What goes up must eventually come down, and that certainly proved true in Charlotte’s white hot restaurant scene in 2025. As more than 200 new food and drink spots opened or announced plans to do so, more than 60 others closed up shop.
With increasing attention on Michelin-recognized restaurants, James Beard Award semifinalists and other flashy spots built with Instagram-worthy beauty in mind, not every restaurant can survive. Not to mention persistent economic pressures from rising food, rent and labor costs that have weighed on restaurateurs.
We were lucky to have one fan-favorite restaurant that still tugs on our heartstrings reopen after closing earlier this year. Fenwick’s, a Myers Park staple since 1984, shut its doors in March after owner Don Rabb retired at 84. But over the summer, the doors popped open once again. Now, new owner Tommi Harris is carrying on the legacy that Rabb had built with his wife, Catherine — with the same familiar faces, sandwiches and salads. (That signature tomato bisque has stayed, too.)
Fenwick’s steak sandwich comes with lettuce, tomato and onion, plus a side of horseradish sauce for slathering on as much as you’d like. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive
Many others didn’t make that kind of a comeback, however. Amid the many other restaurant closures in the Charlotte area this year, here are some of the places we’ll miss the most.
Bar-B-Q King
Location: 2900 Wilkinson Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28208
After more than 60 years of serving burgers, fried chicken and fish, Bar-B-Q King shut down operations on Nov. 1. The old school spot drew in plenty of folks who had been eating there for decades, filling the drive-in stalls and gathering outside for a chat while they waited for their sandwiches and fries.
In its final days, crowds lined up over and over to indulge in the nostalgia of it all before the property was snapped up by First National Bank, which is considering placing a bank branch there. What may have been cheered as modernization by some certainly became a pain point for many others.
Cars fill the drive-in stalls at Bar-B-Q King on Wednesday, Oct. 22 ahead of the restaurant’s Nov. 1 closure. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
The Bottle Tree/Kaya Gastrolounge
Location: 102 Davis St, Belmont, NC 28012
The Bottle Tree, which wowed patrons with an expansive patio pretty enough to take top honors in the CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice Best Patio contest, closed in February and took its Duck Fat Apple Pie along with it.
In March, the same owners gave the property another shot as upscale dining spot Kaya Gastrolounge, but the rebranding change wasn’t enough to make things work. Despite offering an array of items from burgers to bone marrow, Kaya Gastrolounge closed in August. And our dreams of warm nights lounging on that welcoming patio died right along with it.
The extensive patio at Bottle Tree in Belmont stole our hearts before the restaurant closed to become Kaya Gastrolounge. That restaurant closed, too. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
JJ’s Red Hots
Location: 1514 East Blvd Charlotte, NC 28203
JJ’s Red Hots, which appeared on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and at one point had grown to three Charlotte locations, closed its last one permanently in March. For more than a decade, the beloved restaurant served up hot dogs doused in creative sauces and toppings, building a base of superfans.
Now, those regulars can only grab one of the sauerkraut-laden or chili-bathed concoctions through catering from JJ’s food cart, Frank the Tank. Meanwhile, we’re hanging onto the memories of better times, such as the 2016 occasion when JJ’s teamed up with CharlotteFive to create carnivore and herbivore dogs we’d love to taste once again.
A line forms inside at JJ’s Red Hots on East Boulevard in Charlotte on March 12, ahead of its March 16 closure. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
Kappo En
Location: 1941 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28204
Somewhat hidden inside of Japanese noodle shop Menya Daruma was Kappo En, an eight-seat omakase restaurant that closed in early August. (Menya Daruma remains open, though, serving ramen with house-made noodles, katsu sandos and Japanese snacks.)
Despite putting out food elevated enough to garner a few Michelin whispers, Kappo En couldn’t press onward. The departure of a key chef along with the difficulty of importing seasonal ingredients from Japan and operating costs proved to be too much to overcome. Perhaps, someday, we’ll see its return.
Kappo En closed after dinner service Saturday, Aug. 2 Alex Cason CharlotteFive
Lebowski’s Neighborhood Grill
Location: 1524 East Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203
Gen Xers were not the only ones drowned in sorrow over the loss in March of Lebowski’s Neighborhood Grill, an ode in restaurant form to “The Big Lebowski.” New owners had given the spot a bit of a fresh look in 2022, but the seven varieties of White Russians on the drink menu remained in tribute to the movie’s main character, “The Dude.”
Although the first Charlotte location Ladybird Taco was slated to move into the space and soothe our nerves with house-made tortillas after Lebowsky’s closed without warning, that has not yet happened.
A “The Big Lebowski” poster at Lebowski’s Neighborhood Grill. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
Mattie’s Diner
Location: 3100 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28205
Perhaps no one in Charlotte will miss Mattie’s Diner quite as much as CharlotteFive’s Melissa Oyler, who holds memories of the restaurant’s blueberry flapjacks close to her heart. The Plaza Shamrock spot that was originally located in NC Music Factory (now AvidXChange Music Factory) closed in early August. She’s currently working through her grief via red velvet waffles from Matt King’s other venture, The Wafflery, which recently announced an expansion.
And we can all hold out hope that someone will step in to purchase the restaurant, which was put up for sale. “It’s been a great run and we are looking for someone who wants to carry on the tradition of Mattie’s or you can create your own concept In this awesome 1948 original New Jersey diner,” an Instagram post said.
Matt King, owner of Mattie’s Diner, pours syrup over a stack of blueberry pancakes. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
The People’s Market
Location: Tranquil Court, 2810 Selwyn Ave, Charlotte, NC 28209
Location: 1609 Elizabeth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204
The People’s Market, which suffered from financial strains and staffing issues in the weeks leading up to its abrupt closure in November, had just opened a second location in June. A third location was expected in LoSo but never materialized.
The loss of the popular all-day cafe and market with breakfast sandwiches, pizza and cocktails was so great that it quickly sparked a community movement. CLT Black Owned raised more than $26,000 to try to keep the doors open at The People’s Market — but the effort was unsuccessful. In the end, about $9,500 of what was raised went toward the restaurant’s employees, and the rest was slated for other restaurants in need, the group said.
Cory Duran, owner of The People’s Market. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive
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Heidi Finley
The Charlotte Observer
Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits.
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