Briefing for Friday July 24: Pecan pie to Bootyville
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Hello Friday.
Yesterday I heard two different people ask what their purpose was in life. The first was Gary Anderson (owner of Anderson’s Catering) who I interviewed for today’s pecan pie story and the second was Sherrell Dorsey (marketing manager at Uber Charlotte) who raised the question in her #weloveCLT talk.
It occurred to me I have no idea what my purpose is. I know what I like and what I’m good at, but are those things the reason for which I exist? Is our purpose something we do repeatedly throughout life or is it one single act that causes a ripple effect so powerful we may not even see the end result? I don’t know. Existential crisis alert. TGIF.
VITALS
Today’s Weather: 89. Partly cloudy. 20% chance of rain.
Today’s Stat: $100. Cost of a raffle ticket to win the $450,000 St. Jude’s Charlotte Dream Home. 10,000 tickets are sold. I’ll take those odds.
Today’s Job: Community Engagement Lead at Zomato. Apply.
Today’s Charlottean: Greg Gombar, CFO of Carolinas HealthCare System, for receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at CBJ’s CFO Awards.
ORIGINALS
The story behind the Anderson’s “World’s Best Pecan Pie” sign on Elizabeth Avenue
You know that giant Anderson’s sign on the Viva Chicken building? Gary Anderson made the tough decision to close his family’s 60-year-old restaurant back in 2006 to achieve better work/life balance. To keep the Anderson legacy alive, he started running a catering and pie delivery service out of the back and it is awesome.
5 decorating tips from a pro that will make your small apartment feel bigger
Tim gets advice from interior decorator Margaret Fisher on how to make the most of limited square footage and now I just want to rip my whole apartment apart and start over.
Here’s what happens when a couple passes on retirement and opens a winery instead
Ann and Charles started planting grapes on their family’s 100-year-old farm back in 2003. Today they’re producing nine different wines and you can try the whole lineup for $5 in their tasting room.
Food Hack: How I took a free cooking class, ate free food and found the ultimate way to entertain children
Did you know Williams-Sonoma offers free technique classes? Amanda learned how to use a salt plate (slab of pink Himalayan sea salt adored by fancy chefs) to make coconut curry shrimp and a salty-sweet ice cream sundae that kids apparently love.
Rock & Read 5K: Run for your library
This casual Plaza Midwood run with live music at miles 1, 2 and 3 benefits the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation, which supports programs and services at our libraries. Addie says it’s fun, important and worth your Saturday morning.
The McColl Center for Art + Innovation: Charlotte history, architecture and modern art all in one place. And it’s free!
Jonathan tells the story of how an accidental fire in 1984 left the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church little more than a skeleton of stone and charred frame. The space was repurposed as the McColl center in 1999 and today hosts up to 9 artists in residence.
TALKING POINTS
Charlotte CEOs form new leadership council [Portillo/CBJ]. Two dozen chief executives from Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, Carolinas HealthCare System, Belk, Bissell and more have created the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council to tackle issues (like education and economic mobility) that impact the city.
Everything you need to know about this weekend’s 24 Hours of Booty event [Williams/Agenda]. More than 1,200 cyclists will participate in the 14th annual 24-hour ride that raises money for cancer charities. Northbound lanes on Queens Road West will be closed to traffic during the event. Details on parking, schedule and logistics.
Garrett and Kayla from Ready at 7 opening shared working space named “Hygge” [Williams/Agenda]
The 3,500-square-foot space will house 3 private offices as well as a large co-working space, and memberships will be available as early as September 1. Rates range from $800-$1000/month for a private office down to a $150/month flex desk pass.
Midwood Smokehouse is opening a third location [Wilson/CBJ]. Sorry, it’s in Columbia, SC and will open this fall. Owner Frank Scibelli announced plans for expansion back in May and hopes for 6 to 7 more locations.
Have a great weekend figuring out your purpose and redecorating your apartment. Definitely get some free iced coffee from Amelie’s.
– Katie