McDonald's headed to Quail Corners

A long-running spat over fast food at Quail Corners Shopping Center appears to be over, as the Charlotte Business Journal is reporting that McDonald's has signed on to put a location there.

The shopping center, at Sharon Road West and Park Road, is getting a multimillion dollar renovation. Neighbors had previously fended off attempts to put a drive-thru fast food restaurant there, and Crosland, the developer, had failed to win approval three times previously.

Here's an article from my colleague Steve Harrison about the zoning dispute, which stretches back to 1979, and the city's zoning decision last year to allow a drive-thru location there.

The Business Journal reports that the new McDonald's will be nearly 4,500 square feet. Salsarita's will be relocating to a 2,400-square-foot location close to Park Road.



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New neighborhood deli, shop opens in NoDa

There's a new neighborhood store for food, prepared meals, beer and wine in NoDa, called, simply enough, Bodega.

The store, at the corner of 35th Street and McDowell, had a soft opening last week. Lynn Matta is co-owner of the 2,200 square foot store, along with her sister and her brother-in-law.

"We had always seen this little store that was there, and we had always called it the bodega. They had gone out of business, and we loved the building," said Matta. They've spent the past six months renovating and refurbishing the building, preparing to re-open it as a food and beverage shop geared to the neighborhood's needs.

"We've been doing a lot of wine tastings and beer tastings, getting the menus ready and meeting with representatives from international food distributors," she said.

They carry homemade pimento cheese and hummus, local beers, upscale olive oil and balsamic vinegars, deli sandwiches, prepared foods and wine "you won't find in a grocery store," Matta said. They still have room to add more to the store, and Matta said they plan to put in bulk food, such as granola, grains, and chocolate-covered espresso beans soon. Matta said they also hope to start catering.

They're hoping for more input from the community, Matta said. "Everything we did up to the opening was stuff we picked, and now, we want to hear what the neighborhood wants...Come out and tell us."



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South End gets Blush boutique

Blush, a new boutique, is set for a May opening in the space where Niche Market used to be.

The store at 1504 Camden Road has had paper over the windows and a sign for a few weeks now. I sent an email to the owners since I couldn't find a phone number, but I haven't heard back from them. However, the store's Facebook page now says it will be opening next month.

Blush will carry women's apparel and accessories, and says it will have "a range of price points and styles that will appeal to the women of Charlotte, regardless of age or budget." The page shows lots of vivid colors, including an array of jeans in pink, yellow, green and bright blue, along with dresses, shoes, handbags and necklaces.

I'll update this post if I get any more information, like an exact date. Feel free to let me know here if you know any more either.



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South Charlotte Target remodel underway

Target is remodeling its store at Blakeney Shopping Center on Rea Road to add an expanded fresh grocery selection, and expects the project to be complete by the end of June.

The store is one of the last in the area that haven't already had the fresh food facelift. Target has been pushing expanded fresh grocery selections for several years now, in an attempt to win shoppers from rivals such as Wal-Mart and drive more frequent shopping trips from existing customers.

The Rea Road store (called "Charlotte Far South" on the Target store remodel website) is one of 90 being remodeled in the latest fresh grocery renovations. Target has already converted almost 1,000 of its 1,765 stores to the new format, which includes another 10,000 square feet of space for groceries. They include fresh produce, packaged meats and packaged baked goods, along with the traditional dry food and frozen coolers.

The renovation also includes wider aisles, lower displays, an updated beauty aisle and a reconfigured shoe department in hopes of spurring more spending.

Data from Chain Store Guide, a company that collects market share data, shows Target is still a comparatively minor local grocery player, with 1.3 percent of Charlotte area grocery sales. It's the 11th-largest grocery retailer locally. Wal-Mart is the largest, with 21.5 percent of the market, followed by Harris Teeter, with 21.1 percent.

Here's an earlier story I did with Kathleen Purvis about Target's grocery program, which was originally called P-Fresh.


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Elder Gallery relocates, but stays in South End

Larry Elder, owner of Elder Gallery, said his store is moving a few blocks, from South Boulevard to a larger location on South Tryon Street.

 The 11-year-old gallery's new home will be at 1520 South Tryon Street. Elder said the move to upgrade to a 6,500 square foot space was prompted by the acquisition of a large collection of work by the artist Carl Plansky.

"The significance of the Plansky Collection has caused me to realize that this collection dictates a larger, more appropriate space," said Elder.  "We anticipate national and international interest, and want to properly showcase the work of Plansky and the other fine artists we represent."

The recently-renovated building also features 28-foot ceilings, catering facilities and meeting rooms available for rent. A grand opening is scheduled for Friday, May 11, and Saturday, May 12, featuring landscapes by David Skinner, a California artist.

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Concord Mills gaining 2 new stores

Two new retailers, New York & Company Outlet and maurices, are set to move into Concord Mills this summer.

The New York & Company Outlet will be opening near the mall's Ann Taylor Factory Store. The company sells women's apparel and accessories.

maurices, which is spelled with a lowercase first letter, offers bi-weekly shipments of new apparel aimed at young women. It will be located near the Old Navy Outlet.

The store's openings will be timed to coincide with the opening of the mall's new XXI Forever store. At 30,000 square feet, the store is four times larger than the former Forever 21 store. Concord Mills has more than 200 retailers.

Dollar General opening new store in north Charlotte

Tennessee-based Dollar General is opening a new store in north Charlotte, as the country's biggest discount store continues to expand.
The store is at 2804 West Sugar Creek Road, in the Crossroads Shopping Center. There will be a grand opening celebration on Saturday, April 21. Starting at 8 a.m., the first 50 customers will get a $10 gift certificate for Dollar General, and the first 200 shoppers will get a free tote bag.
The new store features an updated layout, Dollar General says. Seasonal items are on display in the middle of the store, and coolers are located at the front. Signage has also been updated and expanded.
Dollar General has more than 10,000 retail stores in the U.S., compared to Matthews-based Family Dollar's 7,100 or so. Both discount chains have been trying to burnish their image, with updated store designs, more consumable goods and a wider range of products. They've been booming in recent years, as a combination of the recession and stumbles by huge rival Wal-Mart have driven more shoppers to try out dollar stores.

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