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Can anyone share some insight on the great number of businesses that fail in Charlotte? Particularly food ones. Is it because there is a culture of "flavor of the month". It seems that what people like a lot here are chain type restaurants and the local, family owned ones have a harder time.
Can anyone share some insight on the great number of businesses that fail in Charlotte? Particularly food ones. Is it because there is a culture of "flavor of the month". It seems that what people like a lot here are chain type restaurants and the local, family owned ones have a harder time.
Well, as a former "Jersey Boy", I can at least explain the demise of many of the pizza places. In a word, it simply ...is price. So many pizza places open in the Charlotte region by legions of "supposed former pizza joint owners" from the Northeast who promise they make the "genuine article". They usually do a halfway decent job with their pizzas and they taste very similar to what you would have gotten in NJ or NY. However, by the time you add a few toppings to an extra large pizza, it seems to approach the $25 mark. So many places end up with locations where the rents are high and owners seem to think they need to be in a fairly upscale location to succeed. The problem is that people like me used to buy those pizzas for ~$10 from the local pizza place, back in NJ and NY and go a couple of times and that's it. The native NC population will not eat there that often as well, because they tend to view it as an expensive treat, not a regular weekly place to eat or get take-out from and don't view pizza as "cheap comfort food" as many Northeasterners do.
Thus, when a new pizza place opens, it usually does good business for a while and then starts a slow decline into oblivion. You know that if you're a pizza business and are selling about 10 pies an hour on a Friday or Saturday night, and 3 or 4 on the other weekdays, you're not going to make it. So after they go under, it's back to Domino's for the now desperate!
Well, as a former "Jersey Boy", I can at least explain the demise of many of the pizza places. In a word, it simply ...is price. So many pizza places open in the Charlotte region by legions of "supposed former pizza joint owners" from the Northeast who promise they make the "genuine article". They usually do a halfway decent job with their pizzas and they taste very similar to what you would have gotten in NJ or NY. However, by the time you add a few toppings to an extra large pizza, it seems to approach the $25 mark. So many places end up with locations where the rents are high and owners seem to think they need to be in a fairly upscale location to succeed. The problem is that people like me used to buy those pizzas for ~$10 from the local pizza place, back in NJ and NY and go a couple of times and that's it. The native NC population will not eat there that often as well, because they tend to view it as an expensive treat, not a regular weekly place to eat or get take-out from and don't view pizza as "cheap comfort food" as many Northeasterners do.
Thus, when a new pizza place opens, it usually does good business for a while and then starts a slow decline into oblivion. You know that if you're a pizza business and are selling about 10 pies an hour on a Friday or Saturday night, and 3 or 4 on the other weekdays, you're not going to make it. So after they go under, it's back to Domino's for the now desperate!
I agree Emissary. Even coming from South Florida to Charlotte, we were surprised at the prices of pizza here. We used to grab a pie a couple of times a week, usually as an add on to something else we were having for dinner. Now, it's a treat that we only do once a month or so.
I agree Emissary. Even coming from South Florida to Charlotte, we were surprised at the prices of pizza here. We used to grab a pie a couple of times a week, usually as an add on to something else we were having for dinner. Now, it's a treat that we only do once a month or so.
I think another problem as far as pizza joints go - is the driving distance. In the Northeast, with its much higher population density, you don't have to travel that far to get good pizza. In a mile radius from your home you might have 5 or 6 local pizzerias to choose from. Most places are small with a couple of tables, because most folks pick up their pizza and eat it at home. To get to a decent pizza place in Charlotte, I'd have to drive 20 miles to get there, which negates bringing it home ... it would be as cold as the car seat! Plus the Charlotte places tend to be bigger ... a more restaurant style, which when coupled with the high rents of the South Charlotte/Ballentyne area make them "recipes for financial disaster" once the "newness" has worn off.
I think another problem as far as pizza joints go - is the driving distance. In the Northeast, with its much higher population density, you don't have to travel that far to get good pizza. In a mile radius from your home you might have 5 or 6 local pizzerias to choose from. Most places are small with a couple of tables, because most folks pick up their pizza and eat it at home. To get to a decent pizza place in Charlotte, I'd have to drive 20 miles to get there, which negates bringing it home ... it would be as cold as the car seat! Plus the Charlotte places tend to be bigger ... a more restaurant style, which when coupled with the high rents of the South Charlotte/Ballentyne area make them "recipes for financial disaster" once the "newness" has worn off.
There's no good pizza closer than 20 miles to you?
There's no good pizza closer than 20 miles to you?
I'm in Monroe. The closest decent place by me is Farley's Pizza in Mineral Springs and even that is a 6 mile drive down 75. Their pizza is pretty good, but their prices are a bit on the high side both for their sandwiches and pizza. Back in NJ, I could walk to the nearest pizzeria and on Wednesday, they had their special 2-topping large pizza ...16" for $6.95. Sometimes, in the newspaper, they'd have a coupon for this place for $1 off. Thus, the total cost for a pizza would be $5.95. You'd have to look long-and-hard to find a deal like that here!
But in the area's defense, what I save on taxes ...e.g. a three times bigger house for 25% of the total tax on my old house, I could buy a lot of pizza. But being the retired cheapskate that I am, I look for the best deals on everything! I guess I believed my parents' depression-era sob stories!
I have no idea how long ago it closed, but I went to drop off an UPS package at the shipping store in Stonecrest off of Rea and it was no longer there. It's a Tennis shop now.
I have no idea how long ago it closed, but I went to drop off an UPS package at the shipping store in Stonecrest off of Rea and it was no longer there. It's a Tennis shop now.
I went into that tennis shop at least 6 months ago, probably much longer than that.
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