Soon South End will no longer smell like donuts, but Pineville will

What’s happening: The new facility will open by 2023 and operate in tandem with the South End location until 2024 when the decades-old factory will close.

Why it matters: Founded in 1934, Carolina Foods is one of South End’s last remaining manufacturing outposts. The factory’s departure from its 88-year home is the latest example of the neighborhood’s — and Charlotte’s — transition out of its historic mill town ancestry.

Context: Carolina Foods, which makes honey buns, donuts, pies and other sweets under the Duchess brand, is the reason South End smells like donuts.

It was founded by Vernon Scarborough in 1934 and the family remains involved to this day as members of the board of directors.

• In March 2021, a Charlotte-based private equity firm Falfurrias Capital Partners, which specializes in growing middle-market businesses, invested in Carolina Foods, giving it the ability to expand.

“We’re very happy to maintain our home in the Charlotte region, and the new Pineville location will offer improved accessibility for both our broad employee base as well as shipments of inbound supplies and outbound product,” Carolina Foods CEO Dan Myers said in a statement on Thursday.

Details: The Pineville facility will be 423,000 square feet, twice the size of its current space in South End.

• Construction will begin next month and production at the Pineville facility will start by the end of 2023.
• The company plans to operate both facilities for some time, but eventually close the South End location in 2024.

What’s next: More products and flavors. “The new facility will significantly increase production capacity for both existing products and new creations,” a representative from the company tells Axios.