May SouthPark 2026

DGK DGK DESIGN + BUILD DGK

designed to gather

made to feel built to last

FROM THE EDITOR

My husband’s birthday is two days after Christmas, so the celebration often gets lost in the holiday shuffle. Last year was no exception. Per usual, on Dec. 26 my daughter and I were out shopping for (and returning) gifts — and searching all over town for a bakery that 1) was actually open after the mad holiday rush and 2) had a coconut cake. Not gingerbread, sugar cookies, or anything with red and green frosting, but a simple, made-from-scratch coconut cake. Suddenly, I remembered that Kudzu had recently opened in Dilworth. I was familiar with the bakery and market from its original Pawleys Island location. Shelley Verhagen, who owns the Charlotte bakery with her husband, Andrew, grew up at Pawleys — Kudzu’s founders are family friends. Shelley and Andrew are licensees. I checked the bakery’s hours online (open!) and, an hour before closing time, we pulled up to the front door.

In the pastry case, I spied a carrot cake alongside a decadent German chocolate — a solid backup option. Then, over in the refrigerator — a single coconut cake, boxed and ready to go. Jackpot. We brought it home, and it was delicious — the closest to homemade (better, maybe?) I’d ever had, and far superior to any supermarket cake we could have gotten. Kudzu saved the day.

I shop online like everyone else, but some things just can’t be found on Amazon or your favorite shopping site. There’s something about the tactile experience of touching fabric, feeling the weight of a handblown vase, smelling cakes and cookies baking in the oven. In this era of living inside our phones, there’s also a lot to be said for in-person service.

In this issue, we get to know some of the

newest Queen City shops and shopkeepers, and highlight other longtime favorites (page 90). We know it’s not a comprehensive list, but it’s a good place to start when searching for ideas to shop local.

We also take a look at the sustained success of SouthPark Mall, Charlotte’s shopping mecca that’s home to coveted national and international brands — and where about one-third of the retailers are unique within North Carolina. With events like SouthPark After 5 and the upcoming renovation of Symphony Park, it’s also a vital community hub.

If you’re looking for something special for Mother’s Day, spring weddings, graduations or another occasion — try putting down the phone and shutting the laptop and popping into a local shop. You never know what you might find.

It’s also mental-health awareness month, and Olivia Lee has an insightful piece on three prominent hospitality pros who open up about their experiences with addiction and mental illness — and discuss how they’ve learned to thrive amid the struggles (page 124).

Finally, it’s tee time at Quail Hollow Club! Learn what’s new at this month’s rebranded Truist Championship from Executive Director Adam Sperling on page 32. Happy spring!

May

BLVD.

26 | golf

Mental-performance coach Kathy Hart Wood helps golfers unlock their talent on the course.

32 | community

Q&A with Truist Championship Executive Director Adam Sperling

36 | people

In a south Charlotte classroom built on confidence and kindness, Hannah Gellar teaches self-worth and builds a social-media following with her upbeat messaging.

44 | cuisine

Worth the wait: Uchi and Uchiba open in Plaza Midwood

48 | cocktails

Leading by example: Yunta mixologist Ashley Sarkis

54 | explore

A roundup of intimate theaters and music venues within two hours of Charlotte

62 | happenings

May calendar of events

DEPARTMENTS

65 | in plain view

Zygos: Sally Rogers’ gleaming Third Ward statue reflects Charlotte’s journey as an ascendant New South city.

67 | local authors

Reading roundup: books by Charlotte writers

71 | bookshelf

May’s new releases

73 | state of mind

The high ground: finding ways to thrive

77 | simple life

Letter to a June Bug

81 | well + wise

When traveling is therapy

129 | swirl

Parties, fundraisers and events around Charlotte

136 | crowning moments

Eldest daughters have been training for leadership roles our whole lives. 54

ABOUT THE COVER:

Grace Patrick photographed at R. Runberg Curiosities by Olly Yung; styling by Whitley Adkins. Dries Van

Noten v-neck gilet, $3,350, Brandon

Maxwell Mercer skirt, $1,800, and Tonya Hawkes chest clutch, $1,540, all from Capitol; Lizzie Fortunato Campagna earrings, $220, Poole Shop

This page: Since 1956, Park Road Shopping Center has been a retail hub with an eclectic mix of local and regional stores and restaurants. And don’t forget about the backlot for even more places to shop, drink and dine.

On the cover: Ruth Runberg, a former fashion buyer, has an impeccable eye for design. R. Runberg Curiosities, her charming Eastover boutique, is filled with unique art and exquisite home accents sourced from around the world. Curiosity-seekers can make an appointment, or drop by during one of Runberg’s regular open houses or special holiday shows.

90

FEATURES

90 | Let’s go shopping!

Get to know the city’s newest homegrown brands and stores, plus tried-and-true favorites for shopping local.

112 | Top shops by Kerry Singe

How SouthPark Mall maintains its ‘wow factor’ after 56 years.

116 | Family forward by Taylor Bowler | photographs by Michael Blevins

Designer Jacy Painter Kelly brings unfussy elegance to a custom new build in Fort Mill.

124 | Cooking up resilience by Olivia Lee

A chef, baker and restaurateur share their experiences with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and addiction, each overcoming adversity and finding their own silver lining.

TowneBank and Dogwood – A Winning Team

1230 West Morehead St., Suite 308 Charlotte, NC 28208

704-523-6987

southparkmagazine.com

Ben Kinney Publisher publisher@southparkmagazine.com

Cathy Martin Editor cathy@southparkmagazine.com

Sharon Smith Assistant Editor sharon@southparkmagazine.com

Andie Rose Creative Director

Alyssa Kennedy Art Director alyssamagazines@gmail.com

Whitley Adkins Style Editor

Sarah Fligel Proofreader

Contributing Editors

David Mildenberg, Michael J. Solender

Contributing Writers

Michelle Boudin, Taylor Bowler, Jim Dodson, J.J. Holshouser, Juliet Lam Kuehnle, Olivia Lee, Page Leggett, Ebony Morman, Teri Saylor, Kerry Singe, Tommy Tomlinson, Kay West

Contributing Photographers

Michael Blevins, Daniel Coston, Justin Driscoll, Richard Israel, Amy Kolodziej, Herman Nicholson, Peter Taylor, Olly Yung

Contributing Illustrators

Gerry O’Neill, Gary Palmer

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Jane Rodewald Sales Manager 704-621-9198 jane@southparkmagazine.com

Lynda D. Kuehni Account Executive lynda@southparkmagazine.com

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Letters to the editorial staff: editor@southparkmagazine.com

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Jack Andrews, Frank Daniels III, David Woronoff in memoriam Frank Daniels Jr. David Woronoff President david@thepilot.com

Turnkey Luxury Residences Steps From the Beach

Kay West is an awardwinning restaurant critic, journalist and author, focused on food, hospitality, the arts, design and culture. She has worked in New York, Nashville and Asheville as a regular contributor to local, regional and national publications, and has written five books, including Around the Opry Table: A Feast of Recipes and Stories from the Grand Ole Opry and 50 Things Every Young Lady Should Know. She recently moved to Charlotte.

work has also appeared The Charlotte Observer, CharlotteFive, Unpretentious Business North Carolina She’s driven by storytelling that feels grounded and full of heart. When she’s not reporting, she loves traveling, exploring the outdoors, reading, and getting lost in baking and pastry pursuits.

Page Leggett grew up in the QC and is a proud alumna of Charlotte-Mecklenburg public schools and Wake Forest University. Loves: Theater, movies, books, travel, art galleries and museums, dining out, antiquing, and bargain shopping — and sharing her discoveries on all of the above. Writing workshops. Tidiness and organization. Gathering with small groups of friends. Dislikes: America’s health insurance system and income inequality, sports, crowds, and mean people masquerading as nice people.

A royal roundup of the Queen City’s favorite things.

Calling all SouthPark readers! We know you’ve got an eye for design, a palate for great food and drinks, and a knack for identifying who’s at the top of their game in Charlotte. You’ve got your finger on the pulse of this city — and we’re asking you to vote for your favorite local people, places and businesses for our inaugural Charlotte’s A-List awards.

The July issue of SouthPark will feature the winners and editor’s picks.

Voting Round: April 28 - May 19

For advertising information, please contact Jane 704.621.9198 or Lynda 704.891.2222

Advertising does not guarantee advancement. Votes are tracked and validated by a third party ballot platform.

blvd.

people, places, things

EASY ENTERTAINING

Gabrielle Amato and Carolyn Hakansson met more than a decade ago as interns in the fashion industry in New York City. They recently launched Table Two Studio, a Charlotte-based line of tabletop items designed to make entertaining simpler. The collection includes table linens and colorful, recycled-paper plates based on original hand-drawn designs. Shown: Table Two Studio’s Americano dinner ($22/set of 12) and hors d’oeuvres plates ($14/12) and Avalon linen place mats ($108/set of four). The products are sold online at tabletwostudio.com and locally at Bonnie + Bud. SP

Most golfers who come to work with performance coach Kathy Hart Wood have two things in common. They have more talent than they show on the course, and they feel frustrated by their results. Wood, 61, helps them reframe their approach and how they manage their thoughts about their game. It’s a strategy she believes can change everything.

A former professional golfer-turned-nationally recognized Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) coach and instructor, Wood now

MIND GAME

After years of competitive golf and instruction, mental-performance coach Kathy Hart Wood helps golfers unlock their talent on the course. by

Michael J. Solender

| photographs by

Richard Israel

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focuses on the mental side of the game. Through her online Mental Caddy program and one-on-one coaching, she works with golfers of all ages from recreational to competitive levels, including collegiate and professional players.

“Golf is hard mentally because most people aren’t taught how to manage their mind,” says the Ballantyne resident. “It’s an emotional game. When it’s your turn to hit, if you don’t know how to manage that emotion, it stays in your body and affects how you play.”

Wood grew up on the golf course, first in upstate New York and later in Miami Beach, Florida. Her father, a lifelong golf professional, managed courses and inspired her to play and teach. Her brother, Dudley Hart, is a two-time PGA Tour winner who now competes on the Champions circuit.

A standout junior golfer, Wood was recruited to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, where she played alongside future LPGA major champion and CBS golf analyst Dottie Pepper. At the time, Furman had one of the most competitive collegiate programs in women’s golf.

After college, Wood competed internationally on the European, Australian and South African tours before transitioning to coaching and instruction. She has been recognized among the LPGA Professionals’ Top 50 instructors and named one of Golf Digest’s 50 Best Women Teachers in America. She hosts a weekly podcast called Think Above Par: Your Mental Caddy for Golf Mindset & Performance. Wood and her husband, PGA teaching professional Mark Wood, moved to Charlotte four years ago when Mark took a position with Carmel Country Club as director of instruction.

SouthPark Magazine recently spoke with Wood to learn how managing the mind can lead to better play and satisfaction, both on and off the course. Her answers are lightly edited for clarity and length.

Tell us about your transition from swing coach to mental golf-performance coach.

I’m the trifecta of mental coaches. I played professionally, became a top teacher, then transitioned into mental coaching.

I’ve always been a lifelong learner, constantly studying why I didn’t play to my potential. I watched my brother succeed as both a great teacher and a top player on tour and wondered, “What’s wrong with me?” I knew I had more talent than I was showing on the golf course but couldn’t translate it into performance.

Eventually, I walked away from golf because I didn’t like how I felt playing it. I was always disappointed in myself — and honestly, I shamed myself. I worked with a few sports psychologists, including some well-known ones, but never found the answers I needed.

While doing personal work outside of golf, I discovered Brooke Castillo, creator of The Life Coach School. I realized I could apply the tools I was learning to my own game. I tested them on my putting, and within days, I experienced the best putting of my life.

That convinced me. I became certified through Brooke’s program, studied her concepts and tools, then brought that approach to my own students, helping them strengthen the mental side of their game.

What was it that clicked for you — what’s at the core of this way of thinking?

My biggest epiphany was realizing that just because I had a thought didn’t mean I had to think it. I used to believe I was at the effect of my thoughts: “I suck,” “I’m never going to win,” “This is hard,” “I’ll always struggle,” “Everyone’s better than me.” Those thoughts were tough to manage, and because I heard them, I thought they were true. The biggest shift was understanding that I’m the creator of my thoughts, not the game of golf.

That gave me a sense of control. The goal isn’t to always be in a great mood on the golf course — you’ll get disappointed, angry or nervous, and you’ll feel pressure both there and in life. The real goal is to pivot quickly, mentally, back to a mindset that serves you. And when I say, “serves you,” I mean being able to access the talent you’ve worked to develop.

What happens between doing well in practice then struggling under pressure on the course?

Your brain has a negative bias. It’s wired to look for danger because the primitive part of our brain is always trying to keep us alive.

If you’re not intentional every day about what you want to think, your brain will scan for trouble: “Don’t hit it in the water,” “Don’t make a six,” “Make sure you make the cut.”

On the range, there’s no danger. Your brain doesn’t feel threatened. Who cares if I shank it on the range? But when you’re on the course, with people watching, pressure, expectations and a scorecard waiting at the end, your brain shifts into fight-or-flight mode.

When players talk about times when they played their best, they often describe being in the zone, carefree and thought-free. Is that what you want your students to aim for?

It’s easy to manage your mind on a green-light day because there’s no chaos. I compare your thoughts to a hamster cage. I had one as a kid. In the morning, the hamsters were quiet and still. That’s your mind at peace. But if I shook the cage, the hamsters would scurry

LUXE LOOKS

everywhere. That’s what happens when we shake our own mental cage, when we make a big deal out of things and our brain thinks there’s a problem.

We love green-light days because they feel easy. Yesterday, I caught every red light, and I was frustrated. The real test is how you manage your mind on those red-light days — when nothing’s going right, you’re not getting any breaks, you showed up late and your mental hamsters start running wild.

If you don’t have the tools to manage that, you’re at the mercy of the game. That’s when people derail and feel like they’re self-sabotaging. My goal is to help golfers manage themselves when they have a red-light day.

What’s the one thing you want any golfer, at any level, to know about working with you?

I want every golfer to know that working on the mental game isn’t limited to any skill level or handicap. If you want to feel better and perform better, you’re a candidate for this work. Many think it’s only for elite players, but I’ve seen the biggest impact with amateurs. It’s not above you; it’s for anyone with a brain. SP

TEE TIME

Ahead of this month’s Truist Championship at Quail Hollow Club, SouthPark Publisher Ben Kinney spoke with Adam Sperling, the tournament’s executive director. Sperling came to the Queen City in 2018 as executive director of the Presidents Cup. “We just fell in love with Charlotte and the state and the area,” says Sperling, who is married with three daughters. “I tell everybody now I don’t want to live any farther north, and I don’t want to live any farther south.” After a brief stint as director of professional golf at Quail Hollow, in 2025 he was tapped to lead the Truist Championship (previously the Wells Fargo Championship), which will be held May 6-10. “The stars have aligned an awful lot of times in my life, and now to work for the PGA Tour on the Truist Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, at Quail Hollow Club, I’ve got the greatest job in the world.”

Comments have been lightly edited for length.

Quail Hollow is known internationally in the golf world. It’s an incredible course — an incredible resource for Charlotte.

The PGA Tour came here in 2003, but professional golf dates back prior to that with the Kemper Open and the World Seniors. It’s really a part of the DNA of this club.

The Harris family, and the founders and the members, when they built it in the 1960s, [decided] that it was going to be a place to bring the best golfers in the world to Charlotte, North Carolina.

The growth of the club, and the stature of the events, has certainly grown along with the business and stature of the city, state and region.

What’s going to be new this year?

We haven’t had a ton of changes to the golf course since last year’s PGA Championship, so the 250 acres, especially those inside the ropes, will be pretty familiar.

But we’ve really taken a white board to how we can build out an experience for our attendees. We’re not changing things that don’t

need to be changed: The front-of-house works great. The driving range is beautiful. But we’re thinking a lot about the consumer journey, what the total experience is like — what do you need, when do you need it, where will you be?

You’ll see three fan zones — one is brand new on the first hole, a family and kids zone. The [more] social area is down near the finishing holes.

Atrium Health will provide free water. During the PGA Championship, with the all-inclusive tickets (including food and beverages), Atrium actually treated less fans for dehydration than ever before. So we took those learnings and applied them. And the first 5,000 fans on different days will get a free Stanley cup to go with their water.

Hendrick Auto is going to provide enhanced public seating in grandstand locations that we’ve never had. [Hole] 17 is one of the most sought-after areas on the golf course — it will have 200 to 300 public seats right down on the green.

We’ll have a new wayfinding app — think of Apple maps, but if you were able to put a whole bunch of layers on it. CPI Security will help us deliver that to the fans.

Charlotte has a great history of corporate partners who want to participate and help out for the community good.

It’s really special — something about the game, and something about being outside at Quail Hollow in Charlotte in the spring — it is a huge community gathering.

The best part about it for me is you’re always going to leave with something fantastic. Maybe Rory doesn’t win every year, but you’re going to see Rory do something that Rory does — you’re going to leave with that memory — plus, whoever pulls out a thrilling finish.

It’s too much of a rarity in this day and age, so it’s really fun to work with dedicated leaders who are in it for the same reason — which is to bring community together, to celebrate a special game and to do it in a really special place. SP

KINDNESS MATTERS

In a south Charlotte classroom built on confidence and kindness, Hannah Gellar teaches self-worth and builds a social-media following with her upbeat messaging.

by Teri Saylor

photographs by Herman Nicholson

Olivia White recalls the day last August when her son Joey started first grade at Knights View Elementary School. His teacher had delivered a bit of magic to soften the edges around his first-day jitters.

“Hannah Gellar gave Joey a packet of magic glitter and instructed us to put it under his pillow to help him have sweet dreams and a good night’s sleep,” White says. “He thought that was the greatest thing ever, and he was so excited to go to school the next day.”

Joey still keeps his magic glitter next to his bed and, even now, as summer vacation is approaching, he’s excited about going to school.

“As a mom, it makes me so happy to see him wanting to learn,” White says.

Judging from Gellar’s Instagram account, @msgellarteacheslittles, over 156,000 followers (plus another 100K on TikTok) around the world believe she is magical, too. Not that she ever set out to be-

“I want them to learn how to read, how to write and how to do math, but I also want them to learn how to be a confident and kind human, and I think that’s the most rewarding part.”

come an influencer. She started posting last summer about her love for her students and enthusiasm for teaching. She had about 600 followers then.

GELLAR GOES VIRAL

Gellar’s social-media following surged when she posted a video leading her class in their daily affirmations. Seated in a rocking chair with her students gathered on the floor in front of her, Gellar recites a litany of positive statements, and the kids repeat each one, their little voices united like a choir: “I’m awesome. I’m smart. I’m strong. I’m loved. I’m a leader. I’m good-looking. I can do hard things. I can make mistakes — it’s OK to make mistakes. I’m kind. I listen. I’m respectful. I’m a good person, and I’m going to have the best day.”

Then, Gellar instructs her pupils to kiss their hands and place them on their heads and their hearts — and to look at a friend and say, “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“It might feel a little goofy at first, but teaching kids to be kind to themselves is so important,” she says. “Having them repeat their affirmations builds their self-esteem and leads to success in every part of the classroom.”

It took just a few weeks for Gellar to realize she was getting through to

her students, when she noticed they were quoting the affirmations at random moments during the school day.

“When they’re in small groups or they have a partner [who is] struggling to do something, I’ll often hear them use language from the affirmations like, ‘You can do hard things’ or ‘It’s OK to make mistakes,’ and ‘You’ve got this,’” Gellar says. “It’s reinforcement that they are using positive words and believing in themselves and in each other.”

BORN TO TEACH

Gellar, 25, believes she was born to be an early-education teacher. As a kid, she loved school.

“I would pick out my clothes every night before school, and I was always eager to get up and go,” she says.

She grew up in Connecticut and moved to North Carolina for college, graduating from High Point University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in education leadership. After graduating, she taught in High Point, then went to New Jersey for a change of pace. Last summer, she moved to Charlotte and landed her job at Knights View, a new elementary school that opened in August 2024. She’s in her fourth year of teaching.

Principal Summer Rogers could not be more excited to have Hannah on her team. The school sits across from Ardrey Kell High School in south Charlotte. The high-school student body is known as the Knights and was the inspiration for the elementary school’s name.

“We’re Knights View Elementary School because we view our future right across the street,” Rogers says. The elemen-

tary school serves about 700 students and employs 42 classroom teachers, Rogers says.

When Gellar applied to teach at Knights View, two first-grade students were part of the team that interviewed her. They asked questions about topics that were important to them, such as “How do you make learning fun?” and “How do you make everyone feel safe?”

“And when we asked them if they thought she would be a good first-grade teacher, they gave her a thumbs up,” Rogers says.

BUILDING AN EARLY FOUNDATION

Gellar typically arrives at school around 7 a.m. each morning and sets up her colorful room for the day. She flips on neon lights shining with inspirational slogans: “Cool kids read books,” and “You can do hard things.” A screen displays the agenda for the day, and cubbies filled with colorful supply bins line the walls. The children have their own chairs emblazoned with their names.

Throughout the morning, Gellar alternates between class instruction and small-group activities, where the students learn collaboration and problem-solving by working together. She also schedules one-on-one time with any child needing extra support.

She realizes she’s responsible for fueling their educational journey and doesn’t take it lightly.

“They have a long way to go until they graduate high school,” she says. “In kindergarten and first, they build a foundation and a framework of how they feel about school.”

Guiding You Home in Charlotte and Beyond.

She describes her approach to leading young minds in two words: growth and impact.

“When I think of student growth in first grade, I’m not just thinking about literacy growth and [mathematical] growth and writing growth — I’m thinking growth of the whole child,” she says. “I want them to learn how to read, how to write and how to do math, but I also want them to learn how to be a confident and kind human, and I think that’s the most rewarding part.”

FOCUSED ON THE MISSION

While she is still early in her career, she loves receiving videos of her former students doing morning affirmations in their mirrors or messages telling her they remember how much she loved and cared for them.

Olivia White understands why they feel that way.

“Hannah Gellar is one of those teachers you remember your whole life,” she says.

While Gellar enjoys positive feedback, she stays focused on her mission.

“If I can start them off right, loving school and realizing that they’re capable, even if they make mistakes, then I feel like I have done my job.” SP

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WORTH THE WAIT

Uchi and Uchiba debut in Plaza Midwood

by Kay West

Charlotte could be forgiven for wondering if James Beard Award-winning chef Tyson Cole had forgotten the promise he made in 2024 to bring us our very own Uchi, the Japaneseinspired, out-of-the-bento box restaurant he launched in Austin in 2003. Since winning Beard’s Best Chef: Southwest in 2011, Cole has opened a dozen or so Uchis, Uchibas and Uchikos in cities coast-to-coast.

On March 31, Cole and the Hai Hospitality group delivered, revealing the thoroughly modern Uchi in a meticulously renovated century-old manufacturing building, a historical marker in Plaza Midwood’s Commonwealth development. Brick walls that soar two stories and enormous windows wrap the vast room, with a sushi bar that curves into a cocktail bar, cozy booths and streamlined tables and chairs. Light-wood floors and paneling are accessorized with copper screens, statement plants, whimsical wallpaper and sculptural lighting.

One floor up is bonus baby Uchiba (Uchi-BAH), which loosely translates to Uchi Bar. Indeed, the intimate, moody room is

anchored by a U-shaped bar and lined with plush leather banquettes that invite lounging. The expansive rooftop patio with skyline views will be the main draw as the weather warms. The menu here is elevated bar food — yakitori, buns, bao, dumplings, skewers and mini-burgers — that plays well with the selection of sake, craft cocktails, Japanese whiskey and highballs.

Overseeing it all is chef de cuisine Shaun King, who is new to Queen City but has a five-year tenure with the Hai group, much of it in Houston. With his wife and son, he moved to Charlotte in November and hit the ground running. If his name rings a bell, it is likely through the high-profile collaborations he did earlier this year with the chefs of local notables like Counter-, Customshop and Emmy Lou’s.

“It was a great way to connect with the excellent chefs who work here and build relationships,” King says.

The heavy lifting was in the hiring — 70 staff for back of house alone, including 19 sushi chefs. King sought a balance of cooking skills and personal character.

“We can teach the cooking side, but we are as passionate about preserving the values of our culture.” When it comes to training, he cites “shoshin” as a guiding principle. A Zen Buddhist concept meaning beginner’s mind, it urges an attitude of openness, eagerness and lack of preconceptions.

Considering Uchi’s lengthy menu, diners might arrive at the restaurant with shoshin as well; let go, and let the staff lead the way. Omakase — a 10-course tasting menu — can be enjoyed at the sushi bar or a table. Another option is to allow your server to curate a meal for you, based on your comfortable price point, dietary restrictions and particular likes/dislikes.

For DIYers, here is the basic primer, by category: nigiri/sashimi; makimono (rolls); Toyosu (fish sourced from Japan’s famous fish market); yasaimono (vegetables); agemono (fried things); daily specials; cool tastings; hot tastings; and okashi (desserts).

Each category offers vegetarian and vegan options, classic preparations, imaginative interpretations and signature dishes like hama chili — slices of fatty baby yellowtail topped with spicy Thai chili, garlic salt, ponzu sauce and orange supremes. The Uchi salad is another trademark dish, a construction of local lettuce and daikon wrapped into a hand-held bundle to swipe through edamame-and-jalapeno dressing.

Sashimi and nigiri spotlight fresh fish, but also wagyu and vegetables like Japanese eggplant and avocado. Cool tastings —

— pork flank, grilled oyster and mushroom crispy rice — are portioned for exploring the menu and not filling up on one entrée.

The daily special menu will change every other month and reflect the seasons and region; there will be dishes fully unique to Charlotte, like the ham-and-eggs roll with sous vide pork-belly katsu, egg yolk, pickled burdock root and shishito pepper, served with beer mustard.

“It’s got a Carolina barbecue vibe with the pork and mustard,” King explains.

King is happy to be leading Uchi and Uchiba’s debut in the Carolinas, in a city with a vibrant and growing dining profile.

“We are excited to become part of Charlotte’s culinary

WOMEN WHO LEAD:

This is the third installment in a four-part series featuring trailblazing women in Charlotte’s culinary scene. From top chefs to bakers, mixologists to food-truck owners, local talents talk passion, perseverance and navigating their industries with grit and grace.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

The

While waiting for a reservation at New York City’s highly sought-out speakeasy, Death & Co., Ashley Sarkis and her husband stop by Amor y Amargo, a bitters-based bar in the East Village. It’s a quaint little bar, cozy, with low ceilings and notes of jazz music in the background. Sarkis orders a stirred bourbon cocktail, made with an Italian herbal liqueur and cardamom bitters. She recalls being able to taste all of the distinct ingredients, each with a unique flavor and complexity, and even more so in concert.

Back in Charlotte, Sarkis chases the same goal: To create a multifaceted cocktail that is balanced and aromatic. After honing her craft-bartending skills at Lenny Boy, Southbound, Grinning Mule, Bardo and Vana, Sarkis now works as beverage director at the South End Peruvian hot spot, Yunta. Here, Sarkis experiments with a variety of South American fruits like pisco and lúcama, inspiring a narrative behind each drink. One of her favorites is the Smoking Mirror: Casamigos reposado, mezcal, lime and an original syrup made with charred aji peppers, which are prominent in Peru.

consumption, there are often limited spirit-free options at bars and restaurants. At Yunta, Sarkis has created a thoughtful and inclusive mocktail menu of zero-proof drinks that are more complex than simple sugar bombs. In 2023, it landed on Yelp’s list of top 25 mocktail programs in the U.S.

Last year, Sarkis opened Liberating Libations, a small nonalcoholic bottle shop at the Local Focal in Elizabeth, where customers can find nonalcoholic wine, beer and canned mocktails, including those by Noughty, Bolle, Blind Tiger and De Soi, as well as bitters by It’s All the Bitter and syrups by Spirits of Alchemy.

She’s also proud of the Hoya 19, made with Elijah Craig bourbon, Spanish plum syrup, elderflower and lemon. “I really, really love making bourbon drinks that are approachable,” Sarkis says. “A lot of people, and specifically women, are afraid to drink bourbon drinks, but I love making bourbon drinks that you would be like, ‘Oh, I don’t even like bourbon, but I like this kind of situation.’” With each sip, new flavors emerge and the drink evolves, just like Sarkis, who has more recently branched out into the market of nonalcoholic beverages.

SAVORING SPIRIT-FREE

For those who are more mindful of their alcohol

“A big part of my love for things behind the bar is going and really creating, just making it mindful,” Sarkis says. “If you’re going to thoughtfully craft out cocktails, why not thoughtfully craft out mocktails or nonalcoholic drinks? To me, it just makes sense.”

Sarkis’ foray into mocktails was fueled by her own lifestyle. In addition to being a mixologist, she is also a wife, mother and fitness instructor. Showing up for her co-workers, family and students takes priority, leaving little time for a hangover.

“I feel like a lot of times once you start a career or family life, you don’t necessarily have the time and the energy for [alcohol] like you would, but you still do want to be a part of the celebration even if you don’t want to drink,” Sarkis says.

“[When I drink] I’ll wake up the next day and have a hangover and anxiety, and wonder, where is the fun with this?” Instead, Sarkis focuses on bringing energy into the fitness studio, leading her team behind the bar at Yunta and being a role model to her 17-year-old son.

For those looking for a nonalcoholic beverage at Yunta, Sarkis recommends The Gardener, a light-and-refreshing, herbaceous concoction made

with Seedlip Garden 108 (a gin-inspired nonalcoholic spirit), watermelon juice, rosemary and mint.

FRIENDLY COMPETITION

When not at Yunta, Sarkis shows off her talents in local and national competitions. In 2023, she participated in Deep Eddy vodka’s Craft the Fun Cocktail Challenge, where she was tasked with creating three distinctive cocktails tied with a common theme. Sarkis’ drinks were based on iconic movies set in Texas.

For the Sparkling Texas Ruby, which was inspired by Dazed and Confused, Sarkis conjured up a CBD-infused grapefruit cooler served in a mushroom glass. Bud and Sissy — a shandy made with peach vodka, hot sauce and citrus topped with Budweiser — was based on Urban Cowboy. Earl’s Cup of Tea, made with Earl Grey vodka and blueberries, was influenced by The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Sarkis won the competition, with many Charlotte mixologists cheering her on.

While Sarkis has participated in numerous competitions,

she values collaboration over competitiveness and strives to cultivate teamwork behind the bar at Yunta. By allowing her staff to contribute in developing the menu, she creates a work environment that promotes inclusivity and shared ownership and encourages confidence. Sarkis describes herself as someone who is hands-on and leads by example, showing the level of service that is to be expected rather than managing from a distance.

Across Charlotte, Sarkis has noticed an interconnection among her fellow mixologists, especially women. After Hurricane Helene in late 2024, Sarkis teamed up with fellow female cocktail creatives Amanda Britton (of Spaghett) and Colleen Hughes (of the Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group) to create cocktails for a fundraiser supporting communities devastated by the storm.

“For the longest time, the bar world was a male-run and -driven place, and it’s become less so,” Sarkis says. “Being supportive of the women in the industry is so important. And really knowing that the women in Charlotte have each other’s back, instead of it being the other way around, is a great thing.” SP

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Visit our website at TrinityOaks.net to learn more about our Independent Living residences, Assisted Living, Health & Rehab, and Memory Care or you can scan the QR code or call 704-603-9202.

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SMALL WONDERS

Intimate theaters and music venues are the best way, in this writer’s opinion, to see a show. Here are a few within two hours of Charlotte. by Page Leggett

Summertime means stadium concerts — just you and 74,000 of your closest friends, sweating at an outdoor arena, all for the thrill of seeing one of your favorite singers … on the Jumbotron. If you dislike crowds but love live music or live theater, I bring you good news. There’s a more civilized way to enjoy the performing arts.

NEWBERRY OPERA HOUSE

Newberry, South Carolina, 2 hours from Charlotte newberryoperahouse.com

I first made the drive to Newberry in 2009 when Nanci Griffith played at the Newberry Opera House. I’d heard the sweet-voiced Texan a few years prior when she’d played the 2,100-seat Belk Theater in Charlotte.

This time, she was performing in a restored historic venue that feels smaller than my high-school auditorium. And it may be. With just over 400 seats, it feels more like a living room than a concert hall. (Compare it to the gorgeous church-turned-performance-space, Spirit Square — which is temporarily closed due to construction of the new uptown library — that seats about 716.)

That’s a big reason people travel from the Carolinas and Georgia to Newberry (pop. 10,700). They want to see a performer they love

without looking through binoculars.

Newberry’s opera house has stood sentry over downtown since 1882. It fell into disrepair for decades until the townspeople came together to raise the funds to restore it in the mid-1990s. The revived venue transformed downtown and boosted tourism. But Newberry residents account for only about 20% of ticket sales, says Anne Pinckney Smith, executive director. Out-of-towners make up the rest.

AWESOME ACOUSTICS

Newberry, according to Smith, is becoming a “premier” theater destination. “People have realized that, if you come to a Taj Mahal show here, it will be a completely different experience than Taj Mahal at [Greenville’s Peace Center]. It’s almost like surround sound, unplugged and in your living room.”

What’s more, it’s comfortable; Smith calls it “a completely elevated experience” where “you can park your car, eat a great meal, enjoy a walkable town and hear live music in a pristine way.”

And the word is out. When bluegrass musicians Sam Grisman and Peter Rowan played in Newberry recently, a fan heard about the venue’s acoustics and came all the way from Nashville.

The center also has become a template for how to renovate

an older performing-arts venue — not just for shows, but as an economic driver.

“People come from all over the country to see what our model is,” says Smith, a former Charlotte resident, adding that Newberry offers what she personally wants in a concert venue. “I’m past the age where I’ll go to a bar to hear live music. I want a seat. I want a glass of wine, and I don’t want to wait in a long line for it.”

Performers appreciate it, too.

When Eddie Money played Newberry in 2013, he told a reporter, “Newberry is a great little rock-and-roll town … and the opera house is just gorgeous.” And he said that even after a police officer stopped him for jaywalking. Money showed him an old photo of him before he became a singer. He was a cop.

BIG NAMES, SMALL TOWN

Past performers at Newberry Opera House include Roberta Flack, Wynton Marsalis, Blues Traveler, the Vienna Boys Choir, Garrison Keillor, Jane Lynch and Chubby Checker, to name a few.

Some performers, like the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, kick off a new tour in Newberry. A small venue is a good way to ease into being back on the road. And some performers have a night off — say, between Charlotte and Atlanta shows — and come to Newberry as a fill-in.

And if you haven’t heard of some performers, chances are you will soon.

“We had The Red Clay Strays here fresh off a tour with Eric Church,” Smith says. “The agent called and said, ‘Book them now, or you’ll never get them.’”

FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE

Flat Rock, 1 hour, 50 minutes from Charlotte flatrockplayhouse.org

At the beginning of the John Lloyd Young concert at Flat Rock Playhouse last fall, the Broadway veteran said, “Many of you have no idea who I am. You’re loyal Playhouse patrons who come to everything here.”

VILLAGE life

With that, he introduced himself to an auditorium packed with people who, as he guessed, had never heard of him. At least not until the Flat Rock Playhouse booked him for three sold-out performances.

Young originated the role of Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys, and I took my octogenarian parents to see him since the show, I figured correctly, would be filled with music from their era.

Every time I’ve been to a show here, all 462 seats have been sold. But that doesn’t surprise theater leadership.

NORTH CAROLINA’S OFFICIAL STATE THEATER

“We actively engage with our audience when planning our programming,” explains Christy Souther, marketing director. “Each year, we survey our subscribers and ticket buyers to learn what they’d most like to see — and we truly listen to that feedback. We travel to New York City annually to conduct a two-week round of auditions for our entire summer season.”

Burt Reynolds performed here early in his career. Kyle MacLachlan (“Sex and the City,” “Twin Peaks”) began his career here as an apprentice. In 1978, he had a part in Look Homeward, Angel Flat Rock Playhouse was founded in 1952 and designated North Carolina’s official state theater in 1961 by the General Assembly in honor of its role as a major performing-arts institution that serves

both residents and visitors, “and because of its long-standing cultural impact,” Souther says.

The grounds the theater sits on, near the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, are lovely. Arrive early to soak it all in, and enjoy concessions, wine and beer outside in a garden setting. When you hear the old-timey dinner bell, you’ll know it’s time to mosey inside for the show.

AND ELSEWHERE …

BRADSHAW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Pinehurst, 2 hours from Charlotte sandhillsbpac.com

The Bradshaw PAC encompasses a few theaters. I saw Butterflies Are Free a couple of years ago at one of them — the 588-seat Owens Auditorium at Sandhills Community College. The 1972 movie version made Goldie Hawn a star; the Pinehurst production brought Morgan Fairchild (“Dallas,” “Falcon Crest”) to town. Kristin Chenoweth (from Broadway’s Wicked), Charo (a regular on 1970s and ’80s TV shows like “The Love Boat” and “Love, American Style”) and Priscilla Presley have graced the stage since the center opened in 2019.

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REEVES THEATER

Elkin, 1 hour, 15 minutes from Charlotte reevestheater.com

The Reeves started out as a movie theater in 1941 before falling into … well, you know the rest. Disrepair, then rebirth, much like the Newberry Opera House. In 2013, three longtime Elkin residents bought the art-deco building and converted it into a live-music venue, known mostly for Americana, bluegrass and roots acts. Sam Bush, arguably the country’s foremost mandolin player, performed here recently. With only 252 seats, popular acts sell out in a hurry.

DON GIBSON THEATRE

Shelby, 1 hour from Charlotte dongibsontheater.com

Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters and Paula Poundstone have all played at the 400seat venue. This theater gives Charlotteans another good reason (in addition to Bridges Barbecue!) to make the trip.

HARBISON THEATRE

Irmo, South Carolina, 1 hour, 50 minutes from Charlotte harbisontheatre.org

Jennifer Holliday (Broadway’s Dreamgirls) Montgomery Gentry and Patrick Davis are among performers to have played the 400-seat venue at Midlands Technical College in Irmo, just outside Columbia.

LIBERTY SHOWCASE THEATER

Liberty, 1 hour, 40 minutes from Charlotte thelibertyshowcase.com

Here’s another former movie theater given new life as a (mostly country) live-music venue. You can sit at a cabaret table for four right in front of the stage or in theater-style seating. They sell the snacks you’d expect at a movie theater — popcorn, candy, soda — but they don’t serve alcohol. Entertainers who have played the 455-seat venue include Lee “God Bless the USA” Greenwood, Suzy Bogguss, Sammy Kershaw, Marty Stuart and The Oak Ridge Boys. SP

May HAPPENINGS

For more arts events, view our Spring Arts Preview online at southparkmagazine.com.

Kings Drive Art Walk

May 2–3

Stroll among art, crafts and music at this free annual spring event along Little Sugar Creek Greenway between East Morehead Street and the Pearl Park Way bridge. Art in the Garden

May 2–3

Wander through eight of the finest private gardens during the Charlotte Garden Club’s annual tour. Meet local artists and find inspiration for your own patch of green. New this year, “sip and stroll” and enjoy bites from Ernie’s BBQ and Revival Coffee and Ice Cream Truck. Tickets are $40.

Titanic: Echoes from the Past

May 2–June 30

Take a virtual-reality journey back to 1912 to walk the doomed ship’s decks, explore its interiors and witness pivotal moments in history. At The GreenHouse in west Charlotte; tickets are available at titanicclt.com

Robert Cray Band

May 5

He’s a blues icon, soul man and rock-and-roller, and he’s bringing his act to Carolina Theatre. Tickets start at about $55.

Sound Bath Series

May 5 l 5:45 p.m.

On the first Tuesday of each month, Emmanuel Daniels leads guests on this free immersive midweek break to unwind at Mint Museum Uptown. Each session incorporates breathwork, guided meditation and live instrumental and vocal sound. Bring a yoga mat.

Wild & Tended

May 6–30

Featuring works by Trudi Norris, Sarah Gentry and Kevin Morris, this exhibition at Anne Neilson Fine Art showcases the joyful balance between nature’s untamed beauty, with colorful blooms and lively creatures that might be found in a garden.

Truist Championship

May 6–10

Sepp Straka, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas and other top players compete as the tournament returns to Quail Hollow Club. Ticket prices vary.

Truist Championship Tee-Off Concert

May 7 | 5 p.m.

Ryan & Woody, U.S. Navy Band and On the Border Ultimate Eagles Tribute take the stage at Symphony Park as part of the SouthPark After 5 concert series presented by SouthPark Community Partners (concerts continue through May 21). Free general admission; VIP tickets are $75.

Yacht Rock Revue at TD Amp

May 9

The high-energy party band with a ’70s and ’80s sound returns to the Ballantyne outdoor amphitheater. Ticket prices vary.

The Secret Gardens of Fourth Ward

May 16–17 | noon–4 p.m.

Historic Fourth Ward’s annual self-guided spring tour includes food and cocktail tastings

at gardens and restaurants along the way, including Spaghett, The Dunhill Hotel and McNinch House. Day-specific tickets are $30, or a weekend flex ticket is $40.

John Legend

May 17

The Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and star of “The Voice” comes to Ovens Auditorium. Ticket prices vary.

The Notebook

May 19-24

Based on the bestselling novel that inspired the film, this musical adaptation tells the love story of Allie and Noah as they work to stay together despite forces tearing them apart. Tickets start at $47. Belk Theater.

Charlotte Crown vs. Jacksonville Waves

May 21

It’s the inaugural season for the Queen City’s new pro women’s basketball team. Coach Trisha Stafford-Odom is a former WNBA player. Get tickets and cheer them on at Bojangles Coliseum. Prices vary.

Coca-Cola 600

May 24

This Memorial Day weekend tradition at Charlotte Motor Speedway centers around one of NASCAR’s crown-jewel races. Festivities include military appreciation events and a pre-race concert by Brad Paisley, plus driver appearances.

Horizon of Khufu through Aug. 30

This immersive expedition uncovers the mysteries of the Great Pyramid of Giza and takes you back to ancient Egypt and views of the Nile, via virtual reality. Ticket prices vary. Blume Studios.

Moulin Rouge!

May 26–31

The Tony Award-winner for Best Musical, which is based on the Baz Luhrmann film, returns to Charlotte with all the splendor, romance and spectacle you expect. Enter a world where bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in the mix at Belk Theater. SP

Scan the QR code on your mobile device to stay updated on events at southparkmagazine.com.

An Exceptional Experience in the Heart of SouthPark

Sharon Square features an array of fine places to shop, dine, and socialize, all in a beautiful and walkable outdoor setting. Enjoy great moments dining with family and friends at any of our sit-down restaurants, shop for the essentials at our specialty retailers, or unwind at any of our luxury spas and salons.

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ZYGOS

Sally Rogers’ gleaming Third Ward statue reflects Charlotte’s journey as an ascendant New South city.

by Michael J. Solender photograph

by

Justin Driscoll

There’s a certain symmetry behind the location of Zygos, artist Sally Rogers’ gleaming, swirling sculpture in Charlotte’s Third Ward at Trade and Poplar streets.

Holding court outside the TradeMark building, a 28-story residential tower, the stainless-steel and granite sculpture is an assemblage of interconnected and complementary components.

The intertwining and interdependent balance in the elements comprising Zygos reflects the expansion and evolution of Charlotte as a New South city.

The puzzle-like sculpture links several gleaming half circles with long, angular flattened beams and sheets of steel, fanned out to frame slabs of gold-flecked Brazilian granite. Resembling the tail feathers of a proud bird, the “fans” lend stature and gravitas to the piece.

At 21 feet high, 13 feet wide and 8 feet deep, Zygos creates an impressive streetside presence. Perched atop a circular pedestal, the piece extends beyond its base with one component resting directly on the sidewalk, providing surprising accessibility.

Zygos was installed in 2007. The name is derived from the Greek word meaning “the art of joining together.”

Rogers, a mixed-media artist, is a Michigan native. She now lives in western North Carolina, just outside Spruce Pine. She discovered the community decades ago as an artist-in-residence at the Penland School of Craft.

“It’s abstract of course,” Rogers says in regard to Zygos. “There is a sense in the circular parts that speak to the wholeness and an opening for more. It’s what I thought the city was doing at the time, and still doing — spinning, growing and reaching for the sky.” SP

Step inside and take a journey to the old world, without having to leave home.

You don’t need to travel outside of Charlotte to find a bite of France. Renaissance Pâtisserie, founded by Chef Sylvain Rivet, brings the authentic taste of Paris to this North Carolinian bakery.

With an exquisite selection of handcrafted pastries, breads and delightful desserts, the pâtisserie is a haven for those craving the magic of French baking. Chef Rivet’s passion for quality shines through in every creation. From buttery croissants to elegant éclairs, everything is crafted using traditional techniques and only the finest ingredients.

READING ROUNDUP

New and noteworthy books from Queen City authors by

J.J. Holshouser

UNC Charlotte professor James A. Grymes has released Partisan Song: A Holocaust Story of Resilience, Resistance, and Revenge

The book explores the true story of Moshe Gildenman, a civil engineer and musician from a small village in Ukraine. When the Nazis murdered 2,200 Jews in his peaceful community, including his wife and daughter, Gildenman organized a small army brigade and led a guerilla war to liberate Ukraine from Nazi occupation.

Eleven Tables: A Wild Ride Through Food, Failure, and Figuring It Out by Jamie A. Brown with Jeff Tonidandel, tells the story of the Charlotte couple’s journey into the restaurant world and how they turned their passion into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Brown and Tonidandel are the owners of Supperland, Leluia Hall and several other popular Charlotte restaurants.

Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling by journalist Danny Funt explores how sports gambling became so prevalent and outlines the methods used to bleed gamblers dry. The book, which includes interviews and stories from executives of the leading sports-betting companies, is the first major investigation into America’s sports-gambling industry.

Charlotte native Earl G. Gulledge has released Charlotte: Haulin’ Around Town Streetside 1950-1963, a journey through Charlotte’s midcentury transformation. Part memoir, part historical commentary, Gulledge documents the people, neighborhoods and daily life that shaped the Queen City before and during its post-Korean War boom, revisiting landmarks and communities both remembered and forgotten.

Award-winning author Landis Wade’s latest book, Deadly Gold Rush, features an unlikely trio of Charlotte retirees who must solve a murder mystery in order to save their retirement community. The novel, the second in Wade’s Indie Retirement Mystery series, explores Charlotte’s hidden goldrush history.

A Time for Us, Rachel Anthony’s debut novel, follows the story of Deborah, a woman grappling with vivid dreams of a past life. When Deborah meets Pauli, he stirs a deep sense of familiarity within her. As she explores the concept of reincarnation, she uncovers a love story set in the dangerous world of organized crime. As she vacillates between 1940s New York and 1980s North Carolina, Deborah finds herself in a struggle between the allure of a past love and the fragile ties of her current existence.

Friday, Unfinished by Joanna Nenczyn follows a museum preservationist navigating love, grief and the complicated ways art can both protect and expose us. The novel, set in a coastal Carolina town, examines what it means to notice, to restore and to keep living inside questions that do not resolve cleanly.

KIDS’ FARE

Larry the Little Cloud, by local weatherman Larry Sprinkle, tells the story of a fluffy cloud who envies his more dramatic storm-cloud friends until he witnesses the impact big storms can have. For ages 4-7.

In Nani and the Lion by award-winning author Alicia D. Williams, a young girl loves to play her drum, delighting animals and villagers alike. But when Lion, king of the land, outlaws noisemaking, can Nani find a way to keep making music? For ages 4-8.

Where There’s a Whale, There’s a Way by Kimberly Wilson tells the true story of a pod of orca whales who became trapped in the frozen Hudson Bay near a small Canadian fishing village. For three days, the

In Two Purloined Pillows by Allie Pleiter, needlepoint shop manager Shelby is excited to bring in two well-known needlepoint designers for the town’s arts festival. But when one of them is poisoned to death, Shelby joins forces with Jake — who might be more than a friend — to untangle the mystery. The novel is the second in Pleiter’s Nimble Needle Mysteries series. SP

whales search for a way out while the villagers race against time to help them. For ages 6-12.

In Ebony Lynn Mudd’s Just Like Tina: Inspired by the Life of Tina Turner, a young girl named Shay considers herself the biggest Tina Turner fan of all time. But will all go according to plan when Shay performs at the local Tina Turner festival? For ages 4-8.

Good Morning, Morning! follows a young boy exploring the magic of the woods just before daybreak. The book by Maya Myers describes facets of nature such as slug trails, spiderwebs, birdsong and dewy grass. For ages 4-8.

MAY BOOKS

Notable new releases

compiled by Sally Brewster

The Calamity Club by

Kathryn Stockett

From the author of The Help: In Oxford, Mississippi, 1933, 11-year-old Meg Lefleur has learned the hard way to rely on no one. As one of the unadoptable “big girls” at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, she fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed. Birdie Calhoun, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford to ask her socialite sister to help the struggling family she’s left behind. But as the Depression tightens its grip, Birdie discovers her sister’s seemingly charmed life is a tapestry of lies. Then, Birdie encounters Charlie, a woman down on her luck with little left to lose. When their fates — and Meg’s — converge, Charlie comes up with an audacious plan to claim what’s rightfully theirs. But in a place and time where hypocrisy is rife and women’s freedom is fragile, even the smallest act of defiance can have dangerous consequences.

A Fortune of Sand by Ruta Sepetys

Marjorie Lennox is the youngest daughter of a powerful automotive dynasty, a family known for money, not manners. Artistic, impulsive and always slightly out of step, Marjorie has been dismissed by her controlling father and self-absorbed siblings. But when she secretly applies to an exclusive arts program funded by an elusive benefactor, she sees a chance to redefine herself on her own terms. The building is grand. The participants are gifted. But something … is off. The program is uncomfortably restrictive. Doors lock at odd hours. Strange sounds echo through the halls amid whispers that women are disappearing. And the handsome benefactor begins to unnerve her. As Marjorie’s sense of self begins to slip, so does her grip on the truth. What happens to women who don’t fit neatly into a gilded frame? Set against the crumbling grandeur of 1920s Detroit, A Fortune of Sand is inspired by actual historical events.

John of John by Douglas Stuart

Out of money and with little to show for his artschool education, John-Calum Macleod takes the ferry home to the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides to find that little has changed, except for him. He returns to the windswept croft and the two pillars of his childhood: his father John, a sheep farmer, tweed weaver and lay preacher in the local Presbyterian church, and his maternal grandmother Ella, a profanity-loving Glaswegian whose steady warmth helped Cal weather the sudden departure of his mother. Cal

privately wonders if any lonely men might be found on the barren hillsides of home, while John is dismayed by his son’s long hair, strange clothes and seeming unwillingness to be saved. But Cal isn’t the only one in the croft house who is keeping secrets. As the seasons change, the threads holding the community together become increasingly frayed, and nothing will remain as it was before.

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

Artie Dam spends his days teaching history to 11th graders, expanding their young minds, correcting their casual cruelties and lending a kind word to those who need it most. He goes to holiday parties with his wife, makes small talk with neighbors, and, on weekends, takes his sailboat out on the beautiful Massachusetts Bay. He is, by all appearances, present and alive. But inside, Artie is plagued by feelings of isolation. He looks out at a world gone mad and turns a question over and over in his mind: How is it that we know so little about one another, even those closest to us? Then, one day, Artie learns that life has been keeping a secret from him, one that threatens to upend his entire world. He is forced to chart a new course, to reconsider the relationships he holds most dear — and to make peace with the mysteries at the heart of our existence.

Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey

After the worst day in her professional life, burntout NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life — and possibly new romance. On her first day at her new job, highschool baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the tight-knit town. Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason introduces Daisy to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start. But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to the abandoned child, a startling discovery threatens to rip the town apart, placing Daisy, Mason and Tilley in the center of the storm. SP

Sally Brewster is the proprietor of Park Road Books, 4139 Park Road, parkroadbooks.com.

THE HIGH GROUND

Finding ways to thrive

by Tommy Tomlinson

Recently, we spent a fine Saturday afternoon in Mount Pleasant. I should specify that it was the Mount Pleasant in North Carolina. It turns out there are dozens of Mount Pleasants all over the country, sometimes more than one in the same state. You can see the appeal. Names can be destiny. Name yourself Mount Pleasant, and you’re halfway to pleasantness itself.

The “Mount” part is trickier. I grew up near a Mount Pleasant in south Georgia that was as flat as a shuffleboard table. The North Carolina version doesn’t exactly require hiking poles either. Then again, the Piedmont is known for puffing itself up when it comes to height. One of the reasons Charlotte calls its downtown “uptown” is that there’s a slight rise from the edge of the center city to the main intersection of Trade and Tryon streets. You might not even notice if you’re driving. But it is, technically, “up,” so “uptown” it is. And if Mount Pleasant, out on the eastern edge of Cabarrus County, sits on a patch of relative high ground … well, a mountain can be a state of mind.

It’s not far from where we live — less than an hour’s drive — but

neither my wife, Alix, nor I had spent time there. Our loss. This time we made it there for a literary festival at the Mount Pleasant library, which is bright and clean and beautiful. It doubles as a rec center. Kids were out on the fields playing baseball, and there was a line at a food truck. It was a busy spot in a busy town.

Not all small towns are like that. You’ve probably taken the back roads through some towns where you wonder if you wandered into the zombie apocalypse. Small towns have been hit hard over the last 50 or 60 years by everything from interstate highways to chain stores to the slow death of local manufacturing. Sometimes all you see is a bunch of boarded-up buildings and a Dollar General. It can make more sense to move, either into the city or out to the country. Sometimes the worst place to be is in between.

But other small towns figure out ways to thrive. Mount Pleasant has a crisp little downtown, old houses in good shape, a distillery housed in an old prison. (They make a bourbon called Conviction.) We met a guy who researches town history, a woman who worked in PR all over the country, and a flock of librarians I

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would follow into the deep stacks anywhere. Every time we drive through a small town, my wife glances around at the houses and I can see her daydreaming. If Alix likes what she sees, sometimes she’ll say, “What would you think about buying a house and moving somewhere like here?”

She said that about Mount Pleasant.

I grew up in a midsized town — about 30,000 people — and got most of my perspective on small towns from watching TV. For the longest time, I thought of small towns as being on either end of a wide range. One end was Mayberry, where almost nothing bad ever happened, except when Aunt Bee made pickles. The other end was Cabot Cove, Maine, where somebody got poisoned, stabbed or shot to death every damn week on Murder, She Wrote. (I still can’t believe nobody figured out that Jessica Fletcher was the most prolific serial killer in human history. None of that happened before she got to town!)

Modern life has flattened a lot of the differences between small towns and everywhere else. Streaming services bring the most obscure movies and shows to anyone with Wi-Fi. Worldwide delivery can put pretty much anything you want on your doorstep by tomorrow morning. A small town might not have a fancy ramen place, but Amazon can send you the ingredients and YouTube can show you the instructions.

The truth, though, is that small towns have never been that

different from everywhere else. The settings might be different, but our hearts are the same: We all need to love and be loved, to find pursuits that fulfill us, to grieve when life hands us losses, to reach for something bigger than ourselves.

Those things are true no matter whether you live in a hamlet of 200 or a city of 2 million.

Every person is complicated, and so every collection of people is more complicated still. It’s easy to write off a place for thinking or acting a certain way, but remember, that might be a majority, but it’s not a monolith. I’m not sure I could get a two-thirds vote in my own family on any subject except banana pudding. Our love for one another brings us together, but our differences are what makes life interesting.

It took me a long time to learn that you can make your own Mount Pleasant, wherever you are. You can just decide to live on higher ground. You can just decide to be decent to others. You can just decide to make a small town out of your friends and loved ones, even if you live in the middle of the city.

We are not likely to move to the actual Mount Pleasant, even though we enjoyed it. What we hope to do, though, is keep the little bits of it that we brought home with us — the warm feelings, the new friendships, the sense of discovery. I’m sitting here looking at a North Carolina map right now. I’ve been all over this state but there are so many places I still haven’t been. Time to gas up the car. SP

LETTER TO A JUNE BUG

From a homegrown Ogden Nash by

Jim Dodson

My daughter, Maggie, was born in 1989. It was a year of revolutions, a turning point in world affairs that witnessed the opening of the Berlin Wall, a Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia and the end of communism in Europe’s eastern bloc. It also saw the birth of the World Wide Web and the first commercial internet providers — social revolutions of a different kind.

Mugs, as I called my beautiful baby girl from day one, was born in the aftermath of a huge snowstorm in Maine. We took her home to our cottage on Bailey Island on day two, after her paternal grandparents arrived from North Carolina.

One of my fondest memories is of sliding on my rump down the deep, snowy hill behind our cottage, my bundled-up baby girl clutched to my chest. When I looked at my daughter’s tiny face, I swear she was almost smiling.

Upon returning home to Carolina, my dad jotted me a note of gratitude with a bit of whimsical verse attached. He fancied himself, I think, a homegrown Ogden Nash.

Sadly, I can only remember the opening lines of the ditty because I kept it in my office desk forever, until it got lost in the attic. Someday, I hope to unearth it. In the meantime, here’s the only bit that I can recall:

There’s nothing in this whole wide world / As precious as a baby girl / who someday soon will surely be / A child as happy as can be / Your job, my son, is take her hand . . . At which point, my memory fails.

When Maggie and her husband visited us in the autumn of ’24, she graciously offered to plow through my mountains of archives and work papers, giving me hope that she might find my dad’s wise little verse.

Instead, she found a pile of letters from my early career that included an unopened one from legendary New Yorker magazine

editor William Shawn. He complimented me for an investigative piece on a forgotten African American community I’d written for the Sunday magazine of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where I was a staff writer. He’d read it while waiting for a plane home to New York from Florida. He also wondered if I had interest in writing for his magazine.

I laughed at this discovery, because my career ambition in those early days was to someday write my way to The New Yorker

My daughter was incredulous. “Dad,” she playfully chided, “how could you have not opened this letter?”

Sheepishly, I explained that I had a habit in those days (and even today) of setting aside important letters to read and properly answer later.

“I probably just put it in my cluttered desk and forgot about it,” I theorized. “Crazy, I know.”

But if a dream job at The New Yorker was never to be, I added, perhaps my mistake was a perfect, unanswered prayer.

For, if I’d achieved my ambition to work for The New Yorker, I probably never would have burned out covering crime, politics and racial justice in the so-called New South and fled to a winding trout stream in Vermont, where I soon became the first senior writer of Yankee Magazine, married her mom and became the father of two beautiful babies. Moreover, I also never would have found my way home to North Carolina, where I wrote a dozen books and helped start several popular magazines across my home state that are thriving today. ***

Last May, we were thrilled to learn that Maggie was pregnant with our first grandchild, a baby girl due on Christmas Eve.

Caravaggio | Revolution: Baroque Masterpieces from the Roberto Longhi Foundation is generously presented by M.A. Rogers and Bank of America with additional support from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Individual sponsorship support for this exhibition is kindly provided by Betsy and Alfred Brand; Jane and Hugh McColl, Pat Rodgers, and Leigh-ann and Martin Sprock; Beverly and Jim Hance, Anna McKeithen Webersen, Laura McKeithen, Susan and Loy McKeithen, Marshelette and Milton Prime, and Rocky and Curtis Trenkelbach; Sarah and Tim Belk, Mary and Charles Bowman, and Jo Ann and Joddy Peer; Marty and Weston Andress, Mary Lou and Jim Babb, and Robin and Bill Branstrom. The Mint Museum is supported, in part, by the City of Charlotte and the North Carolina Arts Council. Caravaggio | Revolution is organized by the Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi and Civita Mostre e Musei, in collaboration with The Mint Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. IMAGE: Valentin de Boulogne, known as Le Valentin (French, 1591–1632). Denial of St. Peter (detail), 1615–17, oil on canvas. Florence, Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi. Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts | 500 South Tryon Street | Charlotte, NC 28202 | 704.337.2000 | mintmuseum.org | @themintmuseum

June Sinclair Prescott arrived early, born seven days before Christmas Eve, weighing in at a healthy 9.9 pounds. I immediately nicknamed her “June Bug,” because they are said to bring good luck and my spring garden is always full of them.

Maggie’s mom, my first wife Alison, flew to Los Angeles first to be with mother and baby as they got better acquainted.

The plan called for “Nana and PopPop,” aka Wendy and Jim, to follow in early January. Unfortunately, a powerful ice storm struck the day before our flight was to depart. A flow of adorable photos and videos of “June Bug” had to suffice.

Two weeks later, we tried again. This time on the eve of departure, it snowed 13 inches and thousands of flights up and down the East Coast got canceled. Including ours.

The day after the big snowstorm — shades of Maggie’s own birthday in 1989 — the sun popped out and I stepped outside to fill the bird feeders and think about my spring garden. An old idea suddenly came to me.

Pushing the snow off my favorite wooden chair, I sat down and jotted a letter in light verse to my new grandchild — like the homegrown Ogden Nash who preceded me. I also asked my good friend, artist Harry Blair, to illustrate it.

Dear June Bug,

Someday while you are still a tyke, I’ll take you on a wondrous hike

To see the world from on a hill

And all the places that will fill Your life ahead with joyful things —

Like winter snows and golden springs.

For nature is the ideal guide

To leafy paths that cannot hide

The glory of a world that’s wide —

With loving souls so full of grace

Who’ll help you find your perfect place

To live the life your heart desires —

With faith — and strength — that never tires. With my love forever,

PopPop ***

Our third effort to reach Los Angeles proved a charm.

We took the illustrated verse, lots of cute, new baby clothes and a lovely Swedish bear to finally meet our beautiful new grandchild. All we did for five days was rock, hike, hold, cuddle, feed and play with June Bug and her mama.

Like her mother, baby June was born at a moment of revolutionary change and turmoil across the planet. But I have a feeling that our laughing June Bug will bring good luck and happiness to anyone she meets on her life’s journey, just as her mother has. SP

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Summer is coming, which means a lot of us have upcoming travel. If you’re like me, there is something that happens when you get on a plane, load the car for a road trip or book a rental place. Something in your body shifts and starts to loosen. This is your nervous system responding to a change in environment, routine and demand.

Most of us are walking around in (at least) a low-grade stress state. Our nervous systems are wired to respond to threats, and modern life keeps delivering them: deadlines, notifications, traffic, endless to-do lists. Over time, this keeps our bodies in a state of chronic activation, or what many people know as “fight, flight or freeze.”

The nervous system has two primary modes: sympathetic, to handle response to stress, urgency and alertness, and parasympathetic, to handle rest, digestion and recovery. Many of us spend far more time in sympathetic overdrive than our bodies are designed to. This is the root of anxiety, burnout, sleep issues and emotional exhaustion.

Travel can interrupt that cycle. When you’re somewhere new, your brain is engaged differently. You’re curious and much more present. You’re problem-solving in small, lower-stakes ways, like navigating a new city or figuring out where to eat. That kind of activation is actually regulating because it pulls you out of rumination and into the moment, where your nervous system can find relief.

We hear the buzzwords that encourage presence and slowing down (mindfulness! self-care!) but it’s so hard to consistently practice these in our hustle culture. Travel creates structural permission to actually do those things. You’re in a different time zone, or without great Wi-Fi, or you’ve made a deal with yourself to not check notifications. Travel gives you an excuse to step away from autopilot and step back from the noise and the grind.

That disconnection is restorative. Research consistently shows that unplugging from work and digital demands lowers cortisol levels, improves mood and supports cognitive function. You’re likely to return from a trip sharper, more creative, and maybe even more emotionally available.

Solo travel teaches you things about who you are that you simply cannot learn any other way. When you are alone in a new place, you get to be fully yourself without performing for anyone. You eat what you want, go where you want, linger in the café as you want.

WHEN TRAVELING IS THERAPY

What getting away does for your mental health

by Juliet Lam Kuehnle

You make decisions based entirely on what sounds good to you. For a lot of people — especially those who have spent years being accommodating, people-pleasing or caretaking — this is genuinely revelatory. You start to remember your own preferences, trusting yourself and building self confidence.

Traveling with others has its own benefits. Shared trips create intimacy through experience, producing bonding moments that are hard to manufacture any other way. Travel also has a way of surfacing differences: in pace, in spending, in what “fun” even means. If you can navigate those conversations, compromise and still enjoy each other, that’s really meaningful.

I hear clients talk themselves out of travel all the time: “It’s too expensive,” “I don’t have enough time off,” “I should be saving,” “I’ll go when things settle down,” “I don’t want to go alone.”

Some of those concerns are real and deserve attention. It is absolutely a privilege to be able to travel. But some of these beliefs come from the guilt we’ve been taught to feel about rest and pleasure. We’ve subscribed to the idea that we have to earn enjoyment and that prioritizing ourselves is selfish. The good news is, you can unlearn these limiting beliefs and see travel as nonnegotiable for your mental health.

And know that you don’t have to travel far or for a long time. The point is to create a break from the ordinary and give your nervous system, your sense of self and your relationships a chance to breathe.

Once you’re there, here are a few ways to make travel truly restorative:

• Build in unscheduled time. Wandering and sitting and just being somewhere new is the whole point.

• Set intentions around phone/tech use. Decide in advance when you will check in versus when you will put it away.

• Look for glimmers. Pay attention to what excites you, what relaxes you and what evokes feelings of wonder and joy.

• If traveling with others, name your needs upfront: “I tend to need slow mornings” (it’s me; I’m the queen of hurkle-durkling) or “I will need some alone time in the afternoons.” This selfadvocacy is helpful for your travel partners to know.

Travel gives you the chance to disconnect and remember who you are outside of your obligations. It resets your nervous system and reconnects you to curiosity and awe. SP

Dynamic Women

OF CHARLOTTE

Meet the women who shape Charlotte into the Queen City that she is.

These seven women are remarkable and truly dynamic. They are dedicated to making a difference in not only their professions, but their communities as well.

Flip through the following pages to get a glimpse into the inspiration behind their work and the values that guide their passions.

Marci Bailey Bailey’s Fine Jewelry

Lauren Bryant

The Rooted Nest

Nakisha Childers MindWell Health

Adrienne Dewberry Modern Legal

Rita Huang

Musashi Serenity Studio

Jill Karelitz

Clearview Mentality

Mary Ware

Carnegie Private Wealth

DynamicWomen

MARCI BAILEY

BAILEY’S FINE JEWELRY

In the hands of Marci Bailey, jewelry is much more than an accessory, it’s a medium for storytelling and a language of its own. Long before she became a gemologist and the co-owner of Bailey’s Fine Jewelry, Marci felt a deep connection to gems. She loved how jewelry acts as a marker of love, milestones and wearable memory and how it’s shaped by not only human hands, but the Earth itself. This fascination led her to gemology school, where she paired passion with technical foundation.

Intention is what defines Marci’s work today. Whether she’s designing a custom piece or curating a collection, her process begins with the individual. She listens closely, seeking to understand not just what a client wants, but who they are, how they live and what the piece is meant to represent. Designing jewelry, for Marci, is about translating emotion into something tangible. “The most rewarding part is seeing someone recognize themselves in a piece,” she says. She loves it when she’s working with someone, and they say, “This is exactly what I didn’t know how to ask for.”

Marci balances creativity with strong business intuition, valuing not just design but the full client experience. She credits her team and partnership with her husband for Bailey’s success.

Outside of her work, Marci finds inspiration in both the meaningful and the everyday. Time with her family is what grounds her most, while travel, art and tactile creative pursuits like needlepoint and a good cappuccino are joys that add a little sparkle to life.

Marci Bailey 704.332.1605

info@baileybox.com baileybox.com

DynamicWomen

LAUREN BRYANT

THE ROOTED NEST

When you experience one of Lauren Bryant’s floral creations, you can tell from every stem and petal that the display was made with intention and care. After 17 years in the luxury beauty industry, a quiet and unexpected nudge told Lauren to start making floral arrangements. As her talents spread through word of mouth, her passion deepened, requests turned into relationships and a calling began to take shape.

Lauren describes herself as a creator at heart, but at the center of her work is something deeper: service. Through her business, she approaches florals not as a product, but as an entire experience rooted in connection. Her signature garden-style arrangements feel effortless and airy. She resists the urge to overcrowd, instead allowing each stem the space to be seen and appreciated. “I like for each flower to have its own moment,” she shares. It’s a philosophy that mirrors how she moves through the world: with care, attention and a belief that nothing meaningful should be rushed or overlooked.

Lauren views her businesses not simply as a creative outlet, but as a ministry that acts as an extension of her faith and her commitment to serving others. Just like how every individual stem gets celebrated, Lauren strives to celebrate the individuals in her life in a way that makes them feel fully known. To Lauren, flowers serve as a reminder that “even the smallest of things matter, and that despite our conditions, we can always find ways to grow.” Lauren is married to her high school sweetheart, Ryan, and together with their son Ralen they find joy in spending time together everywhere from the mountains to the sea.

Lauren Bryant

704.572.8028

lauren@therootednest.com

therootednest.com

@the_rootednest

DynamicWomen

NAKISHA CHILDERS, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

MINDWELL HEALTH

For this nurse practitioner healthcare isn’t measured in minutes, it’s measured in connection.

Nakisha Childers found her calling during one of medicine’s darkest chapters. Working through Covid-19, she witnessed loss on a scale that reshaped how she understood care. The experience didn’t push her away from healthcare. It pulled her deeper, specifically into mental health, where she believed she could make the greatest impact.

But the system she entered had its own problems. Years in corporate medicine meant patient visits capped at fifteen minutes; Nakisha knew something needed to change. The pace left little room for what she believes matters most: actually listening to the person sitting across from her.

At MindWell Health, Nakisha finds the opportunity to practice differently, the way she always believed medicine should work. She prioritizes taking time with patients, invites them into the decision making process and builds relationships rooted in trust. “It’s about building trust and helping people feel seen and supported,” she says. Instead of just telling patients what to do, she welcomes them into the decisionmaking process and makes sure care feels collaborative. Her clinical background runs deep. Years in ICU nursing, pain management and family medicine gave her a rare combination of precision and empathy that she brings to every interaction. Being at MindWell allows her to practice medicine in ways that maximize the patient’s experience. MindWell offers alternative treatments for mental health, chronic pain and overall wellness including Spravato, Ketamine therapy, IV therapy and peptides.

Outside the clinic, you’ll find Nakisha traveling the world, staying active, and surrounded by the friends who keep her grounded. Inside it, she’s building something she’s proud of: a practice where patients come first and care feels personal again.

Nakisha Childers

704.266.1848

nakisha@mindwell.com

mindwell.com

DynamicWomen

ADRIENNE DEWBERRY

MODERN LEGAL

After a decade in the automotive industry, Adrienne Dewberry decided to switch gears and follow her heart in a different direction: family law. Born and raised in North Carolina, she felt drawn to giving back to the city that raised her. In her former career, Adrienne was adept at prioritizing the needs of each client and vehicle that came in, and applying this unique skill to a new industry felt like a welcome challenge.

Being a young child of divorced parents, Adrienne witnessed firsthand the difficult obstacles that a family can face during this life-altering period. She has seen domestic violence within those closest to her and understands how this has ripple effects in a family and their community.

Adrienne’s path led her to Modern Legal as the firm administrator. In a space where emotions run high and futures are being reshaped in real time, Adrienne’s role is both strategic and genuine. Every case is a person navigating uncertainty, and guidance through the legal process matters just as much as the outcome itself. She is often the first point of contact for clients and she approaches each interaction with empathy and understanding, helping individuals feel heard and guided as they take their next steps into their next chapter.

When she is not helping clients, Adrienne is happiest outdoors with her dog Zoey, on a spontaneous (or planned) trip with friends or family, or jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.

DynamicWomen

RITA HUANG

MUSASHI SERENITY STUDIO

When it comes to the intersection of body, mind and spirit, Rita Huang is an expert. Raised in Taipei, Taiwan, she was immersed early in the philosophies of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where medicine isn’t reactive, but a way of life. The principles of Yin and Yang and The Five Elements were woven into her daily routines. That foundation now shapes her work as a Master TCM Practitioner certified by CMA, IPHM and NCCAP, where she views the body as a complete, interconnected system. Huang knows that when something on the surface feels off, it’s time to look within.

Huang’s approach is deeply intentional, with focused, individualized care for each client. At her SouthPark location, Musashi Serenity Studio, she blends her time-honored practices like 90-day nervous system reset protocol and Qi-healing with modern innovations like AI-powered pulse diagnosis to deliver highly effective care. Her goal is to educate and harmonize her clients’ lives while delivering a high-end, true-healing experience inspired by Eastern philosophies. She strives to honor TCM while embracing the present.

For Huang, healing extends beyond the physical. She is deeply committed to nurturing her community, hosting a free monthly Essential Oil Divination workshop and donating her highly sought-after services to initiatives like Providence Day School. Restoring her own balance means cherishing quiet moments in her home with her inner circle of friends and her beloved feline companion, Kymchi. “Navigating effortlessly between giving back to the community and turning inward to rest — that is how I recharge my true energy,” she shares.

DynamicWomen

The goal for Jill Karelitz and her entire team at Clear View Mentality has always been simple: deliver exceptional care with clarity and compassion while supporting those who provide it. As the founder of Clear View Mentality, she has built a provider-led, psychiatric private practice designed to feel different from the start. With longer appointments and a relationship-based approach, Jill prioritizes thoughtful medication management and individualized care, ensuring patients feel heard, supported and never rushed. Her work often centers on high-functioning professionals and those seeking more than symptom control, focusing instead on overall wellness and optimization.

Being a psychiatric nurse practitioner, she says, is a privilege. It means “walking alongside people as they rediscover parts of themselves they thought were lost.” That perspective was shaped over a decade as a bedside nurse across multiple specialties, and deepened during the pandemic, when she witnessed the growing urgency for accessible mental health care. It was then she knew she wanted to make a greater impact.

Jill’s defining strengths are her natural curiosity and the energy she brings to everything she does. She transforms challenges into opportunities and inspires confidence in those she engages with. She is committed to personalized care and creating a warm, approachable environment where patients feel heard.

Beyond her professional life, Jill values experiences that blend sophistication, connection and spontaneity. She enjoys chasing sunshine through coastal escapes or open-air drives in her Jeep with her dog, Murray. An avid certified scuba diver and snowboarder, she embraces adventure whenever the opportunity arises.

MARY WARE CFP ® , CIMA®, CDFA®, MBA

MANAGING PARTNER, SENIOR WEALTH ADVISOR

CARNEGIE PRIVATE WEALTH

Mary Ware discovered her dream job by accident but has no doubt it was meant to be. Helping people prioritize their financial lives and navigate life’s big moments isn’t just a specialty — it’s a calling shaped by experience, curiosity and an upbeat belief in what’s possible. “I love the moments when a client realizes something they once thought was out of reach is actually possible,” she says. “That’s the dream.”

A senior wealth advisor and managing partner at Carnegie Private Wealth, Ware has spent 20 years guiding individuals and families through career shifts, divorce, retirement and legacy planning. She aims to bring clarity and confidence, knowing that personal finance is personal, after all.

A UNC Chapel Hill journalism graduate, Ware found her way into private wealth management after taking a course on women and finance during her first job at a bank. What began as a desire to understand her own 401(k) quickly became a calling. Today, her credentials — Certified Financial Planner (CFP ®), Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) — paired with her background in communication, allow her to clearly guide clients toward their financial goals.

A Charlotte native and graduate of East Mecklenburg High School, UNC Chapel Hill and Wake Forest’s MBA program, Ware remains active in her community through Myers Park United Methodist Church, Junior League of Charlotte and Women’s Impact Fund. She also supports students at UNC Charlotte’s Belk College of Business.

Outside the office, she prioritizes time with her husband, Luke, their two children and close friends, embracing her belief in investing in experiences over things.

Mary Ware carnegiewealth.com mary.ware@carnegiepw.com linkedin.com/in/maryswarecarnegieprivatewealth

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC

The George family opened the first Pasta & Provisions in 1992. Today, there are three Charlotte locations to pick up grab-and-go meal essentials, refrigerated and frozen entrees and of course, fresh pasta.

Poole Shop manager Grace

Patrick wears a Lela Rose

denim blazer, $590, bandeau, $690, and denim A-line skirt, $990, via Blair Scheuer

LET’S GO LET’S GO

SHOPPING! SHOPPING!

The Queen City’s retail scene is always evolving. In these pages, get to know a few of the newest homegrown brands and stores, along with tried-and-true favorites for shopping local. by Michelle Boudin, Page Leggett, Cathy Martin, Ebony Morman and Kay West

PAGE:

DREAMING IN COLOR

by Ebony L. Morman | photographs by Amy Kolo

On most afternoons inside WILOE Home & Gift, the music comes first. Usually it’s ’90s hip-hop, and Tanya Wilson is somewhere inside the Plaza Midwood shop dancing.

“I’m probably singing, and I might be dancing,” Wilson says. “If no one’s around, it’s a regular dance party for me.” A few feet away, her business partner, Karly Allison-Poe, is often filming, and laughing.

“We have a lot of good times,” says Allison-Poe.

While moments like these feel less like retail and more like release, they’re exactly what the longtime friends had been missing. For most of their adult lives, Wilson and Allison-Poe worked in human resources. Wilson spent 25 years in the field, most recently as a vice president of HR for a healthcare-tech company overseeing everything from recruiting to employee relations. Allison-Poe built her career in compensation, overseeing things like salary- and bonus-planning. They met early in their corporate careers at Novant Health more than 20 years ago.

Though they enjoyed their jobs, weekends brought a different kind of excitement. They often found themselves wandering into gift shops and leaving empty-handed.

“Both Karly and I really love color a lot,” Wilson says. “We would go to other gift shops and kind of look at each other like, ‘There’s not really a lot to fit me here.’”

Eventually, they decided to fill that void. The friends spent years planning, saving and waiting. They both knew Plaza Midwood was the ideal neighborhood for their vision, but finding the right spot — a painted brick bungalow at the corner of

Central Avenue and Lyon Court — took nearly four years.

When WILOE (a mashup of their last names, pronounced “Willow”) finally opened its doors in April 2025, the moment felt surreal.

“We stayed up all night. There was definitely a pinch-me moment, for sure,” Wilson says.

“There was a huge turnout of just neighbors, friends, family,” Allison-Poe recalls. “It immediate-

17 PLACES FOR GRAB-AND-GO GIFTS

Blackhawk Hardware Montford/Park Road blackhawkhardware.com

Bonnie + Bud Eastover (online and by appointment) bonnieandbud.com

The Brass Bird Pineville thebrassbird.com

Brown Sugar Collab Cherry, Concord brownsugarcollab.com

The Buttercup Eastover buttercupcharlotte.com

CLT Find Dilworth, Uptown cltfind.com

Eliza B’s Arboretum shopelizabs.com

Favor Ballantyne/Stonecrest @favorclt

Interior Objects Pineville interiorobjects.net

Laura Park Designs Eastover lauraparkdesigns.com

The Mole Hole South Charlotte @moleholeclt

Moxie Mercantile Plaza Midwood, Matthews moxiemercantile.com

Paper Skyscraper

Dilworth, Davidson, Uptown paperskyscraper.com

Paper Twist

Myers Park papertwist.com

Ruxton Mercantile

Eastover ruxtonmercantileclt.com

Social Shop Strawberry Hill thesocialshopclt.com

WILOE Home & Gift

Plaza Midwood wiloeco.com

START WITH THE ART: 5 SHOPS FOR ART-INSPIRED ACCESSORIES

Dilworth Artisan Station

South End (monthly gallery crawls) dilworthartisan.com

Dupp & Swat

Camp North End duppandswat.com

Mint Museum Store

Uptown store.mintmuseum.org

SOCO shop

Eastover @socoshop

Windy O’Connor

Art + Home

Camp North End windyoconnor.com

ly feels like a success when you see all these people coming in and supporting you.”

A year later, that same energy fills the space. Color is everywhere, from bright pinks to electric blues. But what Wilson and Allison-Poe care about most isn’t just what people buy, but how they feel.

“When you walk in our shop, we immediately want a sense of community and a sense of joy,” Allison-Poe says. “We host a ton of community events, and people join us and feel safe and comfortable. That energy is a big part of it.”

That feeling is also rooted in the shop’s spirit, which can be distilled into three words: modern, unique and colorful. For the owners, that means vibrant, unapologetically bold hues. They source many pieces from Charlotte artists and independent makers they meet at specialty markets, prioritizing items with meaning and a story behind them. Still, nothing reflects WILOE more than its artwork, including local artist Eliza Dunaway’s glitter-detailed pop-art paintings of pantry staples, which embody the store’s playful spirit.

Behind the scenes, the work is evenly split, and the freedom they now have still catches them off guard.

“With the store, what it allows us is creativity and freedom,” Allison-Poe says. “We only ask each other if we want to do something or not, and we move on very quickly.”

It’s a different kind of success, one measured less in promotions and more in moments, like when the music comes on and the store fills with laughter.

More than a year in, neither of them is looking back. Instead, they’re focused on what’s right in front of them: creating a space rooted in joy, creativity and community, one bold splash of color at a time. SP

‘SOUTHERN GRANDMA-STYLE’

by Page Leggett | photographs by Peter Taylor

Charlotte has a slew of beloved bakeries. So, did we really need another?

If the new one happens to be a Kudzu, then yes. Yes, we did. Ask anyone who’s been going to the Pawleys Island/Litchfield Beach/ Georgetown, South Carolina area for a while, and they’ll likely agree.

Kudzu Bakery & Market has been supplying the “Hammock Coast” with breads, pastries, cookies and frozen prepared foods for nearly 40 years. My mom and I can spend two straight weeks at Litchfield without ever seeing the beach. But we’ve never spent a weekend there without Kudzu cookies.

Now, thanks to Andrew Verhagen and his wife, Shelley, it’s no longer just an occasional treat. Andrew, who opened Kudzu’s Charlotte outpost over Labor Day weekend 2025, estimates about 80% of customers during the first six months were fans of the original.

The Verhagens were fans before they bought in. They have been since childhood. Shelley grew up on Pawleys Island. Her family is friends with Kudzu founders Stacy and Joey Rabon, who opened the

first Kudzu in Georgetown in 1989, with Joey serving as pastry chef.

Andrew had his first taste of Kudzu when he was about 12. His parents bought a beach house and got a basket of baked goods as a housewarming present from their real-estate agent. Andrew took one bite of a muffin and declared it the best he’d ever tasted.

FROM PIZZA TO PIES

Andrew isn’t new to the restaurant business. After graduating from the University of South Carolina (where he and Shelley met), he began working for his dad, Tim Verhagen, who’d bought an Uncle Maddio’s Pizza franchise after retiring from Duke Energy.

When he heard the Rabons had expanded to Charleston and Columbia, he and Shelley pitched the couple on bringing Kudzu to Charlotte. They leased a portion of the old Tuesday Morning space on Park Road in Dilworth, and they’re now licensees.

What do people love about Kudzu?

Andrew begins by explaining what Kudzu isn’t: “We’re not a

French patisserie, an Italian bakery, a Vietnamese bakery. We’re old-fashioned. We do classic pies, cakes and cookies. Everything’s made by hand right here in our kitchen.”

He’s heard Stacy Rabon say, “If your Southern grandma didn’t have it on her table at the family reunion, we don’t make it.”

Kudzu’s magic is in the nostalgia it evokes. The cookies and brownies are simple; they taste and look like they were made in someone’s well-worn kitchen from a recipe handwritten on a vanilla- and butter-stained index card.

“We’re not striving for perfection,” Andrew says, although he admits that’s been a hard concept to embrace.

“I’ll snap a picture of a pastry or cookie that doesn’t look perfect to me and text it to Stacy for her opinion,” he says. “And she’ll go, ‘That’s great; you can tell it’s made by hand.’ Everything is made that way — with love, Southern grandma-style.”

Kudzu doesn’t wow you with fancy flavor combinations, ornate designs or frou-frou fondant. “We stick to the basics and do them really well,” Andrew says.

Some pies, like apple, lemon chess and pecan, are always available. Others, like pumpkin and strawberry-rhubarb, are seasonal. As for cakes, the classics are here: yellow cake with chocolate frosting, German chocolate (the traditional kind without frosted sides), red velvet, coconut, carrot and, of course, pound cake.

At breakfast, there are muffins like ginger-lemon, blueberry and bran; apple squares; cinnamon rolls and cheese Danishes.

PLAYING FAVORITES

On our first or second day at the beach, my mom always gets a box of bite-size cookies — pecan sandies, coconut macaroons, almond lace, peach-pecan spins. Try as we might to make them last for a week, we usually end up having to go back for more.

When Andrew is at his family’s beach house, he can’t go without Kudzu’s brownies and cinnamon rolls. And the flourless chocolate cake has become an essential part of Verhagen celebrations.

Many people I know — including a retired pastry chef — consider Kudzu’s key lime pie one of the best renditions anywhere

All the recipes originate in the Litchfield store, and Andrew is in frequent contact with the team there.

“Baking is a science, but there’s artistry to it, too,” Andrew says. “We work hard to replicate Litchfield as much as possible, and we’re close. Cookies, believe it or not, can be very temperamental. Recipes get you 85% of the way there, but there’s that other 15% margin of error.”

He jokes that his clothes have gotten tighter (“an occupational hazard”) since opening Kudzu and managing quality control. When I tell him he appears fit and athletic, he attributes that to chasing after his 7- and 4-year-old kids. (They’re being raised in the best of all worlds — with food made with love by both their Southern grandmothers, Gigi and Mimi, and from Kudzu.)

MORE THAN PASTRIES

On days when a home-cooked meal just isn’t happening, Kudzu’s frozen-food section offers the next-best thing. The Verhagens’ dinner comes from there at least once a week, Andrew says. You’ll find Kudzu originals (legendary cheese biscuits and entrees like crab cakes and a roasted half duck Andrew raves about); soups, sides and dips from vendors like Ladyfingers; and frosé to go from Crown Town Frosé. There’s also a small, well-curated wine section.

Andrew is partial to Kudzu’s chicken pot pie. They roast the chicken in the on-site kitchen with “big, round Parisian carrots” that make them distinct from other pot pies, Andrew says.

At the Litchfield Kudzu, grab-and-go sandwiches are a no-brainer for lunch on the beach. You can get a simple, premade sandwich with Boar’s Head meat and cheese on Kudzu’s homemade bread, with chips, a drink and a cookie for $10. The same deal is available in Charlotte, and Andrew hopes busy professionals will appreciate the convenience, even if they’ll have to eat at their desk rather than by the ocean. Kudzu “isn’t trying to be a restaurant,” Andrew says. So, there’s no seating.

Andrew is a hands-on owner. He’s likely somewhere in the bakery, even if you don’t see him behind the counter.

“I make bread a couple of times a week,” he says. “I wash dishes. I’m in the thick of it. Because of my passion for this brand, I want to do everything right.”

In this case, that means asking: “Would Gigi and Mimi approve?” SP

12 SHOPS FOR GOURMET TO-GO

Bear Food Matthews bearfood.biz

The Butler’s Pantry Cotswold cltbutlerspantry.com

The Culture Shop Belmont thecultureshopclt.com

DeSarno’s Piper Glen desarnos.com

Gourmand SouthPark gourmandmkt.com

Kudzu Bakery & Market Dilworth kudzubakery.com

Mano Bella Artisan Foods SouthPark, Uptown manobellaartisanfoods.com

Orrman’s Myers Park (coming soon) orrmanscheeseshop.com

Pasta & Provisions Myers Park, Montford/Park Road, Wilmore pastaprovisions.com

Pour Olive Dilworth pouroliveoil.com

Reid’s Fine Foods SouthPark, Myers Park, Uptown, Ballantyne reids.com

Rhino Market & Deli SouthPark, South End, NoDa, Wesley Heights, Uptown rhinomarket.com

BAILEY’S FINE JEWELRY

CARRYING ON TRADITION

by Cathy Martin

Trey Bailey literally grew up in his family’s business.

“I still remember our downtown (Rocky Mount) store. It was 11 feet wide. It was tiny,” Trey recalls.

His grandparents, Clyde and Ann Bailey, opened the original Bailey’s jewelry store in 1948. The family went on to open more shops in eastern North Carolina and Raleigh, while Trey left for gemology training in California — where he met his wife, Marci — and to work for other jewelers across the country. He wanted to absorb as much as he could about the business before rejoining Bailey’s in 2004.

“I wanted to be in Charlotte as soon as I joined the family business,” says Trey, who has friends and family in the Queen City. But his father, Clyde Bailey Jr., wouldn’t hear of it — as long as Charlie Smith was around. Smith, who bought Morrison Smith Jewelers on Providence Road in 1986 and ran it until his retirement in 2010, had been a mentor to Clyde Jr. Out of respect, Clyde Jr. never wanted to be in direct competition with Smith.

The two families had known each other for decades, Trey says. After Smith died in 2022, Trey and Charlie’s son, Chuck Smith, began talking about Bailey’s taking over the business.

Trey and Marci, a jewelry designer, finally realized their dream of having a Charlotte store in 2025, when they bought Morrison Smith and rebranded it as Bailey’s Fine Jewelry.

“It was kind of meant to be, after all these decades,” says Trey. “We are old-school, and we have a huge shop team — and they only work for us. Which is why we liked Morrison Smith, because they still did that the old-school way.” They kept Morrison Smith’s employees — and its logo on the door — and have since added more staff.

“We’re not just merchants, we’re a real jeweler,” with sales, design and repair work all done in-house, Trey adds.

Bailey’s is also keen on experiences. The new owners added an upscale, private room at the Providence Road shop to offer VIPs a more personalized experience. And several times a year, they host clients on trips to visit diamond cutters, gemstone dealers and designers for a behindthe-scenes look at the business.

Change is never easy, and Trey admits some of Morrison Smith’s longtime customers were sad to see the store change hands. But having the Smith family’s blessing was key.

“We’ve won all of them over already,” Trey says. “We’re excited about where we are — we love the location, and we love the neighborhood.” SP

THE GOLDEN CARROT SO GOLDEN

by Michelle Boudin

Apopular Queen City jewelry store is on the move again. Nicole Corriher first moved The Golden Carrot from its original location in Hoboken, New Jersey, to Charlotte’s Atherton Mill in summer 2018. Now the business is celebrating its new home in SouthPark’s Morrison shopping center.

Unlike the South End shop, the new location includes space for a production studio.

“The new space is significantly bigger, almost two times the size of the old,” Corriher says. “I’m super excited because it gives us the opportunity to create jewelry.” Previously, production took place at Corriher’s home, which limited participation from her team. “So it’s exciting for them to be able to get their hands on everything in the new space.”

She’s also excited about the abundance of natural light in the new shop.

“There’s nothing that makes jewels sparkle [better] than natural light, and you get a real sense of what it looks like in the natural world.”

The Golden Carrot carries handmade fine jewelry from more than a dozen designers, mostly from the U.S., with a few from Canada and the U.K.

“We also have our own small line,” Corriher says. “We dabble in custom pieces, where we help people reimagine heirlooms and engagement sets and rings. It’s always fun to reimagine those things with a client

and breathe new life into them.” The shop also carries gifts and quirky novelty items.

Corriher didn’t set out to be a jeweler. She was a working actor in New York City until her daughter was born in 2013. The hustle and grind of that lifestyle got to be too much, but Corriher knew she still wanted a creative outlet, and she was drawn to jewelry.

“I grew up on Tiffany’s and big-name designers, but I was really being pulled toward pieces that you weren’t going to see anywhere else. I would find boutiques in the city, and that’s how I got this roster of designers. I became obsessed with their work and the organic shapes of designs.”

The layered look is still popular, Corriher says. The store caters to that with a more delicate aesthetic and pieces that are easy to incorporate with clients’ existing jewelry.

One thing that sets The Golden Carrot apart from other jewelry shops is its collection of vintage charms. “They transcend time,” Corriher says.

Corriher also loves the way special pieces can bring joy to people.

“I wanted to create a space where people don’t necessarily buy anything but I could make them feel differently — I could shift the course of their day through jewelry. When you find the right piece, it’s so deeply meaningful.” SP

BEHIND THE GARDEN GATE

by Kay West | photographs by Amy Kolo

Gardens on Green’s open-air gallery of al fresco vignettes are beautifully staged with elegant furnishings, greenery, terra-cotta urns and steel vessels, stone sculptures, fountains, and espaliered pear trees affixed to white brick walls. The fact that just one year ago this site was a gritty, lifeless parking lot is testament to the talents of owner Hugh Crump.

For over three decades, homeowners, architects and builders in Charlotte and the Carolinas have relied upon Crump’s impeccable taste and artistic vision to make their residential outdoor living spaces as refined and expressive as the interiors through his landscape design-build firm, Greenline Design.

Gardens on Green is at once aspirational and attainable, and Crump says it has been an unexpected delight to open wide the garden gate.

“Greenline Design has always been one-on-one with clients, and a direct-referral business,” he explains. “Gardens on Green has introduced us to the public in a very fun and exciting way.”

For years, Crump had been traveling to Atlanta and other markets on behalf of his clients to seek and procure items — particularly from international makers and artisans — not available in Charlotte. His wife suggested he turn the northwest Charlotte property he owned into a retail center to carry those lines.

The basic premise grew into the transformation of the gravel lot into inspirational touchstones of possibility. The small building that housed Greenline Design’s office became a botanically rooted boutique. A small greenhouse built to shelter plants and fruit trees is also lined with shelves of Campo de’ Florio Italian hand-turned terra-cotta planters and a potting station.

17 PLACES TO DRESS YOUR NEST

Abode Home Dilworth shopabodehomedesign.com

Alexander Scott Home Strawberry Hill alexanderscotthome.com

Bedside Manor SouthPark bedsidemanor.com

Brock Moran SouthPark (coming soon) brockmoran.com

Coley Home Wesley Heights coleyhome.com

Collected SouthPark collectedcharlotte.com

Cotswold Marketplace Cotswold cotswoldmarketplace.com

Elizabeth Bruns SouthPark elizabethbruns.com

Gardens on Green West Charlotte gardensongreen.com

Granville SouthPark granville-charlotte.com

Isabella Eastover isabellastyle.com

John Dabbs Ltd. Eastover johndabbsltd.com

R. Runberg Curiosities Eastover (by appointment) rrunberg.com

Schumacher Design Shop Dilworth schumacherdesignshop.com

Slate Interiors Wesley Heights shopslateinteriors.com

Southern Lion Pineville southernlion.com

Traditions Montford/Park Road traditionsofcharlotte.com

The off-the-beaten-garden-path address has not prevented Gardens on Green from becoming a destination for seekers of prestige outdoor furnishings and design elements from Kentuckybased Atelier Vals and Elegant Earth in Birmingham, Alabama; espalier trees grown by River Road Farms in Decatur, Tennessee; and large containers from Campania International.

The shop takes visitors from racks of garden tools to stacks of gorgeous coffee-table books; a floor-to-ceiling case filled with Danish-designed/Italian-made Bergs pots; glassware, dinnerware and cocktail essentials; painted serving trays and bowls; linens and colorful throw pillows; and handmade soaps and horticulturally scented candles, including a Gardens on Green-branded selection.

“Our first year has been a time for listening to our customers, trying to be better and have more offerings that cover everything from small gifts to statement pieces,” Crump says. “We feel like we have a finger on the pulse of garden styling for Charlotte, and this has been a time of greater, broader discovery.”

Greenline Design is still quite active, and Crump can also be booked for private consultations through the store.

“We have a great team in place, and I’m looking to be less of a CEO and more a member of the board,” he says with a laugh, adding that he will always play a part in curating all of the elements of Gardens on Green.

“I’ve had the privilege of seeing incredible things through my career and my travels,” Crump says. “You can come to Gardens on Green for a hostess gift, or for help in identifying how best to use your property, whatever the size. Our main goal is to help people find the look that best expresses themselves.” SP

FEELS LIKE HOME

by Michelle Boudin | photographs by Amy Kolo

At 30 years old, Madeline Clark is ahead of schedule. She always knew she’d have her own boutique, but when she opened the doors to Winston’s in Phillips Place last fall, it was years earlier than she ever thought possible.

Clark first went off script when she left her hometown in New Hampshire to study fashion merchandising at Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD).

“I was definitely breaking the norm for my community. Everyone stays up north, but I loved every minute of it.”

She loved it so much that she stayed in the South. SCAD helped her land an internship at Belk headquarters, where she trained to become a buyer. Clark was promoted to help launch sporting goods at the store, a new category for Belk at the time. That led to her final role at the

hometown department-store chain — her dream job, she says, as an associate buyer for women’s activewear.

Her next move was another surprising one. She joined Lowe’s to support the tools-merchandising team.

“This was totally different, but I was attracted to it because it was a Fortune 50 company and I loved the idea that I could get a new skill set.”

But after three years and several different roles, she felt pulled back toward the industry she’d always loved: fashion.

“I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I was 15. I grew up in this business. A family friend owned a boutique, and she would take me on vendor meetings — it was so exciting. I expected I would do corporate buying until I could open a store later in life, after a couple of kids.”

22 WOMEN’S APPAREL SHOPS

Betty by Moxie $$ Plaza Midwood moxiemercantile.com

Boem $$ SouthPark, South End, Blakeney shopboem.com

Boris & Natasha $-$$ Plaza Midwood @borisnnatasha

Capitol $$$ SouthPark shop-capitol.com

Chosen $$ Myers Park chosenapparelboutique.com

Daniel Gonzalez $$$ Eastover (by appointment) danielgonzalezdesigns.com

Disco Honey $ SouthPark discohoney.com

Ellett $$ Eastover shopellett.com

Five One Five $$ Eastover shopfiveonefive.com

Girl Tribe $ South End girltribeco.com

I.C. London (lingerie) $$ SouthPark iclondon.com

Ivy & Leo $ SouthPark, Waverly ivyandleo.com

Julie’s $ Montford/Park Road juliesclothing.com

Monkee’s Charlotte $$ Myers Park monkeesofcharlotte.com

Pearl Pagoda $-$$ Montford/Park Road thepearlpagoda.com

Her parents convinced her there was no need to wait, so she spent three months researching stores and brands in the area.

“That really opened my eyes to some stores I didn’t even know were in Charlotte. I started building a business plan, coming up with ideas on locations and brands I could carry.”

She landed on a concept where both she and her mom could shop, filled with elevated everyday pieces that are neutral and timeless — not just the latest fads and trends.

Shoppers can find activewear brands like Varley and Splits59, denim labels Dl1961 and AG, and separates from Maison Hotel and Rose and Rose, to name a few.

Clark was just as involved in the design of the store as the clothing she sells.

“I handpicked everything in the store down to the wallpaper and the paint color. I have a separate passion for design. The best thing about the store, though, is there are a lot of pieces from home.”

There’s a wardrobe from the house she grew up in. Shelves were made by a friend from pine trees that fell in the family yard during a storm.

“It quite literally feels like I have a piece of home with me,” says Clark. “All the signage was made by my cousin and uncle, who have a fixture business. Getting to collaborate with family members and friends was really cool.”

Clark is just as happy with where she settled. She says Phillips Place, home to Veronica Beard, Alice + Olivia, Ralph Lauren and other trending brands, is the perfect spot for her boutique.

“The accessibility is wonderful and so are the

tenants. We’re the only multibrand boutique surrounded by great neighbors. We all complement each other.”

Her favorite part, though, is the store’s name.

“Winston is my 12-year-old corgi. He’s been there through my whole retail journey. He’s my love, and I felt like Charlotte is a dog-friendly city and that would resonate. I wanted this whole store to feel warm and welcoming, like you’re sitting in someone’s living room, and the name adds to that.”

DEW LILY HEALTHY GLOW

by Michelle Boudin

Jen Quinn remembers the exact moment the inspiration for Dew Lily, her new skin-care line for tweens, first took shape.

“My 11-year-old was 9 and came to me and asked for her own skin-care routine. She wanted her own products, and when we started shopping around, I realized there weren’t many thoughtful options.”

In February, she launched Dew Lily to fill a gap for girls in that in-between stage — not little anymore, but not quite teens. The products, which are aimed at 7- to 12-year-olds, are made with clean ingredients, with age-appropriate language on the packaging.

Dew Lily includes a three-step routine: Flutterfluff cleanser, Coolcloud face mist and Plushpuff, a moisturizer. Each product also comes with a collectible Dew Drop charm.

Quinn says the charms help make the brand even more appealing to kids, who love the whole unboxing process and surprises. She hopes the charms will become something girls want to swap and trade with one another.

“The beauty culture is becoming much more accessible to young girls, thanks to platforms like TikTok and Instagram, so they’re definitely curious,” says Quinn. Her daughter, Everly, has made

Dew Lily part of her nightly routine.

“We’re not trying to change or fix kids’ skin; we know their skin is perfect. We’re just trying to teach them healthy habits and consistency, and we’re intentionally keeping it simple with just three steps and messaging that true beauty comes from within. Part of our brand is all about incorporating affirmations and language rooted in kindness.”

Quinn previously worked as a teacher and, later, in sales before becoming a stay-at-home mom to her two girls. She worked with a lab in Indiana to bring her vision to life.

“It’s been really fun working with the chemist,” she says. “We found fragrances and oils and acids don’t need to be on [kids’] skins. Their skin is much thinner, so we took out anything that would cause irritation, and made it super light.”

The line is currently sold primarily online at heydewlily.com and is also available at The Grove, a members-only club for families in Eastover. Quinn is hoping to add more retail options and to someday make it to the shelves at stores like Ulta.

“I wanted to show my girls that if you have an idea and a dream — and an opportunity — you have to take it. I wanted them to see me take a risk on myself and see something that’s turned out to be really cool, just a fun and amazing experience.” SP

10 PLACES TO SHOP FOR KIDS

Bella Tunno Baby accessories bellatunno.com

Coco Leto Baby + children’s apparel Myers Park cocoleto.com

Courtside Kids Activewear courtsidekids.com

Dew Lily Skin care for tweens heydewlily.com

Fancy Pants Baby + children’s apparel Eastover fancypantschildren.com

Harper & Skylar’s Toys and Sweets

Toys + gifts

Montford/Park Road toysandsweets.com

Moxie Mercantile/ Betty by Moxie Clothing + gifts Plaza Midwood moxiemercantile.com

Shower Me With Love Baby apparel + gear SouthPark showermewithlove.com

Teddy and Lu Baby + children’s apparel Waverly teddyandlu.com

Toy Mania Toys + gifts Cotswold toymaniausa.com

COURT1

THE RIGHT MATCH

by Michelle Boudin

8 FITNESS AND SPORTSWEAR BRANDS

704 Shop

Lifestyle apparel for men + women 704shop.com

Beldrie

Women’s golf attire beldrie.com

Byrdie Golf Social

Women’s golf + social attire byrdiegolfsocial.com

Court1

Women’s tennis attire + accessories court1shop.com

Glory Days Apparel

Lifestyle apparel for men + women

South End glorydaysapparel.com

Great Outdoor Provision Co.

Outdoor apparel and gear for men + women

Montford/Park Road greatoutdoorprovision.com

Jesse Brown’s Outdoor apparel and gear for men + women SouthPark jessebrowns.com

Sitano Resort wear + beach cover-ups shopsitano.com

Court1 co-founders Reid Simons and Spencer Blythe got the idea for their tennis and pickleball activewear company in a pretty obvious way. They’re doubles partners and good friends, who both grew up playing the sport as teens in North Carolina.

“We played a lot of tennis together,” Blythe says, laughing. The women grew even closer when the pandemic hit and their tennis club only allowed members to play with other members. When the world reopened, they also began traveling together to play.

“We were traveling, and we realized there was a need for better tennis accessories,” Blythe says.

“The selection in Charlotte just wasn’t great.”

That sparked the idea that became Court1.

“We went on a really fun tennis trip to Florida and came back really motivated by the boutiques that we saw at different resorts,” Simons recalls.

“We found that many clubs and smaller communities don’t have tennis shops anymore. We thought Court1 could fill that void — a one-stop shop for all things tennis and pickleball.”

In February 2022, they considered opening a boutique and creating and manufacturing their own line. Instead, they decided to curate a selection of brands to sell via their website and in pop-up shops around Charlotte and resort towns across the country.

The duo launched their website and started popping up in summer 2022, with just a few brands to start. They gained something of a cult following after pop-ups in communities like Figure Eight Island, Roaring Gap and Grandfather Mountain. They quickly gained the trust of major

brands and now carry Lucky in Love, LIJA, Addison Bay, L’Etoile Sport, Club and Court, Thrive Societe, HEAD and others.

In Charlotte, they’ve popped up at Sloan, Woo Skincare & Cosmetics, Monkee’s and Ruxton Mercantile. They felt like they gained credibility when Veronica Beard asked them to partner on a special pop-up early on.

“We really felt validated when Veronica Beard approached us,” Simon says. “And we absolutely love our Charlotte women-owned, small-business owners. They have been with us from the start and a huge part of our success.”

“Every item you see at Court1 is something we wear ourselves,” adds Blythe. “We choose styles that perform on the court and transition seamlessly into the rest of your day. And — fun fact — all of our models are our friends and actual tennis and pickleball players.”

Both moms of three, the women say the best part of the joint venture is actually running the business together.

Before Court1, Simons worked for the North Carolina Turnpike Authority helping develop the NC Quick Pass program and was an assistant press secretary for former Gov. Jim Hunt.

“I love fashion and art and design, but my favorite part of the business has been the entrepreneurial part, having a vision and then having it come to life,” she says.

Blythe, who grew up watching her mom run a bridal boutique, agrees.

“Being a part of this community of women-owned businesses who support each other is really fantastic.” SP

UNCOMMON GOODS

by Michelle Boudin | photographs by Richard Israel

Maria Lumb, the owner of Charlotte’s newest upscale consignment boutique, Eternal, prides herself in offering hard-to-find brands. Designs in her store often arrive from Milan, Miami and, of course, her Queen City customers.

“We focus on contemporary luxury pieces, from everyday to more unique items. I try to bring pieces that Charlotte ladies don’t have access to in the city,” including from New York and Palm Beach, Lumb says. “Those are from my amazing clients who I’ve met over the years working in retail. The demand in those big cities — there is so much inventory that they send things here, and I style it so it’s easy to showcase and sell.”

Lumb opened Eternal last fall and quickly gained a loyal following, in part because of the added bonus that when customers shop at Eternal, the owner helps them put together complete looks.

“Charlotte women like everyday pieces. A lot of our clients are busy moms and outdoorsy, so they want to be practical and stylish and not just in workout clothes. Just because you become a mom doesn’t mean you can’t have elevated style, so we show them how to style things for different [activities] throughout their day,” Lumb says.

“Everything in store is styled into looks, so even if the client doesn’t buy a full look they get an idea of how existing pieces in their wardrobe can work as well.”

Lumb moved to Miami from a small town in Slovakia when she was 23. She landed a job at a small downtown boutique and got her big break when a friend, a magazine photographer, needed help.

“His stylist called and canceled last minute. He knew I had a lot of clothes, so I styled the photo shoot. After that, he pushed me and told me I was talented and should keep doing it. That’s how my journey as a stylist started, and I [began] helping out on more and more photo shoots.”

While in Miami, Lumb worked at various high-end shops, including in the city’s famed Design District, before moving to New York City, where she worked at Miu Miu’s flagship store.

She moved to Charlotte in July 2024, hoping she might somehow realize her dream of owning her own boutique.

“I always had the idea of opening a store, but I didn’t believe in myself enough. … People would say I was so unique and different, but I just didn’t know how it would come together.”

After working in a few local shops, she opened Eternal in late 2025, intent on carrying uncommon brands and working to give both shoppers and consignors incentives to come in.

“We do a 50-50 split with consignors on clothing, 65% for designer bags and accessories. That’s higher than most places,” Lumb says, “because I want to move inventory and still give as much as possible to our clients so they aren’t losing money when they get rid of pieces. It motivates people to bring in more.”

Bestselling brands include Isabel Marant, Proenza Schouler, Anine Bing, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Zimmermann. She also loves Frame for basics and layering pieces and ALC for everyday wear. Lumb is even considering starting her own line of basics and opening a second storefront.

For now, she’s loving every minute of owning her first store and getting to know what has quickly become a very loyal customer base.

“It’s been beyond words in every single way. This is just the beginning. I feel like there’s so many possibilities and opportunities, and that includes expansion.” SP

8 STORES FOR VINTAGE AND PRE-LOVED APPAREL

East 8th Vintage Elizabeth east8thvintage.com Eternal Dilworth shopwitheternal.com

Hong Kong Vintage Plaza Midwood (by appointment) hongkongvintage.com

Jilson’s Men’s Consignment Eastover jilsonsconsignment.com

JT Posh Dilworth jtposh.com

The Rat’s Nest NoDa @ratsnestvintage

Stash Pad MoRa stashpadvintage.com

Thrift Pony South End, Camp North End thriftpony.com

6 STORES FOR ANTIQUE, VINTAGE OR PRE-LOVED HOME GOODS

The Brass Grasshopper Matthews thebrassgrasshopper.com

Chinoiserie Squirrel East Charlotte (pop-ups) thesquirrelclt.com

Circa II Antiques Eastover (by appointment) circa2antiques.com

The Depot at Gibson Mill Concord depotgibsonmill.com

Sleepy Poet Antique Mall LoSo sleepypoetstuff.com

South End Exchange South End southendexchange.com

Blackhawk Hardware at Park Road Shopping Center has been a Charlotte mainstay since 1977. Come for the free popcorn and dog-washing station, stay for the friendly service and endless selection of cabinet hardware, greeting cards and garden supplies.

THIS PAGE: styling + production by Whitley Adkins photograph by Olly Yung hair + makeup by Josiah Reed model Grace Patrick

Richard Quinn bow dress, $4,115, Capitol

WHITLEY’S PICKS

Always seeking one-of-a-kind items that no one else has, Whitley Adkins — a personal stylist and style editor of SouthPark Magazine — tends to shop while traveling, at vintage and thrift shops, and by swapping wardrobes with clients and friends. “Lucky for all of us, Charlotte boasts a vast mix of high-low, new and old, on-trend, designer and thrift shopping, creating an eclectic mix of options for us all to create our own unique personal style in wardrobe, home and gifting. While it’s impossible to list all of the stores and businesses I patronize, below is a snapshot to whet your appetite for all our stylish city has to offer.”

Hong Kong Vintage: I do most of my clients’ vintage shopping here. (Open by appointment only.)  East 8th Vintage: This Elizabeth shop is great for clothes, dishes, gifts and collectibles — you name it. For all of your propstyling dreams and needs.  Stash Pad: Fulfill all your quirkiest vintage thrifting dreams here.  Capitol: In my opinion, all clothes should be created at the highest level of quality, with a circular fashion economy in mind. However,

that generally comes with a Champagne budget. Get inspired at our city’s own “fashion museum.”  Poole Shop: Grace, Grace and Jane make for the sweetest shopkeepers ever.  Veronica Beard and Madewell: For all your denim needs.  Five One Five: For yearlong tropical vacation vibes.  The farmers market, Trader Joe’s, Pasta & Provisions and my own yard: for budget-friendly florals and nourishing DIY gift bags.  John Dabbs Ltd.: Weddings, housewarmings, birthdays, christenings … for all your “old Charlotte” gifting and sercy needs.  The Chinoiserie Squirrel, R. Runberg Curiosities, Slate Interiors, Sleepy Poet and Habitat ReStore: To expertly master the high-low, one-of-a-kind mix in your home.  Dillard’s at SouthPark Mall: For a curated collection of collaborations with Southern designers and influencers. Pro tip: Moms, take your teen daughters here!  The Rat’s Nest: For vintage snaps and cowboy/cowgirl boots.  I’m very curious to check out The Bijou House, a new vintage studio with drop sales, open once a month.  JT Posh and Edit Sale: I consign and shop here for myself and for clients. Eternal, I’m coming for ya!

TOP SHOPS

How SouthPark Mall maintains its ‘wow factor’ after 56 years.

by Kerry Singe

One recent Friday afternoon, a continuous stream of shoppers walked into Zara’s 29,000-square-foot, two-story store at SouthPark Mall, the uber-popular retailer’s first location in North Carolina. Local fashionistas were thrilled when the store opened in December, as they’d begged the mall’s owner for years to bring the Spanish fast-fashion brand to Charlotte. Once a mainstay of the American shopping experience, many shopping malls across the country are struggling as more people shop online and brick-and-mortar stores close. In 1986, the U.S. was home to 25,000 malls. As of April 2025, that number was 1,200, and experts predict that within two years there may be only 900 malls operating nationwide, according to CapitalOne Shopping Research. There’s even a website dedicated to documenting the history of dead malls.

In Charlotte, SouthPark Mall — owned by Simon Property Group — is growing, adding stores, incorporating modern technology and investing heavily to elevate the shopping experience. While mall vacancy rates hover around 8.9% nationally, SouthPark Mall has more interest from potential tenants than available space, according to General Manager Randy Thomas.

Last year, SouthPark announced seven new stores would be opening, and earlier this year the mall announced an additional four

newcomers, including Garage, a Gen Z favorite clothing retailer.

“The old retail model works well still if done correctly,” Thomas says. “You have to reinvest and bring in the best brands. You have to evolve, and you have to listen.”

COMMUNITY-BUILDING

When SouthPark Mall opened in February 1970, it was a pivotal moment shaping the city’s development, spurring suburban growth south of uptown. Built on pastureland once owned by a former N.C. governor, it was inspired by Dallas’ NorthPark Center and anchored by Sears, Belk and Ivey’s department stores. There was an outparcel with movie theaters, a supermarket and convenience stores. It quickly became known as the most upscale enclosed mall between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.

Pat Crutchfield lived less than a mile away and remembers when the mall was built. She likens it to a community gathering spot and visited regularly to run errands, meet friends and grab a meal while her children were growing up. Now a resident at The Sharon, Crutchfield still walks the mall often with friends.

“It’s a great place to gather,” she says. “The shops are so upscale and the mall is kept spotless. There’s good security. It’s a safe place. It’s continued to grow and evolve, so we’re always interested in what’s coming next.”

A DISTINCT LOCATION

Location certainly matters when it comes to retail success. And as the surrounding neighborhoods have grown and prospered, the mall has grown and prospered as well. With an average household income of $111,300 per resident, SouthPark has one of the strongest household incomes in the Southeast, meaning many shoppers have money to spend. In addition, six of Charlotte’s wealthiest zip codes are within a 3-mile radius.

“It’s pretty unusual to find a shopping destination like SouthPark located where it is,” says Adam Rhew, president and CEO of SouthPark Community Partners, an economic and community development organization. “If you look at other cities, their anchor shopping districts

are either downtown or right off the freeway. I’ve always believed that SouthPark’s location — central to everything, enveloped by these extraordinary neighborhoods, bordered by a lush tree canopy — has helped differentiate it as a destination.”

SouthPark also has worked hard to be a good neighbor. When the mall developed land where the Charlotte Symphony performed its popular Summer Pops series, it created Symphony Park on an outparcel space to allow performances to continue. Now, the mall is working with SouthPark Community Partners

on a $21 million public-private investment plan to revitalize the space into a community focal point, with renovations expected to begin this year.

“Having engaged owners who are willing to listen to the community isn’t a given, so we’re really fortunate to have that from the mall leadership,” says Rhew, who grew up shopping at SouthPark Mall.

“I have a deep appreciation for (the mall’s) staying power,” he says. “It was relevant to me as a teenager, and it’s still a presence in my life today decades later. You can’t say that about any other shopping center in the region.”

‘WOW’ FACTOR

Thomas, the mall manager, points to investment made by Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group, which bought SouthPark Mall in 2002, as one of the key reasons for why the mall has remained popular and profitable while others have languished.

“Simon spends a lot of money,” he says. (Simon also acquired Phillips Place, the upscale mixed-use shopping center around the corner on Fairview Road, in late 2025.)

From the first view people have of the landscaping when pulling into the property to what they see when they park to the cleanliness of the bathrooms, mall management wants there to be a “wow” factor, he says.

In 2004, the mall introduced the luxury wing and brought in stores such as Nordstrom and, later, Neiman Marcus. Landing luxury retailers was a coup for SouthPark Mall, as Charlotte was

not considered a top-tier retail market at the time.

Other investment includes the addition of Suffolk Punch Brewing and the West Plaza play area that includes indoor and outdoor seating, a live music stage, and a playground.

Thomas says attention to detail is crucial, such as ensuring any errant trash is immediately removed and bathrooms are regularly cleaned. (Spoiler: Some of the mall’s restrooms will soon be getting a major upgrade.)

Simon also pays attention to digital trends and invests in technology, such as having an app for tenants to use to communicate quickly and easily with mall management. Individual stores are embracing technology, too. The new Zara is equipped with high-tech features like easy self-checkouts, a fitting area with motion sensors to indicate open rooms, and an automated collection point for online orders.

When the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the retail world, killing foot traffic and forcing temporary closures of nonessential stores, SouthPark Mall reacted by adding curbside pickup and enhancing safety protocols.

“Business came back quicker than we thought,” Thomas says. “It’s about the overall value of the experience people can have at SouthPark Mall, and not just with shopping.”

BELOVED BRANDS

The right tenant mix can drastically influence a shopping mall’s success, and SouthPark’s favorable reputation among retailers, thanks to word of mouth spread by existing tenants, helps management attract popular stores, Thomas says. Approximately half of the mall’s retailers are unique within Charlotte, and

about one-third aren’t found elsewhere in North Carolina.

Simon also listens to customers, such as the case with Zara. Thomas says people were asking for Zara for at least five years. The challenge, he says, was finding enough space. The mall ended up building a second floor.

“Zara always looks for the best retail locations to ensure customers enjoy an elevated shopping experience,” a Zara spokesperson says. “In Charlotte, SouthPark Mall is a leading fashion destination and an ideal setting for the brand’s debut in the city. The new store is located in a prime space within the mall and has been designed to serve the local community with an enhanced shopping environment.”

Another factor working in the mall’s favor is Gen Z. The mall is returning as a primary destination for Gen Z to meet friends, hang out and grab a bite to eat. Gen Z shoppers like being able to touch and feel items and walk out with the instant gratification of having their purchase in hand.

“I like going to the SouthPark Mall because it gives my friends and I an easy spot to hang out with a good atmosphere,” says Emme Bender, 15, of Charlotte. She usually meets up with friends to get lunch and shop about once or twice a month. “I really like Lululemon, Kendra Scott and Sephora. And I’m super excited for the addition of Garage.”

Thomas says deals with new retailers are constantly being worked on, including some three years into the future, as space becomes available.

“Our investment and attention to detail has been substantial,” he says, “and we’re not slowing down anytime soon.” SP

Designer Jacy Painter Kelly brings unfussy elegance to a custom new build in Fort Mill.

by Taylor Bowler

photographs by Michael Blevins/MB Productions

Most of Jacy Painter Kelly’s clients request plenty of space to host family and friends, but that wasn’t a priority for this project. With three children — and a fourth on the way — the homeowners wanted their 6,500-square-foot new build to focus on everyday livability.

“This wasn’t built for entertaining — it was built for them,” Kelly says. “It’s not about seating a million people in the dining room for Thanksgiving. It was about how it works for their family every day.”

Kelly worked alongside the team at Oz Custom Home Builders on the 16-month project, located in The Ridge neighborhood in Fort Mill, South Carolina. In addition to space for their growing family, the clients — whom Kelly calls “the epitome of wholesome” — wanted the interior to be warm and polished with a bit of an edge.

The entry makes a dramatic impression with statement lighting from Visual Comfort.

“(The wife) likes a lot of bling,” Kelly says. A crystal drum chandelier with a soft brass finish hangs just beyond the front door, and three crystal globe pendants illuminate the stairwell. “The goal was to keep it simple but classic with just a little bit of detail — nothing that would time-stamp the house,” Kelly says.

In the living room, ceiling beams complement the white oak floors, while a cast-stone fireplace creates a sculptural focal point. The large sectional is upholstered in durable performance fabric for easy cleanup, and custom built-ins on either side of the fireplace provide storage.

In the kitchen, the tongue-and-groove ceiling is painted in a subtle semigloss for a soft, reflective finish.

“The vibe for the living room was really pretty, but it’s not too formal — it’s somewhere they can live,” Kelly says.

“And with a family this size, a sectional was the way to go.”

The family is too big for a traditional breakfast nook, so Kelly made the dining room casual enough for everyday use.

The kitchen has classic white floor-to-ceiling cabinetry and an oversized island that seats six. Marble countertops continue seamlessly into the backsplash, and a custom plaster vent hood is flanked by Visual Comfort sconces. A white oak drink station, finished to match the island, adds warmth and breaks up the expansive white cabinetry.

Instead of a traditional breakfast nook, the dining room off the kitchen serves as a hub for daily meals. Kelly chose machinewashable carpet tiles and furnished the space with an Arhaus wood dining table and upholstered dining chairs from Arteriors

to withstand spills. The ring chandelier, also from Arteriors, is encircled by a waterfall of antique brass iron chains.

“This was the first light I showed her, because I knew she wanted the bling,” Kelly says. “It’s her favorite light in the house now.”

For the scullery, Kelly chose black-and-white checkerboard flooring and moody green cabinetry. The black soapstone countertops and backsplash add some drama, and brass fixtures give it a touch of sparkle. The checkerboard tile stretches into the hallway, where Kelly installed floor-to-ceiling white oak cabinets for a kids’ drop zone to conceal clutter.

In the study, Kelly color-drenched the walls, ceiling and doors in

In the pool-adjacent powder room, Kelly covered the walls with a dramatic mural wallpaper from Livette’s. Above a custom floating vanity, an arched mirror from Four Hands adds elegance, while a chandelier of swirled glass orbs draws the eye up. A second powder room features mural wallpaper from Tempaper & Co., a mitered marble floating vanity and brass rosebud pendants tucked into the corner.

“The space is large, so we wanted a different lighting moment,” Kelly says.

The custom molding in the primary bedroom determined the furniture placement. An upholstered bed from Universal Furniture is flanked by Hudson Valley sconces, while an ivory hide-upholstered bench sits at the foot of the bed. The spa-like en-suite bath has honed marble floor tile, white-oak cabinetry and Carrara marble countertops.

Kelly dressed up the older son’s bedroom in a patterned wallpaper from Livette’s and wainscoting painted in Sherwin-Williams’ Pewter Green. The adjoining bathroom has mosaic tile flooring and a dark soapstone countertop.

“We wanted a masculine, industrial vibe,” Kelly says. “It’s not too grown up, but he can still grow into it.”

Both girls’ bedrooms feature floral accent walls from Tempaper & Co. paired with Regina Andrew sconces. The shared bath continues the playful palette, with a pink vanity and a crystal globe chandelier from Hudson Valley for a touch of glamour.

Kelly painted the nursery in Sherwin-Williams’ Lullaby and wallpapered the ceiling in a teal pattern.

“I wanted something whimsical in there,” she says. “The bedroom had already gotten carpet before they found out they were having another baby. We couldn’t do a rug moment, so we did the ceiling.”

While this was one of her more extensive projects, Kelly says it was also one of her favorites.

“As a designer, this project pushed me outside my box. It has more twinkle and daintiness than I usually do,” she says. “They’d dreamed of this house for so long, so to see it finally happening was really special.” SP

“[The homeowner] wanted the girls to have fairytale-themed bedrooms, and both murals were that,” Kelly says. “They’re pretty, but not babyish.”

The nursery chandelier is from Hygge & West; the glider is custom upholstered in fabric from Universal Furniture.

A chef, baker and restaurateur share their experiences with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and addiction, each overcoming adversity and finding their own silver lining.

by Olivia Lee

It’s March 2020 and Katy Kindred is standing on the deck of her waterfront restaurant, Hello, Sailor, watching the rippling movement of Lake Norman. The days are getting longer — soon, the lake will be sprinkled with boaters, and her restaurant will bustle with guests enjoying hushpuppies, peekytoe crab rolls and Tiki cocktails. In preparation for the busy season, Kindred and her husband and business partner, Joe Kindred, just spent over $100,000.

But then Covid hit, and the Kindreds were forced to lay off 300 employees and close their two restaurants, unsure when they would reopen. Her credit-card payment was due in 10 days. Kindred fell into a deep depression.

Her story — of crisis and evolution — is one that resonates deeply across Charlotte’s culinary community, where behind many celebrated kitchens and beloved neighborhood spots lies a quieter narrative of mental-health struggles, addiction and the resilience it takes to keep the doors open.

BORN FOR HOSPITALITY

Before Kindred became co-owner of several revered Charlottearea restaurants, she was a student at the University of Iowa, unsure what she wanted to do in life. While visiting a friend in Europe, she recalls sitting in an old Budapest square, slowly sipping a glass of rioja. The sun was shining, and people were picnicking and playing chess. For Kindred, the moment solidified her desire to pursue a career in hospitality.

“I think I was born with a towel over my arm,” she says. “In hospitality, and with wine in particular, you will never know everything. It’s an ever-evolving curiosity, but it incorporates everything that I love: people, travel, food, being outside.”

When she returned stateside, Kindred worked as a hostess at Nine, an upscale steakhouse in Chicago, while working toward her sommelier certificate. Over the next 10 years, she traveled the globe, traipsing through parts of South America, Europe and Mexico.

“I would work at a place for a year or so and then sell all my things and move overseas until I ran out of money and then come back and do it again,” she says. While in Chicago, she met Joe. After some time in San Francisco, the two moved to Joe’s hometown of Davidson, where in 2015 they opened their first restaurant together — Kindred, serving Italian-leaning, Southern-influenced cuisine. Joe ran the back of the house, while Katy managed the front.

Since then, the Kindreds have opened Hello, Sailor, a midcentury retro fish camp; Milkbread, a fast-casual concept known for its milkbread doughnuts and crispy buttermilk-brined chicken sandwiches; and Albertine, an elegant Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in uptown Charlotte. Each is known for its distinctive design.

“I was always able to see things in my mind’s eye that weren’t there,” Kindred says. “I could see the final product before it happened.” Like the tin ceiling in Kindred, neglected but in good condition, which formed the basis for the restaurant’s design. Or the marble stone behind the bar at Albertine. “It was the colors in the stone that drove the color palette [for the restaurant],” Kindred says. “So it just comes together piece by piece.”

A SHOCKING DIAGNOSIS

The Kindreds navigated the pandemic and eventually reopened their restaurants, which have received local and national recognition from the James Beard Foundation and the Michelin Guide. On the surface, Kindred was a successful and acclaimed restaurateur. Below the surface, she still struggled.

During summer 2024, while on a family vacation at Folly Beach, South Carolina, Kindred experienced a manic episode.

“[It felt] pretty out of control, like you’re running on a motor, unable to sleep, really making poor choices, risk-taking behavior, very talkative, talking at a fast pace — definitely not myself.”

That next year, she tried to figure out what was happening.

“I stopped drinking, I changed my diet. I did everything I could

I think people with bipolar disorder tend to be very empathetic and very able to connect with people when they’re hurting, because we’ve seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows,” Katy Kindred says. “I also think the majority of people with bipolar disorder tend to be off the charts creative in various ways.

think to do to get it right,” she says, recalling several antidepressants that didn’t bring relief. In January 2025, after working with a therapist and a psychiatrist and discussing her history at length, Kindred was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“There was a mourning period,” she recalls.

“You’re still you — I’ve been living with it my whole life — but I still went through the stages of grief. I went through a couple of months where it was hard to reconcile.”

After her diagnosis, Kindred found context for her past, reinterpreting her life story and developing a new sense of acceptance.

“I think people with bipolar disorder tend to be very empathetic and very able to connect with people when they’re hurting, because we’ve seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows,” she says. “I also think the majority of people with bipolar disorder tend to be off the charts creative in various ways.” Kindred identifies with both.

She also credits the disorder with fueling her entrepreneurial boldness.

“As an entrepreneur, I have a fearlessness that I think is often common [with bipolar disorder]. It gives me the courage to walk into a bank and ask for an SBA loan for a restaurant,” she says.

“Sometimes I take unhealthy risks, like moving

to Argentina without a place to sleep. But it has also shaped me to be who I am.

“It’s definitely tricky and I wouldn’t choose it, but I have some unique gifts that I can sort of attribute to it,” Kindred says. “Life is too short to feel sorry for yourself, so I try to appreciate the parts of it that give me some unique abilities.”

ONE DAY AT A TIME

Seaboy, which opened in March 2025, gives off a breezy coastal vibe. From the outside, the Cornelius restaurant resembles a tiny beach house, with a wraparound front porch decorated with low-hanging plants. Inside, the smell of roasted oysters from the open kitchen fills the air. On Friday and Saturday nights, the charming 10-table seafood eatery hums with chattering guests — some enjoying crab and chorizo croquettes with a spicy pepper jam, others snacking on crispy halibut cheeks with lemon tartar sauce.

Seaboy chef and owner Jonny Cox’s career was also defined by perseverance through significant personal challenges — addiction, anxiety and a stutter. Like Kindred, he discovered that the very traits that made his path harder were often the ones that made him better at his craft.

Cox grew up kayaking and fishing on lakes in the Carolinas. When he was 6, he developed a stutter. Despite his speech impediment, he found it easy to socialize, though a quiet fear lingered.

“Deep down, there was a fear that it would keep me from achieving things. In high school, I was supposed to take a public-speaking class and I basically found a way to skip that class because I’d be terrified,” Cox says. Beginning in high school, he gravitated toward drugs and alcohol to manage anxiety, eventually reaching a point where he didn’t go a single day for two years without drinking or using drugs.

“It felt like a warm blanket for a short time. It began for fun, but over time it would help with social anxiety,” Cox says. “But I knew that at 18, it would be impossible to live a full life doing that stuff, and I couldn’t stop.”

Cox tried to get sober, attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings and entering detox and rehabilitation facilities. While working toward sobriety, he got a job washing dishes at Bentley’s Restaurant in uptown Charlotte, now located in SouthPark’s Piedmont Town Center.

“I was washing dishes at 20 years old, and my friends were sophomores in college and traveling,” he remembers. “But I took it very seriously.” After work, he would watch Anthony Bourdain’s “A Cook’s Tour,” read cookbooks and journal about someday opening his own restaurant.

Cox eventually tried a different approach: taking sobriety one day at a time.

“[I would say] ‘I’m going to stay sober for right now,’ and you keep doing that. Then after a while, I looked up and I was sober for a few months and wasn’t thinking about it and wasn’t wanting to escape, because life was getting good. And there is hope,” he says.

After attending culinary school at Central Piedmont Community College, Cox joined Rare Roots Hospitality, progressing from sauté cook at Dressler’s to executive chef first at Dogwood then at Fin & Fino, and eventually helping open Chapter 6.

“My end goal was always to open my own spot,” Cox says, though he was repeatedly discouraged by friends, family and even mentors. “I was told ‘no’ a thousand times by banks. I was constantly being turned down by landlords. It was discouraging, but I kept trying, and it finally worked.”

In 2024, a friend from culinary school told him about an available restaurant space that needed extensive remodeling due to rotting floors and flood damage. Cox jumped at the opportunity. During the build-out, he was scammed by an architectural firm and lost thousands of dollars. He was forced to open multiple lines of credit and push back the opening date, leaving prospective employees waiting to begin work. Despite repeated obstacles, Seaboy finally opened its doors over a year later.

“There was a lot of self-doubt along the way,” Cox says. “Each day, I would call my mom and sit in silence on the phone. I was throwing up from stress quite often. Every day was a struggle, because I didn’t know if Seaboy would go down right before it took off. That was my worst fear — to finally get a shot and then have it fall through before I could prove myself.” Through it all, Cox managed to stay sober.

“‘Carry water and chop wood,’” Cox says, reflecting on a saying that he learned in AA that helped him through. “It means keep doing the mundane and hard tasks without being attached to the future. Just keep walking, keep going.”

Cox credits his sobriety journey with giving him the tools to navigate the pressures of restaurant life.

“[Being sober] has taught me a way of living — being grateful for what I currently have, keep moving without being tied to a possible outcome,” he says.

around 7:30 p.m., when he looks up from the kitchen and sees a full house filled with smiles and laughter, he’s reminded of exactly why.

LEARNING TO PIVOT

Like Cox, Sam Ward’s love for food began early. And like both Cox and Kindred, her journey would test her in ways she never anticipated — proving that the line between passion and perseverance is often drawn in the hardest moments.

Gravitating toward the arts, she started baking in high school.

“I thought, maybe I could make art out of baked goods,” she says. After earning her associate degree in pastry arts from Johnson & Wales University, Ward landed an internship at the original Amelie’s French Bakery & Café in NoDa. She later became an assistant pastry chef at UNC Charlotte before curating her passion for fine dining at The Fig Tree.

Not everything is going to go your way, even if you want it with everything inside of you,” Sam Ward says. “Maybe I was meant to have a bakery for a spell, but that’s not the end of my journey.

Cox has one goal: to put out quality food that is simple and approachable, served in a warm and welcoming environment.

“I want people to walk in and feel like they are coming by my house for dinner with friends.” The most popular dish is the tuna crudo, adorned with orange and radish, drizzled with a peanut chili crisp and sprinkled with benne seeds. Another of Cox’s favorites is the sablefish. “It’s crazy buttery, delicate, simple. I put it on maque choux — corn and cream and peppers and okra. It’s super simple but flavorful.”

Last year, Seaboy landed on Esquire’s 2025 list of Best New Restaurants in America.

Through his success, Cox remains vigilant about his sobriety. He will be nine years sober this summer.

“Sometimes people talk about sobriety like they are cured, but while I quit drinking and using drugs, that same kind of behavior can still pop in,” he says. Still, it fuels his determination, and every night

“I like the precision of it. I like how much time and creativity you can put into a plate or a cake,” she says, reminiscing about one of her favorite Fig Tree creations: a dark chocolate silk torte with a roasted hazelnut crust, smooth dark chocolate filling and topped with a sweet cream crémeux.

After nearly five years at The Fig Tree, Ward was ready to venture out on her own. She opened Wentworth & Fenn, a scratch bakery operating out of a vintage Shasta camper. In March 2020 — just one day before the pandemic-induced shutdown — the bakery moved into a permanent space at Camp North End.

“I’m eclectic, so it made sense to put it in an eclectic spot,” Ward says. The bakery became known for small-batch pastries, artisan breads and custom cakes, many finished with a sprinkle of Maldon salt, Ward’s signature touch.

Ward remembers looking around the bakery one day, marveling at its dark green walls and wood accents.

“I remember looking at everything and being so proud.” But her passion and hard work couldn’t sustain the business. The storefront struggled amid the pandemic, and Ward found herself relying heavily on catering and off-site events to stay afloat.

“The storefront was bleeding me dry,” she recalls. “I remember one day we made maybe $25 on a Wednesday. When I left the bakery, that was not the end of my day. I was going home and running reports, trying to project what the next year would look like. I loved my staff so much, and I wanted to make sure there was a future for them, because it was not just my livelihood, it was also theirs.”

Ward took to social media to plead for support, speaking openly about the struggles of small-business ownership. The response was mixed, and the experience took a toll.

“It put me in a very dark place,” she says. “A lot of people are unfortunately keyboard warriors, and it’s hard to ignore that. When you start to hear and see how ugly comments are put out about how you’re not a good business owner and you’re not this and you’re not that, and people don’t know the real story, it’s very hard on one’s psyche.”

After nearly five years at Camp North End and an attempt at a satellite location, Ward made the painful decision to close the bakery.

“I sat on the floor and just looked around and burst into tears,” she says. “I put everything I owned into that bakery. I have days where I feel like the biggest failure in the world.”

For the next year and a half, Ward struggled with bouts of depression. She found solace in long walks along the greenways and in therapy.

“It’s OK not to be OK, and to talk about it,” she says. “Talk about things you’re scared to talk about. Everybody is struggling in their own way.”

For the first time in nearly a decade, Ward had the space to consider what she actually wanted to do next. She found an opportunity at L’Ostrica, an upscale restaurant with a seasonal tasting menu — a place, she says, where everything is intentional and every detail matters.

“There is a lot of research and development, a lot of testing, a lot of all of us talking in the kitchen about dishes and what could be,” Ward says. “I don’t think I realized how much I needed all of that in my life. It’s making me not just a better pastry chef, but better in the food industry overall.”

Ward is constantly looking for inspiration in taking simplified pastries and elevating them with hidden layers, progressive color schemes and unexpected flavor combinations. Each concept goes through multiple iterations before it hits the menu.

While she may no longer own and operate her own bakery, Ward has learned how to handle stressful situations and pivot when needed.

“Not everything is going to go your way, even if you want it with everything inside of you,” Ward says. “Maybe I was meant to have a bakery for a spell, but that’s not the end of my journey.”

She remains an advocate for small businesses and hopes her story

will encourage others to take risks.

“I hope that even though I didn’t make it [as a business owner], I inspired somebody else to,” she says. “So even if you’re scared to do it, do it anyway.”

PULLING BACK THE CURTAIN

As Cox continues to carry water and chop wood, and Ward channels her experience into the collaborative kitchen at L’Ostrica, Kindred too has found a new sense of footing. She is now in a good place, managing her mood symptoms with regular exercise, a wholefoods diet and supplements. She has come to terms with taking medication, and leans heavily on her family for support.

A month or two after her diagnosis, Kindred shared it with her three children.

“Their reaction was so sweet. They said, ‘But you’re still the same mom you’ve always been, right?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ And they said, ‘Oh, so what’s the big deal?’ [Their love and acceptance] went a long way to heal any last bits of shame about it.”

Kindred also sees value in being transparent about her diagnosis.

“I think it’s so important to talk about and share your experiences. You begin to realize there are so many more people who can relate on multiple levels. I think it speaks to the common humanity that we all have,” she says. “It’s so easy to look at somebody and make assumptions, especially with social media, but being able to pull back the curtain a little and show our struggles — that’s where genuine human connections are made.”

With goals to continue growing her restaurant group, Kindred’s focus for now is simpler: paying it forward. It’s a sentiment that Cox and Ward would likely echo. The struggles that shaped them are inseparable from the work they love, and showing up, day after day, is both the hardest and most rewarding thing they do. SP

swirl

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Wish Ball Gala

benefiting Make-A-Wish Central & Western N.C. The Revelry North End

March 6

The evening raised more than $2.24 million to help make the dreams of local Wish kids come true.

photographs by Daniel Coston

LADY

swirl

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

UNCF Charlotte Mayor’s

Masked Ball

benefiting United Negro College Fund

Charlotte Convention Center

March 21

This 12th annual black-tie gala raised funds for deserving students across North Carolina. The Johnson family of SB&J Enterprises, Malcomb D. Coley and J. Frank Harrison III were honored for their community service.

by Daniel Coston

MORE THAN JUST A CONVERSATION

PARTNER FIRST, PRODUCER SECOND

Evrybdy Studios knows how to tell a story, and they want to tell yours. Robbie Shaw, Founder and CEO of the studio and creator of podcast “Champagne Problems,” realized he had a passion and love for the art of conversation. He wanted the conversations he was having around mental health, adversity, and perseverance to be accessible beyond the scope of a one on one interaction. The answer? Going digital. He founded Evrybdy Studios with a team of “audio/video creators and marketing experts” who are excitingly ahead of the game when it comes to utilizing authentic conversation to establish trust, thought leadership, and brand awareness.

THE FUTURE OF BRANDING

Robbie and the team create full-service podcast solutions for businesses ranging from brand strategy to production and distribution. With today’s shift towards digital-first marketing solutions, Evrybdy Studios hasn’t just jumped on the bandwagon, they’ve started to drive it. In just two years, they’ve curated content from world-class experts, brand sponsorships and renowned guests, and have garnered more than 400k downloads across their client podcasts.

STANDING OUT AND MAKING ROOM

In a world where podcasts and audio/visual services seem saturated, Evrybdy Studios stands out by serving B2B and B2C organizations, helping them reach their target audience. “It’s not about popularity, it’s about getting information, thought leadership, and brand awareness to the exact people you’re trying to reach,” says Robbie about the intention and purpose behind podcasting. They carefully and masterfully create unique packages for each client considering business needs, making room for your stories and sharing your conversations with everybody.

All-In To Fight Cancer

benefiting local charities

The Fillmore Charlotte

March 5

This lively night of fun was packed with friendly games of Texas Hold’em, professional dealers and live music — all to give cancer-related charities a boost.

photographs by Daniel Coston

A Mahjong Evening at The Palm Royale

benefiting Mitchell’s House Junior League of Charlotte

March 5

Friends and patrons gathered to play mahjong and raise money to support children and their families experiencing life-altering events and diagnoses.

photographs by Daniel Coston

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

5th Annual HEARTest Yard “UnGala”

benefiting HEARTest Yard programs Steak 48 Feb. 24

This celebrity-studded crowd came for a high-energy night of purpose, raising more than $354,000 in support of families navigating congenital heart disease.

photographs by Taylor Christie Photography, courtesy Yellow Duck Marketing

15th

photographs by Daniel Coston

ELDEST-DAUGHTER ERA

Taylor Swift hinted at it, the internet confirmed it and the data backs it up: Eldest daughters have been training for leadership roles our whole lives.

by Taylor Bowler

Lately the internet has discovered something many families already knew: Eldest daughters are built different. We’re the planners, the fixers, the ones who remember everyone’s birthdays. We can load a dishwasher like a Scandinavian architect, and we never forget to pack an extra phone charger. We were a pleasure to have in class.

The term “eldest-daughter energy” has exploded on TikTok and Instagram. It’s become a cultural shorthand for the hyper-responsible, high-performing, slightly exhausted woman who had to learn leadership early. Taylor Swift penned a song about it. Girl Tribe, Etsy and even Walmart carry eldest-daughter merch. I recently saw a T-shirt that said “Eldest daughters are the toughest men you’ll ever meet.”

Studies suggest nearly half of CEOs are firstborn children, which might explain why so many eldest daughters grow up to be natural leaders. When your first management experience is keeping younger siblings alive and making sure everyone gets out the door on time, the corner office feels like a natural progression.

Mia Corbin

younger ones move along,” she says. “I hated being late. I used to lie to my mom that a soccer game was 45 minutes before the actual time because then we’d actually show up on time. I always had my classwork in on time. I felt like there was no room for error. I like being the best at everything, whether it’s in the classroom and on the field. That’s how I like to excel.”

Her inclination to lead followed her to college. As a student at UC Berkeley, Mia helped create the first black student athlete committee. During Covid, she coached high school soccer. Prior to signing with the Ascent, Charlotte’s professional women’s soccer team, she lived in three countries in three years: Costa Rica, Italy and Australia.

“I took that head-on,” she says, not boastfully, but with a shrug. “With each country, I had no fear. I knew I’d be OK and figure it out.”

Since starting her club career, she’s realized all those years of refereeing her siblings was basically training camp.

It makes sense that so many famous women leaders were eldest daughters: Sheryl Sandberg, Hillary Clinton, Angela Merkel, Jacinda Ardern, Margaret Thatcher, Kamala Harris, Queen Elizabeth II, Amelia Earhart. Look around Charlotte’s leadership circles, and you’ll notice a similar pattern. Former WBTV anchor, speaker and author Molly Grantham is an eldest daughter. So is Cathy Bessant, a longtime executive at Bank of America and current CEO of Foundation For The Carolinas.

Mia Corbin, a 28-year-old Carolina Ascent forward, is the oldest of four. She says she feels like a “mama bear” to her three younger brothers and fits the eldest daughter stereotype to “to a T.”

“You have to have your stuff together so you can help the

“My brothers were messy and bouncing off the walls,” she says. “Because they were wild in the best way possible, it made me more calm. I’m a very calm player, in the locker room and on the field. I like to bring the tempo down and let everyone breathe. Managing my brothers definitely translates to managing 11 people on the soccer field.”

Today, she mentors young female athletes and hopes to keep doing it throughout her career.

That instinct to lead, coach and make space for the next generation didn’t just show up in a locker room, though. It started at home, in the kind of chaos that trains you to read the room before you even know it’s a skill. And for a lot of eldest daughters, that reflex never really turns off. SP

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