa in Harrisburg, will serve traditional Mexican tacos.
“Authentic street tacos are a huge part of Mexican culture that we want to share. Nothing fancy, just great meats and flavors,” said Ana Maria Arriaga, founder of Taco Street and Mexicasa.
Other businesses at the market
Other tenants at the market include:
▪ Defined Coffee, a local coffee brand and roaster, opening its third store in the region.
▪ Johnny Rogers BBQ expects to open in the fall.
▪ The Market Bar, led by Cabarrus Brewing’s Steve Steinbacher.
The market has 17,000-square-feet of retail space for 10 to 12 local vendors, including a 2,700-square-foot full-service restaurant, CharlotteFive previously reported.
The market expects to be fully open with vendors later this year, according to the news release.
More about the mill
Gibson Manufacturing Co., founded by James Cannon and R.E. Gibson in 1899, manufactured yarns, gingham and madras fabric, as well as dress goods before making towels and sheets from the 1930s through the 1970s.
A year after the mill closed in 2003, Southpaw Investors reopened it for retail and office space.
The 656,000-square-foot site on 48 acres sees over 1,000 visitors daily, according to the news release. The food hall is in the 34,500-square-foot weaving room, according to the market website.
This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 11:59 AM.