Is Charlotte getting a theme park headquarters?
Plus: Zack's Hamburgers to close; Fireworks sales booming; Harris Teeter plans another Park Road store renovation; Average rents in Charlotte are going up; Council member names first baby 'Charlotte'
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Ohio officials say Carowinds’ parent company, Cedar Fair, is ‘methodically’ shifting operations to Charlotte; ‘northern Ohio’s winter’ cited
Can Charlotte become a coaster capital? Cedar Fair, Carowinds’ parent company, has been slowly moving top executives and key departments to Charlotte.
by Tony Mecia
Charlotte is home to a lot of banks, tech companies, a big utility and plenty of industrial manufacturers. Is it time to add one of the country’s top theme park operators to the mix?
Government officials in Ohio are becoming increasingly concerned that Cedar Fair, the owner of Carowinds and 12 other North American amusement parks, seems to be shifting its top executives and much of its workforce from Ohio to Charlotte.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Friday that officials in Sandusky, population 25,000, worry that the company “is slowly but methodically moving its long-time corporate headquarters away from Sandusky to Charlotte, North Carolina.”
The article pointed out that the company’s CEO, Richard Zimmerman, has his office in Charlotte and noted with alarm that “a number of corporate departments and employees have relocated to Charlotte, where the company maintains a growing presence.” Of Cedar Fair’s seven-member executive team, three are in Charlotte, three are in Sandusky and the seventh, the company’s executive vice president and general counsel, was a strong Sandusky supporter who is leaving the company, which has “raised red flags throughout the community.” The town’s mayor and city manager are planning to meet with Zimmerman to discuss their concerns.
It’s unclear how many employees Cedar Fair has here vs. in Sandusky, because the company’s spokesman — also based in Charlotte — declined to provide a breakdown. Cedar Fair’s jobs website last week listed 10 open positions in Charlotte, in areas including “information technology, human resources, planning and design, operations and procurement,” the article said, while only two were open in Sandusky, in accounting.
Weather cited: It also quoted an industry analyst wondering if “northern Ohio’s winter weather played into the company’s decision to downsize its Sandusky presence.” It neglected to mention that Charlotte is also much closer to the beaches that all those Ohioans seem to favor.
In Charlotte, the company’s corporate offices are based in a large cabana at the Carolina Harbor waterpark. Just kidding — they’re actually in the Oak Hill Business Park off Arrowood Road by I-77.
Bigger picture: With companies having a hard time finding workers, many employers based in small towns are choosing to locate operations in growing and larger cities such as Charlotte. There’s a reason, for instance, that Lowe’s is building its new tech hub in the middle of South End instead of by its headquarters in Mooresville.
Fran West, who works to recruit companies to Charlotte in her role as the city’s assistant director of economic development, says that generally, getting company leaders comfortable with the city plays a key role in helping land corporate headquarters.
“Whenever we are doing these relocations, it’s about ‘Can these executives see themselves living in Charlotte?’” she told The Ledger. “If you can get people to move to Charlotte who are critical to the success of their companies, then yeah, maybe the rest will follow.”
Cedar Fair bought Carowinds in 2006 as part of its acquisition of Paramount Parks, which was based in Charlotte. The company has 2,700 full-time employees, and its workforce typically balloons by an additional 48,000 seasonal and part-time workers when the parks are open, according to securities filings. Its other theme parks include Knott’s Berry Farm outside Los Angeles; California’s Great America in Santa Clara, Calif.; Kings Dominion outside Richmond, Va.; and Cedar Point in Sandusky.
The company had $1.5B in revenue in 2019, though that plunged to $182M last year because of the pandemic.
Today’s supporting sponsor is T.R. Lawing Realty:
Zack’s Hamburgers to close Thursday after 46 years
Zack’s Hamburgers owner George Demopoulos says his restaurant’s final day will be Thursday. (Photo by Vlada Maznytska/Queens University News Service)
Confirming a story that Ledger readers first learned about last week, Zack’s Hamburgers says it will close its doors after 46 years by the intersection of South Boulevard and Scaleybark Road.
Owner George Demopolous told CharlotteFive that its last day will be Thursday: “After so many years working 14- to 15-hour days, it has taken a toll on my body. You know when it is time.”
The word in real estate circles is that the entire Zack’s corner is under contract to a apartment developer. When The Ledger called Demopolous last week to ask him about the restaurant’s future, he said “it has not been sold to anyone” before quickly getting off the phone.
The CharlotteFive article says the publication first learned of the restaurant’s impending closure a week ago but agreed to hold off telling its readers because Demopolous requested that it wait. Word had already started spreading among Zack’s fans, though — there was a heavy lunch crowd on Friday, with some taking photos of the place.
Zack’s Hamburgers was doing a brisk business on Friday at lunch, at word about its closing spread.
Brace for another round of Charlotte restaurant nostalgia this week. Price’s Chicken Coop closed this month after 59 years in South End. —TM
Related Ledger article:
The trend behind the news: Charlotte’s burger joints are caught in a pickle
A handful of Charlotte’s best-known independent hamburger restaurants say they are caught in bind between rising beef costs and the inability to pass those increases on to customers.
In an article by Queens University of Charlotte student Vlada Maznytska, several local burger barons at restaurants such as Brooks’ Sandwich House, Pinky’s Westside Grill, Blacow Burger, BrightStar Grill, Bang Bang Burger and Zack’s Hamburgers say they are facing unprecedented price increases — but none of them is raising prices.
Maznytska writes:
“It’s nothing like we’ve ever seen before,” said Andy Cauble, owner of Pinky’s Westside Grill on West Morehead Street. “Everything is going up — chicken, beef, even fire oil.”
Brooks’ Sandwich House on North Brevard Street, known for chili and burgers, is in the same situation. According to manager Lauren Brooks, they had to raise the prices on the menu by about a dollar after reopening in February 2021. But the restaurant intends to keep prices the same. …
Small, locally owned restaurants are just trying to find labor and stay afloat, said Ela Casuga, controller for the Kuester Commercial real estate firm. She has advised restaurants and bars for 20 years. Local restaurants are dealing with pent-up demand and don’t want to risk losing customers, she said, and don’t have the same analytical resources, tools and logistical support as national chains.
When restaurants such as Zack’s close, it is usually for a number of reasons — owners get tired, they have options to sell and recent business conditions aren’t helpful, either.
You can read the full article here. —TM
6 questions for a fireworks shop guy: Amid worries of shortages, sales are booming
Roger Aiton (right) says sales at Davey Jones Fireworks in Fort Mill have been strong all month.
It’s that time of year when people pull off I-77 in South Carolina, head to one of the brightly colored stores — possibly with a large inflatable gorilla in front — and load up on fireworks.
On Sunday, a week before the Fourth of July, the line of stores on U.S. 21 in Fort Mill seemed to be doing a brisk business. As customers wheeled out shopping carts stuffed with all kinds of colorful celebratory explosives, The Ledger’s Tony Mecia got the inside scoop from 12-year fireworks sales veteran Roger Aiton of Davey Jones Fireworks. Comments have been edited for clarity and space.
Q. How are fireworks sales going?
They are going great. Very brisk. It started at the first of the month. Sales have been great for the entire month. Saturday was probably one of our best days so far.
Q. Are people buying more or less or the same?
I’d say it’s up. I sold one pack for $779 last weekend.
Q. What were sales like during the pandemic?
Last year, we sold out. All fireworks stores did. You walked in here on the Fourth of July last year, and you’re like, “They went out of business.” I have never seen anything like last year.
Last year, nobody was having the big shows. They canceled them all. People started doing their backyard things, and people found out that it’s quality family time! This year, even if they are going to a big show, our sales would be great, because the kids enjoy it. They have fun.
We’ve had people tell us, “We’re not going to be home for the Fourth, but we want to do our backyard thing now.”
Q. There’s a lot of talk about fireworks shortages. What are you seeing?
It has been very difficult to get the items in this year, because of all the things going on in China. Shipping costs — it’s just like lumber. The prices did go up on some things because of shipping.
We are starting to get low on some items, like 500-gram cakes. Mortars, we’re fine. But last week, we were short on the 200-gram cakes. Now, we look great on them. [Editor’s note: In fireworks lingo, “cakes” fire multiple shots into the air from a single fuse.]
[Today], we’ve got a shipment coming in. Hopefully, that’s going to straighten that out. We have a full container that’s hopefully going to dock today in Savannah from China. We actually ordered two containers, and we’re only going to get one.
Q. Do you think this year will be like last year, with the shelves bare?
Well, we’ll see. I would like to have something left, so I can keep my job!
—
Related Ledger article:
“Why are there so many shortages?” (🔒) (June 9)
Average rents in Charlotte are going up again
After a rare dip last year during the pandemic, rents in the Charlotte region are moving sharply higher again, according to a new report.
An analysis of rental data by Realtor.com shows that the median rent in the Charlotte region in May hit $1,400 a month, up nearly 11% from a year earlier. That’s a faster increase than the national average of 5.5%. Nationally, rental prices hit the highest point in two years.
The increases appear to be driven in part by spillover from the sizzling-hot housing market, with more demand for rentals from would-be buyers who are taking longer to find a house, the report said.
Rents in the Charlotte region fell last summer, according to figures from Real Data. At the time, landlords worried about renters failing to make payments, and fewer people were moving because of Covid precautions, which pushed rents downward.
But now they’re back up again — and expected to keep increasing. —TM
The Teeter plans renovation of Quail Corners store
Fresh off redoing its store in Park Road Shopping Center, Harris Teeter is now planning a renovation of another store along Park Road — at Quail Corners.
Company spokeswoman Danna Robinson tells The Ledger that “a remodel is planned for Quail Corners, but the store will remain open throughout.” She said she had no other details.
An eagle-eyed Ledger reader sent us a photo of a banner at the store, which is near South Mecklenburg High School, that indicates the Teeter will update its dairy, frozen foods and fresh foods areas; expand its U-scan registers and floral department … and add a Starbucks. Somehow, the Park Road corridor is in the middle of a Starbucks desert between SouthPark and Pineville.
The most recent HT renovation was at Park Road Shopping Center. That store was closed for about a year before reopening in January. —TM
In brief:
Transit plan update tonight: The City Council is expected to receive an update on the proposed transit plan tonight. Officials said last week they expected to share a new cost estimate for the plan, which had earlier been forecast at $8B to $12B. The new estimate is expected to be higher.
River District annexation: There’s a public hearing before the City Council tonight on plans to annex 167 acres of the “River District” into the city. The land, west of I-485 by the Catawba River, is being developed by Crescent Communities. The annexation will “enable the development of 107 single family units, 860 multi-family units, 388,000 square feet of commercial uses, and 1,219,000 square feet of non-retail commercial uses,” according to the council’s agenda. The vote to expand the city limits is expected in August. (They are not usually controversial.)
Eastland development moving ahead: The lease for the open air market on the old Eastland Mall site expires Aug. 31, and any extension would likely be limited to 30 days because the site is about to be redeveloped into a mix of soccer fields, housing and retail space. (Joe Bruno on Twitter)
Covid numbers still low: Mecklenburg County’s health department announced three Covid deaths last week. Covid hospitalizations fell to 51 patients. (Health Department)
Hotel deal finished: Blackstone Real Estate Partners and Starwood Capital Group completed their $6B purchase of Charlotte-based Extended Stay America. The purchase takes the company private and removes its stock from the Nasdaq. (Hotel Business)
Asheville to pay media’s lawyer fees: The city of Asheville was ordered to pay local media organizations $4,200 to cover their legal expenses, after the media successfully sued over the city council’s plans to bar journalists from a planned retreat. The media coalition’s lawyer said the ruling “sends a message to other North Carolina jurisdictions that might attempt to conduct public business in secret.” (Mountain XPress)
Union County spelling ace: Marvin Ridge Middle School student Sreethan Gajula, 14, qualified for the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee this weekend. He earned his spot in the July finals in Orlando by correctly spelling “sloe” (“the small dark globose astringent fruit of the blackthorn”). He earlier spelled “cavatappi” (“pasta in the form of a spiral tube”) and selecting the correct meaning of “xylotomous” (“capable of boring or cutting wood”). (Observer)
A City Council baby named ‘Charlotte’: City Council member Dimple Ajmera and her husband welcomed a baby girl into their family this weekend. Charlotte Bajaj Ajmera was born Saturday morning at Atrium Health University City. The newborn is the couple’s first child and only the second baby born to a councilwoman while in office. Ajmera, 34, is a Democratic at-large council member who has served since 2017. (Observer) WSOC’s Joe Bruno posted photos on Twitter on Sunday.
Online panel this morning at 11: social media marketing
Our online sessions on marketing in Charlotte continue this morning at 11 a.m. with a panel on social media. We’re calling it “From Instagram to Influencers: Transforming Your Business with Social Media.”
Panelists will share some best practices and do’s and don’ts. We are hosting these “Midday Marketing” panels in conjunction with our friends at Jumbo, a Charlotte-based builder of live-streaming platforms.
Panelists are Corri Smith of Black Wednesday, Clayton Sealey (better known by social media handle CLT Development) and Evan Kent of Bojangles.
The panels are designed to give local small business owners and marketing professionals ideas they can use to break through the noise to find strategies and tactics that reach potential customers in a time when the industry and consumer habits are shifting.
To watch, or view later online, you’ll need to register here (it’s free):
You can also view our two previous panels online.
Taking stock
Unless you are a day trader, checking your stocks daily is unhealthy. So how about weekly? How local stocks of note fared last week (through Friday’s close), and year to date:
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Reporting intern: Lindsey Banks