What's next for Charlotte favorites Reid's and Salted Melon

• Both may soon meet customers in other parts of the region, such as the Lake Norman area.

The big picture: Reid's was years ahead of the popularizing "market concept" trend, which is spreading in Charlotte and other cities.

• "We try to meet customers at multiple points throughout their day and be a neighborhood staple for people living and working around us," says Thomas Coker, the COO of Reid's and owner of Salted Melon.
• Salted Melon is capitalizing on a rise in fast-casual dining and a shift toward healthier American eating habits. Its bestseller is the Super Caesar Wrap, made with free-range grilled chicken, lemon-massaged kale and a wheat wrap.

Driving the news: Reid's will open its fifth Charlotte-area location this fall in Ballantyne, while Salted Melon is expanding to its third location in South Park this spring.

• This month, the team closed Lebowski's Neighborhood Grill, which they acquired in 2023, to focus on growing Reid's and Salted Melon.

Flashback: Tom Coker bought Reid's about 13 years ago to expand his e-commerce gifting company, his son Thomas Coker tells Axios. He reopened the Myers Park location on Selwyn Avenue, refreshing the brand and updating the interior for a more modern, upscale feel.

• Reid's then expanded to a second location at South Park Mall and two Uptown stores.

The upcoming Reid's in Ballantyne will resemble the other locations, offering wines, pre-made meals, baked goods, fresh produce and local goods with a patio, butcher shop and a bar.

• The 6,500 square-foot space is at 14015 Conlan Circle, in the former Duckworth's spot at Ballantyne Quad shopping center.
• Thomas Coker says they've been eyeing Ballantyne for several years because of all the new development.

Flashback: About four years ago, Thomas Coker began developing his unique vision for what would be Salted Melon. He said he wanted a concept that they could scale quickly, and he understood the South End demographic as a then-resident himself. The 7,000-square-foot South End restaurant and market opened in the summer of 2022.

• After realizing the main revenue was from the food counter, he opened the next restaurant-focused location in Eastover.

The future Salted Melon in south Charlotte's Phillips Place will be 2,769 square feet and seat roughly 100 people, including 40 on the patio. Its all-day menu will be similar to its other two locations: Salads, bowls, sandwiches, wraps, smoothies and juices, coffee and espresso, tea and pastries, plus grab-and-go market items.

• Thomas Coker says the location checked many boxes, such as adequate parking, space for the patio and proximity to other stores. Salted Melon opened a pop-up shop at the upscale shopping destination in December 2024.
• "The demographics, with the mix of office and residential in the area, are perfect for us," Tom says.

What's next: Salted Melon is expected to grow with two to three more locations a year after the Phillips Place spot opens, and eventually five to six in the Charlotte market, ideally in Ballantyne.

• The Cokers are eyeing the Lake Norman area for Salted Melon and Reid's.