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By Ted Williams |
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Hello Thursday. Last weekend, I attended my 5-year-old daughter's Jami Masters dance recital at Queens University Theatre. Electric!
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Perhaps even more electric is the cash machine that is Jami Masters School of Dance.
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Back-of-napkin: There were 21 recitals. If each recital has 100 performers, that’s a total of 2,100 students. At an average of $90/mo, that’s over $2M in annual revenue.
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I bet with mostly high school dance instructors and a favorable Park Road Shopping Center lease, margins are eye-popping. Bravo! Anyways.
💼 Hot Job: VP, Programs & Operations at SouthPark Community Partners ($90K – $100K). Lead innovative projects like Symphony Park. Reports directly to badass CEO Adam Rhew.
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☕ Opening soon: Night Swim Coffee opens in South End this Saturday. My buddy James Yoder now co-owns 14 coffee shops!
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👨 Shout-out: Garrett Tichy, founder of Seemingly Overzealous Ice Cream, for calling out an Instagram influencer who pitched a $350 collab but has fake followers. 8,000 views.
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MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE
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S&P 500 |
7,520 |
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Nasdaq |
26,675 |
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NEW CASINO
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Phase One of $1B Two Kings Casino opens with shocking $50 minimums and huge crowds
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Sunday afternoon crowds at the Two Kings Casino table games
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Day trip: On Sunday afternoon, I recruited my neighbors Trevor and Garry, and we drove 42 minutes to investigate Two Kings Casino.
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Parking is free and easy. It's no Vegas, but it has that vibe.
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I ended up winning $138 after some wild Juicy Jay-inspired swings at the craps table.
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Catch up: Phase one of the $1B casino opened last week. It feels a bit larger than a football field.
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1,350 slots, 22 table games, sports betting kiosks, 68-seat restaurant, and 18-seat bar.
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Minimums: The 12 blackjack tables and 2 craps tables switched from $25 to $50 minimums at around 2pm. Wild!
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At 4pm, lines at the ATMs were 7 people deep. All 22 traditional table games were full. All restaurant and bar seats were full.
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Dealers told me that peak busy times tend to be 5-7pm, where waits to join a blackjack and craps table are several people deep.
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Roughly 80% of the slot machines were occupied, including the walled off "High Limit" slot machine room.
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Price check: No free drinks. Beers are $8. Liquor $6. Specialty cocktails start at $10. Local beers include Juicy Jay, Hop Drop, and Copper.
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What's next: 1 year from now, the entire $1B Two Kings complex will open. Casino gets 4x as big. 24-story, 385-room hotel. 11 restaurants, including a high-end steakhouse.
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PRESENTED BY TOCCARE
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Book an award-winning facial at Toccare Skin Spa in Dilworth
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Toccare in Dilworth, the No. 1 Best Facial in Charlotte
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Best facial: My wife and her friends are absolutely obsessed with Toccare. It’s the best.
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The award-winning Dilworth skin spa sees more than 1,000 clients each month.
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Known for its focus on clean beauty and individualized treatments.
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Book it: Their popular Toccare Ritual Facial runs $145. Use code TINY30 for a $30 credit toward your first service!
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NOW OPEN
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$850K LA-inspired sushi restaurant serving up miniature sushi burritos
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$7 Toro Hand Roll with their popular $7 Tempura Fries behind
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Now open: Sharigato, a chic hand-roll sushi restaurant from chef-owner Shari Lynne Robins, opened near Bird Pizzeria in Optimist Park.
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How it works: Enter and wash your hands. No silverware! Grab a seat at the 24-seat counter, where you can watch the chef. Order a set of hand rolls (3-6 pieces) via QR code.
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Price check: Set menus range from $19 to $35 per person. Individual hand rolls are also available at $5 to $9 each.
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Limited "Snacks" like miso soup, edamame, shishito peppers, cucumber salad, and tempura fries round out the menu.
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Takeout: Shari also offers a $120 DIY Handroll Kit with everything needed to make 20 hand rolls — toro, crab, yellowtail, salmon, warm rice, and seaweed.
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MONEY TALKS
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26-year-old commission-only mortgage broker makes $0 to $20K per month
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$14 chicken sandwich at Yafo, this guy’s No. 1 restaurant
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Money Talks is a weekly series showcasing how real people in Charlotte approach money. Participate.
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Job: “I'm a VP at a mortgage company. Commission-only. Pay ranges from $0 to $20K per month. I made $90K in my first year.”
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Living situation: “I bought last year with 5% down. It's a renovated property near South End for $350K. 30-year fixed mortgage. $2,400 per month. I'm house hacking (renting bedrooms) to cover part of it.”
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Budgeting: “I use Rocket Money. I saved nearly 60% of my income last year.”
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Splurge: “Golf. Ever hit the 18th green on Trump National while 20 boats in Cocktail Cove are honking and watching?! Worth it!”
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Financial goals:
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$2M net worth by 30. Then buy business doing $2M in sales and scale it to $5M.
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$5M by 40. Sell the business or continue scaling while investing in commercial real estate deals.
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$20K in monthly cash flow, so I can buy NY Butcher Shoppe steaks without regretting the price tag.
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On your mind: “The happiest people I've met enjoy how they make money, not how much money they make.”
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Rich in Charlotte: “Country club membership at Quail Hollow. Pristine golf and connections there.”
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Full story: 26-year-old started investing at 15 to hit $325K net worth
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MONEY SNACKS
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5 other financial headlines I’m snacking on
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US Men's National Team plays Senegal Sunday afternoon. Second to last game before the World Cup. Tickets start at $39.
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Escape room near Plaza Midwood for sale asking $625K. Revenue $828K. Cash flow $149K. 10 part-time employees.
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LʼOstrica debuts expanded à la carte menu with new pastas as well as 6-course $120 tasting menu. Congrats Eric and Cat!
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GLP-1 weight-loss drugs decrease restaurant profits. 12% of Americans on them. Less eating out and smaller orders.
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Mood House drops 100 exclusive memberships. 59 remaining. Commit to a year at $92/mo and you and a friend get a free massage.
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HOUSEKEEPING
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Grant Arons opens 5th Inizio Pizza with $700K investment in Cotswold
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$18 Pistachio Pesto Pizza, one of Inizio's best sellers
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Now open: Grant expands his pizza empire with the grand opening of his 5th Inizio Pizza in Cotswold Village!
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Power ranking: No. 1 Pepperoni Speziato ($18), No. 2 Pistachio Pesto ($18), and No. 3 Vodka Pesto ($17). Yes, I've taste tested them all.
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Obsessed: "The dough must be great to have a great pizza," Grant told me. "If you have pizza ambitions, spend all your time learning about dough."
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Happy Thursday! l just booked a 4-night trip to Sea Island for my family next month. OMG, it’s so expensive there.
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– Ted
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MONEY POLL
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What do you think about AI?
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Last week’s poll results: Which food delivery app do you use? (13,935 subscribers)
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DoorDash – 71%
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Uber Eats – 28%
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Grubhub – 1%
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