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INSIDE ▼ Allen Tate Realtors rebrands PAGE 2A Friday, August 22, 2025 • Vol. 25 • No. 34
thecharlotteweekly.com
@southcltweekly
Beauxwright begins construction on Bellflower community CHARLOTTE – Beauxwright LLC announced that construction is underway on Bellflower, a new 76-home residential community on 5.25 acres within Olde Providence.
The first phase of homes will be ready for occupancy in early fall 2025. Bellflower provides a high-end
housing option at a more attainable price point on average, compared to surrounding inventory. Built in partnership with Tri Pointe Homes, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, each Bellflower home will average 2,000 square feet, and offer three to four bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as a two-bay garage. Buyers can
customize their homes with several floorplan options. Each townhome will be 18 feet wide and three stories, with a second-floor outdoor living space and option to convert to a screened-in porch. A dog park and other community amenities are in the planning stages. The property’s denser entitlements
make Bellflower a more affordable new-build option for buyers who would otherwise be limited to a traditional single-family home. Andy Lucas, principal of Beauxwright, refers to Bellflower as a “diamond in the rough.” “We were fortunate to find more than five greenfield acres in an established south Charlotte
The Improper Pig refreshes brand as it opens new location
neighborhood, which is incredibly rare,” Lucas said. “This gave us the unique opportunity to create a beautifully designed new for-sale residential community in an established, older neighborhood.” Those interested in the Bellflower community can subscribe for updates at tripointehomes.com.
Partnership brings ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ to regional stage MATTHEWS – Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts, in partnership with BNS Productions, opens its 30th Mainstage Season with Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun.”
The Improper Pig will open its new Plaza Midwood restaurant in fall 2025. It also has locations in Fort Mill and Rea Farms. Photo courtesy of NiceDay
CHARLOTTE – The Improper Pig is rolling out a brand refresh across all locations, plus opening a new flagship restaurant this fall in the former Pizza Peel building on Central Avenue.
While The Improper Pig officially launched in 2014 in Cotswold, the brand’s story began 15 years earlier, when Stomp, Chomp & Roll opened Mama Fu’s, a fast-casual Asian kitchen, in the same location. When Mama Fu’s no longer felt like the right fit and a lease renewal opened the door for reinvention, Stomp, Chomp & Roll founder Will Bigham and longtime collaborator Darius Amidi saw an opportunity to create something fresh. The duo worked together to blend childhood memories of Carolina barbecue with the wok-fired flavors and vegetarian favorites that customers loved at Mama Fu’s. The result was The Improper Pig brand and menu: a mashup of smoky barbecue flavors and Asian spice. The name was chosen to reflect their desire to break from tradition and do barbecue their own way. The menu brings together slow-smoked Carolina barbecue, sweet and sticky St. Louis-style ribs, bold Asian spice and fusion pairings. That means tender brisket next to spicy bao buns, plus scratch-made Asian slaw, vegetarian-forward dishes and house sauces with a kick. National buzz followed, including a feature on Food Network’s "Diners, Drive-Ins
and Dives," which helped put the concept on the map. As momentum grew, the team expanded into Fort Mill in 2018 and relocated its original Cotswold restaurant to Rea Farms in south Charlotte in 2019. Now, more than a decade since the first improper bite, it’s time for a new look to match the flavor. “This brand refresh is about owning who we are: bold, unexpected and a little improper in all the right ways,” said Amidi, operations director for Stomp, Chomp & Roll and co-owner of The Improper Pig. “We’ve never played by the barbecue rulebook, and now our brand reflects that. What you see now better reflects what we’ve always served, which is big flavors, Asian flair and a whole lot of personality. Our style is smoked and sauced, spiced and playful – equal parts comfort food and culinary curveball.”
The menu gets a glow-up too: new woodfired grill specialties, reimagined vegetarian options like smoked tofu and the No Pig Sandwich, and globally inspired pairings that stay true to the brand’s Asian-fusion roots while expanding the flavor conversation. Guests will find scratch-made sides like black-eyed pea salad and Asian slaw, alongside appetizers like pork rolls, edamame and hushpuppies. Every meat is hand-rubbed with a secret house blend created by Bigham, then smoked low and slow. Six house-made sauces are available to match every flavor profile. The updated experience includes a refined beverage program, with beer, wine and cocktails, along with flexible offerings for catering and private events. “We’re not trying to be the most traditional smokehouse in town. We want to be the one you can’t stop talking about,” said Bigham, a Charlotte native and Johnson & Wales University graduate. “We have nothing but love for traditional barbecue, but we’re not here to replicate. We’re here to remix. Whether you're a purist, a plant-eater or a flavor-chaser, there’s a seat at our table.” Want to go?
• Rea Farms: 9855 Sandy Rock Place, suite A, Charlotte. • Fort Mill: 204 Main St., Fort Mill. On the web: theimproperpig.com or stompchomproll.com
Popular Dishes Here are some of the most popular dishes at The Improper Pig, a brand with locations in Rea Farms and Fort Mill: • Pork Rolls: Southern-style egg rolls stuffed with smoked pulled pork, house slaw and Monterey Jack cheese, then served crispy with Tong’s Thai and shrimp sauces for dipping. • Smoked Chicken Wings: Jumbo wings, smoked to perfection and served naked or tossed in sauce. • No Pig Sandwich: A vegetarian option featuring a marinated grilled portobello, roasted red peppers, pickled onions, smoked tomatoes, greens, goat cheese and a drizzle of pesto. Served with house salt and vinegar chips. • Chow Bao Sliders: Three steamed bao buns filled with a
Set on Chicago’s South Side in the 1950s, “A Raisin in the Sun” follows a Black family as they decide how to spend an insurance check following the death of the family patriarch. Will the Younger family open a business, send a child to medical school or move to an all-white suburb? Hansberry became the first Black woman to have a play produced on Broadway when “A Raisin in the Sun” was produced in 1959. Charlotte resident Corlis Hayes will direct the Matthews show. “What drew my interest in directing ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ is its similarities to August Wilson's ‘Fences,’” Hayes said. “Family matters and power relations are two themes shared by both masterpieces. Clearly, in these two dramas, The Youngers go through issues like the death of a loved one, just like Troy's family in ‘Fences.’ Hansberry's classic work ‘A Raisin in the Sun,’ like Wilson's ‘Fences,’ proves that a play set in the 50s with themes that portray the Black experience are just as relevant today.” Hayes has earned awards for her work. She won Broadway World Awards in 2020 (Best Play and Director) for “Fences” as well as Metrolina Theatre Association Awards in 2019 (Best Play and Director) for “Two Trains Running” and in 2022 (Best Director) for “Black Bottom.” Matthews Playhouse brings “A Raisin in the Sun” to the stage through a partnership with BNS Productions, a Black repertory theater company in Charlotte. One of the special events offered during its Matthews run will be a panel discussion on Black home ownership disparity and additional themes from “A Raisin in the Sun.” This will take place after the 2 p.m. matinee on Sept. 27. Other events include a pay-what-youcan performance Sept. 25 (suggested donation of $10 for general admission seating) and a character analysis workshop from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Sept. 20. Catch the 135-minute play at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19, 26 and 27 as well as 2 p.m. Sept. 20, 21, 27 and 28 at the Matthews Community Center, 100 E. McDowell St. Adults tickets cost $23 to $30. Seniors, military, students and children (play recommended for ages 13 and older) pay $20 to $27. Buy tickets at matthewsplayhouse. com or at the door (door sales are premium price). Cast of “A Raisin in the Sun”
Chow Bao Sliders
St. Louis Style Ribs
No Pig Sandwich
Smoked Chicken Wings
Pig Pork Rolls
Photos courtesy of NiceDay
choice of pulled pork, brisket, chicken or smoked tofu, then topped with Asian slaw and spicy hoisin sauce. Served with a side. • St. Louis-Style Ribs: Dryrubbed and slow-smoked, these ribs are served with a side, pickled onions and a hushpuppy.
• Ruth Younger – Renee Welch Noel / Nasha Shandri • Walter Lee Younger – Jonavan Adams'/ Justin Peoples • Lena “Mama” Younger – Lillie Oden • Travis Younger – Thaddeus Faustin / Solomon Doleman • Beneatha Younger - Mikayla Broome / K. Alana Jones • Joseph Asagai – Dionte Darko / Kahlil Allen • George Murchison – Sha’Heed J. Brooks • Bobo – Bobby Tyson • Karl Lindner – Henk Bouhuys • Mrs. Johnson – Shar Marlin / Ericka Ross • Movers – Robert Rankin, Dionte Darko, Rory Sheriff