Top 5 Charlotte stories so far this week: Who Panthers could draft, South End spot closes

Fair lending concerns. A beloved bakery’s closing. Panthers draft strategy. Here’s a quick catchup on what you may have missed so far this week in Charlotte.

• Mortgage lending report: A study from Americans for Financial Reform found that Wells Fargo’s denial rates for Black applicants in Charlotte were 20.5%, compared with 7.9% for white applicants over a five-year period from 2020 through 2024. A Wells Fargo spokesperson said the bank needed time to review the report before commenting.

• South End bakery closing: Wheatberry Bakeshop will close May 9 after just over a year in business. Owner Haley Woodard said the bakery hadn’t “been able to find a way for this little business to make any money.”

• New Wesley Heights seafood spot: Crown & Tide is set to open in early May inside City Kitch ghost kitchen, offering fire-grilled seafood including chargrilled blue crabs with a house-made Parmesan butter sauce.

• Silo short-term rental: A Lincolnton couple converted two 27-foot-diameter galvanized-metal silos into a fully furnished short-term rental that rents for up to $250 a night on weekends, drawing guests from as far as London.

• Panthers mock draft: With the NFL draft starting Thursday, the Charlotte Observer’s final mock draft projects Carolina taking Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 19 overall, with seven picks across the first six rounds.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists. To learn more about how The Charlotte Observer is using AI in our newsroom, see our policy here.