Axios Charlotte

If you try to book a hotel or restaurant reservation for this Wednesday in Uptown Charlotte — good luck.

• That night, tens of thousands of fans will pack into Bank of America Stadium to see Beyoncé perform for the first time in Charlotte in a decade.
• The show is part of her Renaissance World Tour, and it's her only stop in the Carolinas.

What's happening: If recent stadium concerts are any indication, businesses in Charlotte's city center should enjoy a surge in demand when Queen B comes to Charlotte.

Why it matters: In the last few years, stadium concerts have been enormous boosts for Uptown businesses as they recover from slow foot traffic stemming from the pandemic.

• Leisure travel — for everything from major concerts to high-profile college football games — is becoming an important driver for Uptown hotels at a time when business travel is still slightly slower than it was pre-pandemic, industry leaders have told me.

By the numbers: Over the last two years in Uptown, there was about an average 40% lift in hotel occupancy and a 26% rise in rates on concert nights compared to the average hotel performance over the prior six months, according to the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.

• On average, occupancy across the county increased by 15.5% and rates grew by 13.6% on evenings when Bank of America Stadium hosted concerts.
• July 14 and 15 — the two Luke Combs concerts — were in the top 20 for most hotel rooms sold in a single night in Mecklenburg County, per the CRVA. There were also two conventions in town over those dates.

Full story

If you're on the hunt for a new job, here are 12 to get you started.

• Sales and Design Consultant at California Closets. Apply.
• Field Recruiter at Best Impressions Caterers. Apply.
• Pre-Team Swim Coach at Charlotte Country Day School. Apply.
• Production Manager at Central Piedmont Community College. Apply.
• Custom Cabinet Installer at California Closets. Apply.
• Marketing and Content Coordinator at Charlotte Star Room. Apply.
• Staff Accountant at InReach. Apply.
• Graphic Designer at Trinity Partners LLC. Apply.
• Communications and Marketing Associate at Rock Hill Schools. Apply.
• Orthodontic Assistant at Clearsmile Orthodontics. Apply.
• Youth Minister at St Martin's Episcopal Church. Apply.
• Marketing Manager at Skiptown. Apply.

Want more opportunities? Check out all openings on our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

Sales and Design Consultant at California Closets.

• Company overview: Helping transform spaces, enhance homes and allow people to get more out of life.
• In this role: You will provide an in-home customer experience by designing and selling cabinetry, closets, home offices and other storage solutions.
• Must-have: Consultative sales skills and interior design education, direct industry experience or proven passion for home décor.

Interested? Apply here.

The town of Pineville is considering making its charming downtown a social district. (🔒 Charlotte Ledger)

Charlotte-based AvidXchange announced that John Feldman has been promoted to chief operating officer and that Doug Anderson has joined the company as the chief product officer.

Harding grad David Joy has a new book, out last week, called "Those We Thought We Knew."

• Joy, whose 2015 novel "Where All Light Tends to Go" is being turned into a movie starring Billy Bob Thornton and Robin Wright, is quickly becoming one of the most successful authors ever from Charlotte.

Jared Londry, a local investment adviser and commercial real estate veteran, has started a new investment advisory firm called PointBlank Ventures, which focuses on real estate, private equity and venture capital, per a press release.

A couple of quick grocery updates for you.

1. Sprouts, the Phoenix-based grocer that entered the Charlotte market in 2018 with a store in Ballantyne, will open its second area location Nov. 17 in Steele Creek, a spokesperson confirmed.

• The store at 14124 Steele Creek Rd. will be 24,250 square feet, roughly half the size of a typical Harris Teeter.
• When the Ballantyne Sprouts opened, I described it after my sneak peek as the "offspring of Fresh Market and Trader Joe's" with "low prices, a focus on fresh produce and a relatively small but easy-to-navigate store format."

2. Amazon Fresh is now offering grocery delivery for customers who are not Prime members in 12 metros: Charlotte, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Nashville, Phoenix, Portland, Richmond, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco, TechCrunch reports.

• In the past, Amazon Fresh was only available to those who had Prime subscriptions.
• Per Bloomberg, Amazon plans to expand Fresh delivery nationwide by the end of the year and eventually include products from Whole Foods and other grocers.