🟢 No. 1 Hidden Gem Restaurant

Hello Thursday. Each year, we take our 3 kids to the Speedway Christmas drive-thru light show.

At $46 per car, it’s an unreal cash cow — and that’s before you include their Christmas Village, sponsorships, or the $92 fast pass upsell (up $17 from last year).

My advice is to go early on weeknights, otherwise you'll hit traffic (lots of grumpy online reviews).

It's open from late November to early January. Let's just say on average it does 1,500 cars per night at $46 per car, that's over $3M in car revenue alone!

💼 Hot Job: VP, Brand & Communications at Bankrate ($220K – $310K, plus equity). Oversee content and editorial strategy. Part of Red Ventures. 401k match. 20 days PTO.

Number: 67%. Portion of retirees with at least $500K who haven't shared with their grown children what they’ll inherit. Don't forget, $124 trillion is projected to go to heirs by 2048.

👨Shout-out: Brandt Bronico, Charlotte FC midfielder, for documenting his Airbnb projects on Instagram. He and his wife, Rebecca, just debuted a new $90K tiny home in Plaza Midwood listed at $130/night.

MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE

BULLISH

Seaboy hits "No. 1 Hidden Gem" restaurant status in Charlotte area, OMG so tasty

Blown away: Seaboy knocked my socks off. Truly outstanding.

Background: The 9-month-old restaurant describes itself as a "small, chef-driven spot that feels like a cozy beach house getaway."

Vibes: With just 20 tables and a cozy 6-seat bar across from an exposed kitchen — it feels like a small town dinner party inside of a Beef ‘N Bottle-like house.

Must order: Grilled Oysters ($4/each), Yellowfin Crudo ($20), Crab & Chorizo Croquettes ($16), Mushroom Toast ($17), and Grilled Yellowfin Tuna ($39).

PRESENTED BY KEESEE REAL ESTATE

New built with "resort-style” pool asks $3.25M in Lansdowne

For sale: Dapper Development new built just hit the market for $3.25M in Lansdowne, near Foxcroft!

Listing agent: My friend Jordan Keesee, who just launched Pinnacle Realty Advisors in Charlotte, one of America's fastest-growing firms.

CAREER PIVOT

Ex-Wells Fargo VP Mike Calcara hits 150 clients paying him $1,000 to buy their car

Growth: This year alone, over 150 people will skip the hassle of buying a car and pay Mike $1,000 to save them time and money as their personal car buying concierge.

Idea: "After years of helping busy friends untangle awful dealership experiences, I realized there was room for a buyer-side advisor," Mike told me.

Misunderstood: "A deal has so many moving parts; between rebates, discounts, interest rates, trade-ins, and warranty packages, buyers often walk away paying more than they should even when they think they scored a deal."

TINY MONEY JOB BOARD

Who’s hiring in Charlotte? 5 Trending jobs

Hiring? Post a job

Hunting? View all 101 open jobs on the Tiny Money Job Board 💰

MONEY TALKS

40-year-old marketing director job-hops 5 times in 5 years to hit $150K

Money Talks is a weekly series showcasing how real people in Charlotte approach money. Participate.

Living situation: “Own. I rented for years, but I bought right before the pandemic. By 2023, the value increased 58% ($200K). I sold it and used the cash for the down payment on my current house.”

Job: “Marketing Director. $150K salary, plus 10-15% annual bonus.”

Salary journey: “I started out making pennies! I think it was $27K. I didn't start making real money until my 30s when I job-hopped 5 times in 5 years to reach a salary of $95K.”

On your mind: "I have one child who I co-parent with the father. This is the last year before my child starts public school. I'm beyond excited. Daycare and private pre-k has been expensive.”

Work-life balance: “Incredible. I'm ready for a new challenge, but also cautious. Since becoming a Mom, being present for my child far outweighs my desire for pay or title.”

Net worth: “$700K. All from savings over my career. Save while you're young, don't get into unnecessary debt, and if you get legally married, have a prenup.”

Rich in Charlotte: “The ones you'd never guess because they don't feel the need to show it off. Charlotte’s ‘new money rich’ are the obnoxious people that have an annual income of over $550K.”

Full story: 40-year-old marketer making $150K breaks down her 401(k), IRA, and high-yield savings

MONEY SNACKS

5 other financial headlines I’m snacking on

HOUSEKEEPING

Former Belk CEO opening 34,000 square foot indoor slide park on South Blvd

Opening hype: Former Belk CEO Nir Patel and his wife Jen will debut North Carolina’s first Slick City franchise within the next 7 weeks.

Economics: Nir and team declined to share investment details with me, but I’m guessing it’s in the $4M range.

Happy Thursday! I’ll be busy this weekend coaching my son’s U10 church league basketball (switched from zone to man-to-man) and attending my daughter’s Christmas pageant at Christ Church!

– Ted

MONEY POLL

Last week’s poll results: Is your total housing cost more or less than 30% of your income? (11,997 subscribers)