In local news:
This Charlotte-based restaurant operator is banking on a bit of star power for its latest location in the market. Chanticleer Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BURG) announced this week the debut of a Little Big Burger restaurant in Cornelius, with backing from NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin. That location is at 8301 Magnolia Estates Drive, near the Publix Super Market at Magnolia Plaza. It opens at 11 a.m. today, according to its Facebook page.
“I’m excited to open my first Little Big Burger in the same town where I live,” said Hamlin, who drives the No. 11, FedEx-sponsored car for locally based Joe Gibbs Racing, in a news release. “I’m a huge fan of Little Big Burger. The burgers and fries are as good as you can get. As a shareholder in Chanticleer, I have been impressed with the management team that they’ve assembled with Little Big Burger. I look forward to helping them expand this concept to the Charlotte, North Carolina market.”
CBJ's Jennifer Thomas reported on plans for the Cornelius restaurant back in April, noting that Chanticleer's deal with Hamlin includes an option for nine additional locations. Considering Hamlin's more than 1 million followers on social media, this type of joint venture has the potential to boost awareness for the Little Big Burger brand.
That brand got its start in Portland, Oregon, in 2010 and was purchased by Chanticleer in 2015. Little Big Burger is known for its high-quality, cooked-to-order burgers and truffle fries. It also serves up ice cream-soda floats and local craft beers.
Chanticleer CEO Mike Pruitt has touted its potential for expansion, noting in a recent news release that Little Big Burger has already more than doubled its store count since Chanticleer's acquisition. The Cornelius location marks 18 for the chain, and four more are expected to open in the final months of this year, including one in south Charlotte's Rea Farms development.
In addition to Little Big Burger, Chanticleer operates and franchises several fast-casual restaurant concepts, including American Burger Company, BGR – Burgers Grilled Right, Just Fresh and Hooters.
While Hamlin remains a full-time racecar driver in NASCAR's premier Monster Energy Cup Series as well as its lower-tier Xfinity Series, this is not his first foray into the business world outside of motorsports. In 2016, he became an investor in Mooresville solar developer SunEnergy1.
Total earnings for 2017
| Rank | Prior Rank | NASCAR Driver |
|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Earnhardt, Dale |
2 | 2 | Johnson, Jimmie |
3 | 3 | Busch, Kyle |
In other news, Canada's largest domestic and international airline this morning announced it will add a flight at Raleigh-Durham International Airport as well as enhance routes it already offers at RDU and Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Air Canada says it will deploy larger aircraft — and add business-class service — on its existing flights to Toronto from both CLT and RDU. In Raleigh, the carrier also will introduce service to Montreal.
And the Mega Millions lottery craze culminated last night with an announcement that a winning ticket for the $1.6 billion jackpot was sold in South Carolina. Lottery officials there, citing security procedures, have not yet disclosed information about where the winning ticket was purchased, according to CBS News. The estimated cash value of the jackpot — the largest ever, according to an NPR report — is more than $900 million.
Yesterday's top-read story on the CBJ website: S.C. senator says state law on nuclear construction to be ruled unconstitutional, putting Dominion-SCANA deal at risk
In the national news:
- Trump steps up attacks on Fed chairman Jerome Powell — The Wall Street Journal
- Stock market whiplash rattles investors — WSJ
- Tim Cook warns of ‘data-industrial complex’ in call for comprehensive U.S. privacy laws — The Verge
- When Sears flourished, so did workers. At Amazon, it's more complicated — The New York Times
- David's Bridal flirts with possible bankruptcy after skipping debt payment — USA Today
- Still 1,000 miles from the border, migrant caravan pauses in Mexico to regroup — Los Angeles Times
And the top-read story across the national bizjournals.com network comes from the Puget Sound Business Journal: T-Mobile CEO said he'd rather live in Kansas City than Bellevue
Weather:
Sunny skies and highs in the 60s are expected today, followed by partly sunny skies tomorrow with a chance for showers moving into the area in the evening. Showers are more likely on Friday and might linger into the weekend, with daytime highs in the upper 40s to mid-50s over the next several days. Find the latest Charlotte weather forecast here.
Traffic:
Get real-time updates on traffic conditions here.
Traveling for business today? You'll want to check the status of your flight before heading to the airport — you can do that here, at FlightStats.com.
Sports:
Once again, Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers used his off day this week to travel to hurricane-ravaged communities to lend a helping hand. In coordination with the United Way Association of South Carolina, AmeriCorps SC and locally based home-improvement retailer Lowe's Cos. Inc. (NYSE: LOW), Peppers visited Marlboro County in South Carolina yesterday to support ongoing Hurricane Florence recovery efforts, according to an article posted on the Panthers' website. This latest effort, which follows a similar visit to North Carolina's Robeson County two weeks ago, comes after Peppers teamed up with the Foundation of the Carolinas to create the Julius Peppers Hurricane Relief Fund with an initial donation of $100,000.
“Being a native of the Carolinas and seeing the reality of these people affected by the hurricane made me want to do something to help,” Peppers is quoted as saying.
In other Panthers news, ESPN reports an independent arbitrator has denied a grievance filed by newly acquired safety Eric Reid against the Cincinnati Bengals, who he met with during a year-long stint of being unsigned. According to the report, the grievance was filed after Bengals owner Mike Brown asked in that meeting if Reid planned to continue kneeling during the national anthem, a protest started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a way to raise awareness of racial inequities and police brutality. Reid has continued to kneel since taking the field with Carolina — a practice that new team owner David Tepper has previously defended.
The Panthers currently are No. 2 in the NFC South with a record of 4-2 following Sunday's dramatic victory over the Philadelphia Eagles — a game in which a last-minute play by Peppers tied the NFL's record for the most forced fumbles. Carolina is back at home this weekend to host the Baltimore Ravens.
The World Series is officially underway, with the Boston Red Sox defeating the L.A. Dodgers 8-4 in game 1 last night. The Red Sox will host the Dodgers again this evening for game 2 before the teams head to California for games 3, 4 and, if necessary, 5. Thinking of scooting up to Beantown to catch tonight's game? The Boston Business Journal reported this week that, despite a chilly forecast at Fenway Park, demand for World Series tickets is red-hot. Seats for game 2 are going for over $1,000 apiece on average, with standing-room-only tickets selling for as much as $470 each, according to a survey of online resale sites. Prices are still climbing for the Friday and Saturday games in Los Angeles, too, ranging from $544 to more than $1,000 at the time of BBJ's survey.
And the Charlotte Hornets' Kemba Walker has been named the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Following two wins over the weekend, the Hornets fell 106-127 to the Toronto Raptors in Monday's road game. Next up, the Hornets will take on the Chicago Bulls tonight before returning home to host the Bulls on Friday.
This week and beyond:
President Donald Trump is expected to be in town again on Friday for a rally at Bojangles' Coliseum.
Early voting locations are now open in North Carolina, and some of those are one-stop locations where voters can register and cast a ballot at the same time.
The digital lottery for tickets to the hit Broadway musical "Hamilton" is ongoing as well — find details here about how that process works.
The Carolina Renaissance Festival runs on weekends through Nov. 18 in the woods north of the city.
Halloween-themed attractions are in full swing, too, from Scarowinds and Scarrigan Farms to the Hickory Grove Haunted Trail. There are options for those not so inclined for spooky fun as well, including the Amazing Maize Maze at Rural Hill and The Glow, a "Jack-o-Lantern experience" at the campgrounds at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
And in case you missed it: CBJ recently revealed 50 of the Charlotte region's fastest-growing private companies. Check out the slideshow below for this year's Fast 50 honorees, arranged in alphabetical order. We'll reveal each's ranking and revenue growth at an event in December.
Other upcoming CBJ events include the Heavy Hitters Commercial Real Estate Awards and Best Places to Work — those winners were recently revealed, too. Find more at bizjournals.com/charlotte/event.
In addition, CBJ is seeking local artists to be featured in the upcoming 2018-19 Book of Lists — check out previous submissions in the photo gallery below, and read more about how to enter here.
