Sip City in Plaza Midwood has expanded next door with a new event space and plans to open a speakeasy later this spring.

Zoom out: What started as a small bottle shop and market on Central Avenue has evolved into a community hub, and the expansion builds on that momentum.

Driving the news: Sip City has taken over the former Seventh Sin Tattoo space next door and turned it into a 2,100-square-foot event venue.

• The space is already open for bookings.
• Later this spring, owner Yazan "Yaz" Humaideh plans to open a speakeasy inside the same building.

What to expect: The new event space, which can hold up to 100 guests, "can go from low-key to bougie," Humaideh says.

• The goal is to lower the barrier to booking event space in Charlotte. It's designed for everything from birthdays and networking events to pop-ups, workshops and small business launches.

The intrigue: Instead of taking out new loans, Humaideh is turning to a community fundraiser to help fund the event space and speakeasy.

Read about the fundraiser and peep the event space

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Club West Brewery, the rebranded version of the embattled Sycamore, reopened Saturday in South End with much of the original staff, familiar-tasting beer and the same long bar lines.

Why it matters: New owner Brad Bergman says his strategy to regain trust after the scandal that shuttered Sycamore earlier this year is to produce the "same level of quality products" with continuity on the staff.

• "None of those people had anything to do with what happened," he tells me on a call on Monday.

What to expect: Club West has fresh decor, a revamped food menu, and a bourbon bar instead of coffee.

• The beer, Bergman says, is a mix of old recipes and new ones. The Club West IPA, for example, is a modified recipe of Sycamore's flagship Mountain Candy.
• The new name, Club West, is a nod to "new frontiers."

Full story

TRAIN Moment is expanding to Charlotte.

What's happening: The Chicago-based fitness brand will open its first North Carolina studio in South End in May.

• It's going in the former Gritbox space in The Line.

What to expect: The group workout centers on what the boutique studio calls "strength-forward" training.

• Each 50-minute class combines weight training with low-impact conditioning intervals on the VersaClimber.

What's next: The studio is scheduled to open May 11. Ahead of that, there'll be preview workouts for the public May 1–10.

• Founding memberships go on presale April 17.

Stop by: 2151 Hawkins St.

See what a class looks like

🌪️ An EF-0 tornado, the weakest category, briefly touched down in northeast Charlotte near the Sugar Creek area Monday morning, the National Weather Service confirmed. (WBTV)

• The storm had winds up to 85 mph, stretched about 1.5 miles long and 25 yards wide, and no injuries were reported.

🌷Patterson Farm in Mount Ulla, N.C, is offering a U-Pick Tulip experience at its Tulip Festival, expected to run through the end of March.

☕️ Popular coffee party series RnBrew will host its first anniversary party Saturday, March 28, 11am-4 pm at Urban District Market.

Mecklenburg County's latest infant mortality report shows overall improvement, but persistent racial disparities in outcomes. (Mecklenburg County)

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Mahjong, the centuries-old Chinese game, isn't just trending. It's "one of the best things that you can do for your brain," says Gregg Swain, a historian of the game with a doctorate in clinical psychology.

Catch up quick: The game of tiles where players draw, discard and strategize toward a winning hand has long been a cherished pastime, first among Asian families, then Jewish communities.

• Now, 20-somethings are picking it up.

The big picture: Research supports the idea that mahjong is good for our brain health.

• A 2024 review of 53 studies found mahjong is linked to better cognitive and psychological outcomes in older adults — though researchers say more work is needed to understand exactly why.

Zoom in: Charlotte's love for mahjong continues to grow — the city is getting its first dedicated studio on Monroe Road this summer. Some players are transforming rooms in their homes into full-on mahjong spaces.

• Check out where else to play in Charlotte here.

Half Shell Raw Bar is a new seafood restaurant with happy hour oyster specials that recently opened in South End.

Dig in: Expect seafood classics for lunch and dinner, including lobster rolls, poke bowls, shrimp po' boys and crab cakes.

• Plus: martinis, champagne and wines that pair well with seafood.

Deal: Their raw bar features fresh oysters from the East Coast, priced $4-$5 each. Visit Monday-Thursday from 3-6pm for half-off specials.

The vibe: The 3,200-square-foot space seats 130 people inside and on the covered patio.

Zoom in: The seafood spot is one of the first few tenants, along with reformer Pilates studio JETSET and Night Swim Coffee, to open in the Linea development.

Stop by: 2161 Hawkins St. Open Sunday to Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday and Saturday 11am-11pm.