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By Ted Williams |
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Hello Thursday. My 11-year-old son came in last place in his fantasy football league.
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The losing boy's dad had to host a party serving unlimited Bossy Beulah's nuggets for the boys ($76 per 60-count) and "premium meat" for the dads.
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I drained my son's 529 plan, and purchased a $129 bone-in tomahawk from the New York Butcher Shoppe in Dilworth.
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As a blogger with limited life skills, I had to ask my wife how to turn on the grill. My 5-year-old daughter stared at me and asked, "Dad, do you even know what you're doing?"
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Credit to me, I absolutely nailed it. Sources say that my new nickname around town has transitioned from "Tiny Ted" to "Tomahawk Ted"🥩
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5-minute grill sear, then bake at 425 and finish with garlic butter
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đź’ĽÂ Hot job:Â Senior Marketing Event Manager at Honeywell ($142K – $178K). Hybrid. Manage large-scale internal and external events.
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🏠For sale: 1935 brick Colonial in Eastover asks $2.5M. Ivy-clad pergolas. Pool. 4 beds, 2 baths on .24 acre lot. Old money curb appeal.
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đź“°Â Newsmakers: Power couple Jamie and Jeff Tonidandel, for releasing their 4-story Dilworth restaurant plans and swapping Reigning Doughnuts for a walk-up sandwich window.
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MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE
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S&P 500 |
6,978 |
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Nasdaq |
23,857 |
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BULLISH
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Charlotte's first Mahjong Club to open near The Health Club in Oakhurst
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Future 2,382 sq ft home of The Queen's Mahjery, next door to Ilios in Oakhurst
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Insider news: The Queen's Mahjery, our city's first brick-and-mortar Mahjong Club, plans to open this summer next to The Health Club.
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"Other cities like Dallas and Charleston are killing it at the Mahjong studio game," founder Lauren Ulrey told me.
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Mahjong events are growing 179% YoY across the country, with some Southern cities reporting over 800% growth.
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Idea: Founders Lauren Ulrey, Jennifer Ross, and Patti Roth, play together frequently and were inspired by clubs like Peace Love Mahjong in Dallas.
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Location: The club takes 2,382 square feet in Oakhurst Commons, also home to hot concepts like The Health Club, Mood House, and Switchyards.
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"We decided to be somewhere outside of the Eastover and Myers Park bubble with easy parking for SUVs," explained Lauren. "People can pop in after preschool drop-off, or while killing time during a 3-hour field hockey practice."
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Vision: Interior will be vibrant, but homey and comfortable. I'd expect 15-35 tables, wine, coffee, retail, snacks, and gifts.
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How it works: The Queen's Mahjery will offer memberships as well as a la carte online booking. "You can play 2 games and chat, or 10 games seriously."
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PRESENTED BY MOOD HOUSE
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Mood House surpasses 2,150-members — but you don't need to be a member to book
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Mood House giving off Palm Springs vibes
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Awards: Congrats to Mood House for making it on Yelp's 2025 Top Local Businesses List!! Only 3 North Carolina businesses made the list.
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Voted "No. 1 Best Massage" in Charlotte in back-to-back years.
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Surpassed 2,150 massage members ($92/mo) across their Dilworth and Oakhurst locations — but you don’t need to be a member to book.
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Valentine's Day: Use code “TINY20” at checkout for 20% off gift cards or services (code valid for next 24 hours). It’s awesome.
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NOW OPEN
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$300K Dozo opens in former Fern space in Dilworth with tasty Caesar Pork Cutlet
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New York meets Tokyo vibes, 10 bar seats and about 15 tables
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Now open: Dozo, an intimate Japanese-American restaurant, opens tonight in Dilworth. I sampled 11 dishes on Tuesday night.
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Founders: Perry Saito and John Gambler, who won "Charlotte's No. 1 Best Food Truck" 3 years in a row.
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Instructions: Perfect date night order at the 10-seat bar👇
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$17 Smoked Blue Crab Dip with kettle chips
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$16 Heritage Pork Spare Ribs with miso Carolina sauce
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$45 Shaved Brussels Caesar on top of a 14oz katsu pork cutlet
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6oz A5 Wagyu Gyūdon Bowl topped with an egg yolk
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Comp: Dozo's Caesar reminds me of Bird Pizzeria’s viral $15 Kale Caesar. It's a show-stopper. Share it with the table.
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Reservations: Walk-in only for the first few weeks. No reservations.
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MONEY TALKS
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34-year-old marketer making $225K wrestles with $150K in student loan debt
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Chicken Tikka Masala at Copper, this marketer’s No. 1 dish
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Money Talks is a weekly series showcasing how real people in Charlotte approach money. Participate.
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Living situation: “During COVID, I bought a house in the suburbs from my grandmother at appraisal value. Lucky timing. 20-year mortgage at 4%, which ends up at $1,200 per month.”
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Job: “Marketing role at a large bank. $180K base salary with a 25% bonus.”
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Debt: “I come from a middle-class family, so I had to finance 99% of my education. Undergrad and MBA left me with over $150K in student loan debt at just 23. It's half paid off now.”
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Net worth: “About $300K. It's in savings, IRAs, 401k, and home equity. I moved my savings to Wealthfront for their 4% interest and my IRAs to Robinhood to capitalize on their 3% match.”
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Splurge: “Sports betting. Anytime I'm watching a game or getting ready for a football weekend, I likely have a little coin on the action.”
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Regret: “Going to a college out of state. As an 18-year-old, I didn’t understand the financial impact student loans would have on my long-term wealth.”
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Full story: 34-year-old marketer making $225K tracks every dollar in Excel
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MONEY SNACKS
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5 other financial headlines I’m snacking on
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Foxcroft home on .66 acres asks $4.95M. 5 beds, 8 baths. Pool. 6,120 square feet. Open floor plan with "endless natural light."
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Luxury home staging business for sale asking $675K. Revenue $554K. Cash flow $249K. $400K inventory included. 2 FTEs.
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"No Buy January" soars in popularity with Gen Z. 25% of young adults have tried it. 5x as popular as years past.
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Myers Park Country Club unveils new Golf Studio with TrackMan iO and 4-seat private bar. 8-10 year membership waitlist.
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Bark-style mountain home with tasty curb appeal asks $3M at Grandfather Mountain Country Club. 2 large patios.
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SO HOT RIGHT NOW
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$2.6M Mi Cariño opens Friday in South End with 0 prime-time reservations for 5 weeks
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4 different oysters to choose from; $32 for a dozen
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Opening: Mi Cariño, a gastro-cantina from the team behind VINYL, opens Friday in the space formerly occupied by Vana in South End.
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Hot reservation: Only 9 reservations available before 10pm over the next 5 weeks. It’s our city’s No. 1 hottest restaurant right now!
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Eat this: $15 Aguachile Prieto. Argentine red shrimp ceviche with housemade chips.
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Drink this: $15 Chili con Carne. Mezcal-forward house cocktail.
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Economics: Only 85 seats, but given demand and location, the team plans to have 3 full turns during dinner service. Savvy.
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Happy Thursday! I just binged His & Hers on Netflix. Whew. I’m heading to Leluia Hall on Friday night before poker at a buddy’s house while watching my weatherman bestie Brad Panovich give me his snow forecast!
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– Ted
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MONEY POLL
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Most bougie neighborhood in Charlotte?
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Last week’s poll results: Do you consider Charlotte an affordable city? (12,554 subscribers)
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