Small Business
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New Owners Discuss NoDa Company Store Rebranding to Relic NoDa
[This Q&A originally ran in the July issue of NoDa News as part of that publication’s ‘Micro-galleries in NoDa’ series, a monthly exploration of how small businesses have carried on the artistic traditions of the neighborhood’s identity as an arts district following gallery closures.] In August 2025, Jesse Fell and…
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Jay Sifford of Sifford Garden Design Shares Tips for Charlotte Yards
In its February 2023 issue, Fine Gardening magazine described Jay Sifford as “magical.” A quick glance at the past projects carried out by Sifford’s company, Sifford Garden Design, shows the description was anything but hyperbolic. As a garden designer, writer, speaker and frequent podcast guest, Sifford wastes no opportunity to…
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Tattoo Artist George Rodriguez on Scar Covering, Apprenticeships and Opening Old Soul Tattoo Club
Charlotte tattoo artist George Rodriguez considers his craft to be his wife. He loves tattooing unconditionally, and that love bleeds into the quality of his work. Rodriguez recently opened a new tattoo studio with his friend and longtime partner Jose “Jay” Alvarado. Called Old Soul Tattoo Club, the space is…
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PlayNation Set to Open First Location in Eastway Crossing
Described as a new “screens-free” indoor playground concept for kids aged 0-13, PlayNation plans to open its first location in the Eastway Crossing shopping center in east Charlotte this year, a release announced on Wednesday. The 14,257-square-foot facility will be located in the space that was previously home to Smartway,…
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Charlotte Hemp Professionals Face Uncertain Future Under New Federal Rules
For Olivia Merlock, cannabis is not just a lifestyle but a livelihood. Now a senior manager with the Charlotte-based Hemp & Tea Company, the Vermont native entered the hemp industry in 2022 shortly after moving to Charlotte from South Carolina. She was working in the corporate world when she applied…
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Ace Custom Tattoo Moves to Belmont Avenue After Three Decades in Plaza Midwood
After three decades in Plaza Midwood, one of Charlotte’s longest-operating tattoo shops has moved into the abutting Belmont neighborhood, with a grand opening celebration scheduled for next month, the business announced Tuesday. Ace Custom Tattoo, an artist-led studio owned by Rodney Raines, will host an open-house celebration at its new…
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Council Quickies: New Tenants Approved for Eastland Yards
Charlotte City Council held its first business meeting of the new year on Monday night, hearing from residents in a public forum before moving on to new leases inside of the nascent Eastland Yards development. On the Agenda: Public Forum Eastland Yards Leases MPTA Funding Public Forum Before approving a…
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Local Holiday Gift Guide for Charlotte 2025: Shopping, Markets & Pop-Ups
Skip the online shipping delays and support local this holiday season. We’ve rounded up Charlotte’s best locally owned shops, pop-ups, and holiday markets — from South End to Matthews to NoDa — to help you find unique, handmade gifts while keeping your dollars in the community. Online shopping, while convenient,…
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Neek Tea Co. Relaunches With Organic Designation and New Blends
As a child growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, Monique Hibma has clear memories of sitting on the porch with her grandmother drinking peppermint tea. Though not a “real tea” as it’s not from the Camellia Sinensis and lacks caffeine, the sweet treat still brought a young Hibma to a place…
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Consumer Culture Critics’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2025
We can’t buy time but what else is for sale? Back to all categories Winners: Download your award graphics here Support our work by becoming a Nerve Member BEST LOCAL PRODUCT: Sorce Perfume Sorcellerie Apothecary, or Sorce, is a local artisan-owned business based in the Elizabeth neighborhood with a mission to “create…
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Petra’s Marks 18 years as Community Hub in a Changing Neighborhood
It’s a Thursday night in August at Petra’s, and the room is on fire. Two disparate acts are on the bill. One, folk-inflected singer songwriter Emily June, crafts delicate, dusky tunes as mysterious as a faded photo found in an abandoned building. The other, melodic hard-edged alternative rockers Dog Days,…
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OPINION: Don’t Push Street Vendors Like Me Out of Business
Editor’s Note: Earlier in June, we reported on the city’s efforts to potentially regulate street vending in NoDa and possibly the entire city. At its June 22 meeting, Charlotte City Council is scheduled to vote on whether to make NoDa a Congested Business District, which would prohibit street vending in…
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THE CLUB Opens as Coworking-Fitness Hybrid in South End
Two North Carolina natives will launch a new hybrid business model that blends fitness and coworking in South End this weekend with the opening of THE CLUB, billed as “a one-stop space for unparalleled premiere fitness, luxury amenities, dynamic coworking and vibrant community” in a release on Monday. Located in…
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How Sanguine Founders Take Their Influence Offline and Into Camp North End
The first time Chann Daily and husband Montrel “Monny” Little recall hearing the word “sanguine” was on a TV show. The word, the definition of which is “to be optimistic in the face of adversity,” became an inside joke between the couple and their growing TikTok audience. Eventually, however, it…
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CORE K9 Repurposes Ingredients to Cook for Pets
Sometimes loss can inspire the creation of something beautiful. Felicia Cordray and her husband Manuel founded CORE K9 in November 2023, inspired by the loss of their 11-year-old Cane Corso, Dutchess, who had been diagnosed late with lung cancer. Though the Cordrays had kept up with Dutchess’ health, the tumor…
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Distro Beer Hub Applies the Food Hall Model to Craft Beer
Considering Charlotte’s insatiable need for the shiny and new, keeping a brewery alive for 15 years is nothing short of a miracle. After seeing countless breweries open and close over the years, Heist Brewery founder Kurt Hogan has learned what works and what doesn’t. “Breweries are still very popular, but…
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