Charlotte Restaurant Closures Stack Up in Early 2025 as Industry Changes
Charlotte’s food scene took a big hit at the start of 2025. Fenwick’s, a longtime Myers Park favorite, and Sake Express in Belmont closed their doors, adding to last year’s wave of shutdowns.
Two locations from the Duckworth group, their Ballantyne spot, and South End’s Link & Pin, shut down. Fort Mill’s Center Theatre PI didn’t survive the past two years. In Cornelius, The Waterman Fish Bar closed up shop.
“Virtually every restaurant goer has seen one of their favorite establishments cease operations. In many instances, that has to do with the landlord and operator being unable to agree on terms going forward,” said Hudson Riehle, head of the National Restaurant Association’s research division, to Tag Ex Brands.
South End’s Italian eatery Giovanna put itself up for sale after just months of business. Similar stories are popping up across the U.S., from Harlem’s Contento to Boston’s Hook + Line.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association expects food service jobs to grow 13.3 percent through 2035, ranking the state seventh in U.S. job growth.
New restaurants keep opening their doors. The upscale Guard and Grace Steakhouse plans to open at Queensbridge Collective. Whataburger is looking to open four locations around town, with Gastonia coming first this spring.
Mama’s Comfort Food & Cocktails is headed to Park Road Shopping Center while Rob Duckworth hopes to bring back Chili Willi’s Tex Mex Grill. A Food Network feature helped boost business at Matthews-based Moochies Tavern. The numbers explain these closings – food prices are up, wages are higher, and rent keeps going up. Industry experts say these changes aren’t surprising in Charlotte’s crowded restaurant market.
