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By Ted Williams |
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Hello Thursday. In shocking news, my buddy confessed to me that he buys his underwear from the Myers Park Country Club golf shop.
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Wild move! And wild move by MPCC to carry branded Peter Millar undies!
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He must have sensed that I was underwear curious, so the next day, he dropped off a pair at my house. I must admit, they’re comfy, and I feel very fancy with the cursive MPCC logo on the left thigh.
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I’ll probably do a photoshoot and post pics to my rabid 21,706 LinkedIn followers, sending engagement metrics to the moon. Anyways.
💼 Hot Job: President at Highland Falls Beverage Company. Rare ground floor executive role with an experienced ownership group. Work with Matt Hartley, founder of Winestore. |
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💰 Price check: $4.28M. Price paid to buy the 18-hole Mallard Head Golf Course on 174 acres in Mooresville.
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👨Shout-out: Alex Smereczniak, 33-year-old CEO of Franzy, for closing a $2.2M seed round to launch a franchise resale marketplace.
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MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE
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S&P 500 |
6,264 |
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Nasdaq |
20,730 |
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NOW OPEN
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Spaghett lives up to the hype, and most dishes are only $15 – $19
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| Spagett, located in a historic Uptown house. Retro chic! |
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My wife and I sat at the 6-seat Spaghett bar on Sunday night. Truly an A+ date night.
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Setting the scene:
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Located in Uptown’s 4th Ward neighborhood. Easy on-street parking.
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Only 48 seats. Outstanding service. $1M investment to get the restaurant open.
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Focused menu with only 4 apps ($15), 5 pastas ($19), 3 entrees ($27 – $39), and 2 desserts ($11).
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Order the Paper Plane bourbon cocktail ($15). No. 1 best seller. Served up.
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Food instructions: If you’re there on a hot date, I’d go 3 apps, 2 pastas, and 1 dessert to share (total under $100).
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Start with the Heirloom Tomato Melon appetizer. Ask for another round of delicious bread (free) for dipping purposes.
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Sounds weird, but the Beans & Fennel app and Seasonal Greens Salad with a warm Caesar-ish dressing were also outstanding.
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Best-selling pasta dishes are their Ricotta Gnocchi and Cacio e Pepe for a reason. Order both.
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End with the Housemade Bread Pudding.
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Booking intel:
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Tiny take: Spaghett is a must visit. My “Big 3” fancy restaurant openings of 2025 are Leluia Hall, Rada, and Spagett. And for the lunch crowd, La Lima.
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PRESENTED BY SOUTHPARK COMMUNITY PARTNERS
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$21M Symphony Park will deliver in 2027, support opportunities still available
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Coming soon: A $21 million renovation of SouthPark’s only park is on track to deliver by August 2027. I’m pumped!
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Capital stack:
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$8 million from the City of Charlotte
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$8 million from Simon Property Group
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$5 million from private sector partners
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Get involved: Funding support is still available, including some naming opportunities.
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GROWTH MODE
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50-year-old former teacher turns vinyl side hustle into $550K+ business, now opening South End store
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| Hardy Boys Records Camp North End storefront |
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Former teacher Dean Hardy will open his second freestanding record store in South End on August 9.
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Dean taught 12th grade philosophy and bible for over 20 years at Charlotte Christian (fun fact: Steph Curry was a student!).
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He’s investing $80K to open another Hardy Boys Records store in the South End space formerly occupied by 704 Shop.
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Revenue: “We did $550K in sales in 2024, and so far this year, we’re experiencing 38% YoY sales growth.”
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How it started: “I fell into it,” Dean told me. “I bought some records at a yard sale, sold them individually on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, and made a profit.”
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Market size: Vinyl sales are growing 7% YoY. It’s now a $1.4B market. Perhaps surprising, sales have grown for 17 straight years.
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What’s next: Dean’s looking to open more Hardy Boys Records locations in Charlotte and may evaluate franchising.
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MONEY TALKS
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30-year-old marketing manager making $164K, struggling to say “no” to adventures
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| Crispy shrimp ($29) and oysters (mkt price) at her No. 1 spot, Steak 48 |
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Money Talks is a weekly series showcasing how real people in Charlotte approach money. Participate.
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Job: “Marketing Director. Salary is $147K base with a 12% annual bonus. I get to work from home 3x/wk.”
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Work-life balance: “It’s hit or miss. Social media management definitely creates an always-on feeling. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get burnt out from time to time.”
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Side hustle: “I sometimes freelance on the side, which is easy money. I charge $100-200/hr.”
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On your mind: “I need to spend less. Saving is my greatest downfall. My partner and I both love to travel and pay for experiences (concerts, festivals, etc).”
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Investment strategy: “Right now, I typically just take some of my paycheck and put it into a savings account. No specific amount. Overall, I’ve got $15K in savings, $100K in my 401k, and $10K in a brokerage account.”
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Rich in Charlotte: “Truly rich are subtle and frugal. They own a house in Myers Park, but drive a Prius. $10M is my number for complete financial freedom.”
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Full story: 30-year-old making $164K shares 3 goals to grow net worth beyond $125K
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MONEY SNACKS
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5 other financial headlines I’m snacking on
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Cara’s Cookie Company, serving monster half-pound cookies, opens Saturday at Camp North End.
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D1 Training franchise for sale in North Charlotte, asking $250K. Revenue $257K. 8 years left on lease. Rent $9,874.
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Henrietta’s pushes restaurant grand opening to late July. Reservations now open. Backed by the Rally Pickleball team.
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John Roberts lands CEO job at Wray Ward, Charlotte’s largest ad agency. Former CEO Kent Panther moves to president/growth role.
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Kid activity center franchise for sale, asking $425K. Sales $617K. Cash flow $111K. 10,500-square-foot facility with new bounce houses.
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HOUSEKEEPING
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Acclaimed Mirror Hotel on 50 acres near Asheville for sale, asking $4.4M
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| Recently built Mirror Hotel, nearly 100% booked in 2025 |
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Layout: The Mirror Hotel campus features 6 luxury short-term rental cabins on a rolling pasture. All cabins are mirror-clad “invisible cabins,” made to blend into the landscape.
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3 of the cabins sit 16 feet above ground and each features 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, full kitchens, decks, hot tubs, fire pits, and pizza ovens.
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3 grounded cabins each have 2 levels, lofted bedrooms, spa-style baths, and private hot tubs.
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Vision: When I chatted with listing agent Tyler Coon, he told me it could be a perfect spot for a buyer to continue to invest, citing Tennessee’s Bolt Farm luxury wellness retreat as an aspirational comp (valued at $32M).
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Analysis: “Gross bookings for the year are at ~$780K which makes this an attractive investment with an 18% gross yield,” Rabbu CEO Emir Dukic told me. “Also with 100% bonus depreciation now back in the Big Beautiful Bill, there are some significant tax savings.”
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Happy Thursday! I’m playing in a member guest golf tournament with my Dad this weekend at Mountain Air Country Club in Burnsville, NC. I’m going low.
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– Ted
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MONEY POLL
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Do you plan on using a business coach or career coach over the next 12 months?
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Last week’s poll results: Do you track and optimize credit card rewards? (9,942 subscribers)
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