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Axios Charlotte gets you smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in your backyard.

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James Beard-nominated chef revives Mattie's Diner

Sam Diminich will reopen it as Grey's Diner, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

Food and Drink

<p>Mattie&#x27;s Diner on The Plaza, which <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="closed last summer" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/08/04/matties-diner-closing-the-plaza" data-vars-content-id="130cf239-0fe2-4989-94ef-e65b6c9bcfb2" data-vars-headline="James Beard-nominated chef revives Mattie&#x27;s Diner" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/08/04/matties-diner-closing-the-plaza" target="_self">closed last summer</a>, will reopen this spring as Grey&#x27;s Diner. </p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> In buying Mattie&#x27;s, James Beard–nominated <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="chef Sam Diminich" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2022/02/22/chef-sam-diminich-is-opening-a-restaurant-a-mile-from-where-he-used-to-be-homeless-285932" data-vars-content-id="130cf239-0fe2-4989-94ef-e65b6c9bcfb2" data-vars-headline="James Beard-nominated chef revives Mattie&#x27;s Diner" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2022/02/22/chef-sam-diminich-is-opening-a-restaurant-a-mile-from-where-he-used-to-be-homeless-285932" target="_self">chef Sam Diminich</a> and the team behind <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Your Farms Your Table Group" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/01/07/restaurant-constance-your-farm-your-table-hopeway-mental-health-facility-meals" data-vars-content-id="130cf239-0fe2-4989-94ef-e65b6c9bcfb2" data-vars-headline="James Beard-nominated chef revives Mattie&#x27;s Diner" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/01/07/restaurant-constance-your-farm-your-table-hopeway-mental-health-facility-meals" target="_self">Your Farms Your Table Group</a> want to provide Michelin-level hospitality in a space where families, neighbors and regulars can grab a booth without a reservation.</p><ul><li>The approach aims to challenge the perception that farm-to-table dining is exclusive.</li></ul>

Weekender: 30 things to do in Charlotte this weekend including live music and a street market

Events happening Feb. 20-22 include Jurassic Quest, a bridal show, Hornets game, food truck rodeo and indoor skating.

Things to Do

<p>This weekend is filled with family-friendly activities from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jurassic Quest" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/02/14/interactive-jurassic-quest-event-comes-to-concord-this-february" data-vars-content-id="7354553f-52b9-4f01-b302-71c83bcd96cc" data-vars-headline="Weekender: 30 things to do in Charlotte this weekend including live music and a street market" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/02/14/interactive-jurassic-quest-event-comes-to-concord-this-february" target="_self">Jurassic Quest</a> to a South End street market. </p>

Ballantyne 2026 event guide: Festivals, concerts and markets

Ballantyne's event calendar is filling up for 2026, with returning festivals, outdoor concerts and even more to experience at The Bowl.

Neighborhoods

<p><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Ballantyne&#x27;s" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2021/03/10/guide-to-ballantyne-including-bowl" data-vars-content-id="dbc446dd-d3c0-4760-b827-793745e0f292" data-vars-headline="Ballantyne 2026 event guide: Festivals, concerts and markets" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2021/03/10/guide-to-ballantyne-including-bowl" target="_self">Ballantyne&#x27;s</a> event calendar is filling up for 2026, with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="returning festivals" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/03/31/ballantyne-event-guide-2025" data-vars-content-id="dbc446dd-d3c0-4760-b827-793745e0f292" data-vars-headline="Ballantyne 2026 event guide: Festivals, concerts and markets" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/03/31/ballantyne-event-guide-2025" target="_self">returning festivals</a>, outdoor concerts and even more to experience at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Bowl" data-vars-click-url="https://thebowlnc.com/?utm_source=2060digital&amp;utm_medium=localseo&amp;utm_campaign=gbp" data-vars-content-id="dbc446dd-d3c0-4760-b827-793745e0f292" data-vars-headline="Ballantyne 2026 event guide: Festivals, concerts and markets" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://thebowlnc.com/?utm_source=2060digital&amp;utm_medium=localseo&amp;utm_campaign=gbp" target="_blank">The Bowl</a>.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> As the area keeps growing, its mix of live music, buzzy dining spots and green space is turning this once-corporate corner of south Charlotte into one of the city&#x27;s go-to hangouts. </p>

The evolution of Bank of America Stadium

From site selection in 1989 to what the stadium will look like in 2030, here's a timeline of Bank of America Stadium.

Sports

<p>By 2030, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bank of America Stadium" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2024/06/03/nfl-stadium-renovations-panthers-bank-of-america-tepper" data-vars-content-id="e78b5e93-6f6a-4540-af79-e5ade529995b" data-vars-headline="The evolution of Bank of America Stadium" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2024/06/03/nfl-stadium-renovations-panthers-bank-of-america-tepper" target="_self">Bank of America Stadium</a> will have a fresh look. </p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> An $800 million renovation will transform the 30-year-old venue, which is among the oldest in the NFL. Tepper Sports &amp; Entertainment&#x27;s deal with the city also keeps its teams — the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC — here through 2045. </p>

Charlotte hospitals are dropping their mask mandates

COVID

<h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">More than three years after the first COVID case was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="detected" data-vars-click-url="https://www.mecknc.gov/news/Pages/Public-Health-Announces-the-First-COVID-19-Death.aspx" data-vars-content-id="eedeccbb-5ddf-40d1-bca8-5697b2e349bd" data-vars-headline="Charlotte hospitals are dropping their mask mandates" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.mecknc.gov/news/Pages/Public-Health-Announces-the-First-COVID-19-Death.aspx" target="_blank">detected</a> in Mecklenburg County, Charlotte hospitals are no longer requiring patients, staff and visitors to wear masks. The change takes effect March 28 at 7am.</h2>

If dinner reservations feel harder to score these days in Charlotte, it’s because they are

<h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">Charlotte’s restaurant industry is doing better than the national average, according to recent data by <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="OpenTable" data-vars-click-url="https://www.opentable.com/state-of-industry?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=sendto_localnewslettertest&amp;stream=top" data-vars-content-id="d34e147b-bbd2-46b5-89fc-27ee54dc8c42" data-vars-headline="If dinner reservations feel harder to score these days in Charlotte, it’s because they are" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.opentable.com/state-of-industry?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=sendto_localnewslettertest&amp;stream=top" target="_blank">OpenTable</a>.</h2>

COVID is on the rise again in Charlotte

<h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">COVID is on the rise again in the Charlotte area. Hospitalizations are up across the region, and there are more variants out there (including the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="subvariant XBB1.5" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/30225507.13185/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tLzIwMjMvMDEvMDcveGJiMTUtY292aWQtdmFyaWFudC1vbWljcm9uLWNhc2UtbnVtYmVycz91dG1fc291cmNlPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXImdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249bmV3c2xldHRlcl9heGlvc2xvY2FsX2NoYXJsb3R0ZSZzdHJlYW09dG9w/5fe2be2c5933d3104007fc86B33755042" data-vars-content-id="a9302379-a7e7-4724-91e8-49e7d7050bcc" data-vars-headline="COVID is on the rise again in Charlotte" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/30225507.13185/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tLzIwMjMvMDEvMDcveGJiMTUtY292aWQtdmFyaWFudC1vbWljcm9uLWNhc2UtbnVtYmVycz91dG1fc291cmNlPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXImdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249bmV3c2xldHRlcl9heGlvc2xvY2FsX2NoYXJsb3R0ZSZzdHJlYW09dG9w/5fe2be2c5933d3104007fc86B33755042" target="_self">subvariant XBB1.5</a>) that are highly transmissible.</h2>

La Shish Kabob owner, son sentenced to years in prison for PPP fraud

<h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">La Shish Kabob owner Izzat Freitekh and his son Tarik Freitekh were sentenced Monday to four years and more than seven years in prison, respectively, for fraudulently obtaining $1.7 million in <span>PPP funds. </span></h2>

North Carolina’s never-ending state of emergency

<h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">Lawmakers and state officials are at odds over who’s responsible for taking the next step toward ending North Carolina’s COVID-19 state of emergency.</h2>

Places we miss: an ode to pandemic casualties in Charlotte

<h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">The pandemic has been cruel to local businesses.</h2>

Healthy meal company abruptly closes all its local stores

Business

<h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">Get Fit Foods is another pandemic casualty.</h2>

The worst may be behind us — but COVID isn’t over

<h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">If it feels like we’ve turned another corner with the pandemic, it’s because in many ways, we have.</h2>

La Shish Kabob owner and son found guilty on multiple counts related to PPP fraud

<h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">A federal jury on Thursday convicted La Shish Kabob owner Izzat Freitekh and his son Tarik of fraudulently obtaining $1.7 million in PPP money.</h2>

La Shish Kabob owner and son on trial for PPP fraud

<h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">La Shish Kabob owner Izzat Freitekh and his son Tarik are on trial this week on charges related to more than $1.7 million in PPP money.</h2>

COVID 🦠

Charlotte hospitals are dropping their mask mandates

If dinner reservations feel harder to score these days in Charlotte, it’s because they are

COVID is on the rise again in Charlotte

La Shish Kabob owner, son sentenced to years in prison for PPP fraud

North Carolina’s never-ending state of emergency