Drive just 45 minutes northeast of Charlotte, and you'll reach Mount Pleasant, a small Cabarrus County town preserving its historic charm one building at a time.

Why it matters: Mount Pleasant is in the midst of a modern revival. And its quaint downtown is only 3.59 square miles. It has free parking, free WiFi, and loads of charisma, making it worth spending a day exploring.

Catch up quick: Plans to refurbish and transform the long-vacant Paula Theater into The Avett Theater were recently announced.

• But it's not the only historic remodel in recent years — the old mercantile is now a restaurant, the former prison is now a bourbon distillery, and everywhere you shop or eat has a story dating back 100 years.

Between the lines: A group of retired doctors formed Mount Pleasant Properties a few years ago, buying and renovating several buildings in the area.

• "I think we've given Mount Pleasant ... some of its swag back," Allen "Al" Dobson told me on a recent day trip.

A few places to include in your Mount Pleasant itinerary:

73 & Main: American restaurant and gastropub inside the restored 1911 Mount Pleasant Mercantile. Inside, you'll find an extensive bourbon bar and the Old Well Brewery.

Cardinal Preserve: Located inside what was formerly Mount Pleasant's oldest residence, this restaurant and social house offers tapas and craft cocktails.

Café Lentz: When neighbors told Dobson they were driving out of town to get coffee at Starbucks, he decided to open Café Lentz, now the only coffee shop in town.

Eastern Cabarrus Historic Society Museum: Housed in the former Mount Pleasant Collegiate Institute, this local history museum features 30 rooms, each spotlighting a different chapter of Eastern Cabarrus County's past.

More things to do in Mount Pleasant

💼 See who's hiring around the city.

1. Cultural Program Manager at Town of Matthews.
2. Event Catering Manager at Beau Monde Hospitality Group.
3. Assistant Technical Production Manager at Blumenthal Arts.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

Meshugganah is back starting Feb. 18.

Why it matters: Known for its Jewish deli classics, the pandemic-era pop-up returns to City Kitch in west Charlotte.

Catch up quick: Clement launched Meshugganah in September 2020. It quickly built a following for scratch-made Jewish staples like pastrami, matzo ball soup and knishes.

• Then, life shifted. After his wife, Franki, was diagnosed with cancer, his focus moved away from Meshugganah. She died last year, and he turned his attention to raising their two children.

Now, he's back, and says this is her vision, too.

State of play: Meshugganah will operate out of the ghost kitchen (2200 Thrift Road), offering pickup and delivery for lunch from 11am-3pm Wednesday through Friday.

What to expect: Pastrami sandwiches, potato knishes, matzo ball soup, noodle kugel and desserts from Meztger's Bakery.

Dig into the menu

Amélie's is opening an express-style cafe in Plaza Midwood next month in the former Nova's Bakery spot on Central.

Why it matters: Called Amélie's L'Express, it's the popular French bakery's first no-seating outpost, and its sixth overall location.

What to expect: The same French pastries you know (macarons, éclairs, tarts), plus coffee and fresh-baked bread, says Summer Marquez, general manager of the L'Express and NoDa locations.

The intrigue: The roughly 300-square-foot space, however, won't have seating.

• It won't offer the full Amélie's bistro menu either, but you'll find some heartier grab-and-go lunch items, Marquez says.

The vibe: The same eclectic Amélie's style ("Marie Antoinette meets Alice in Wonderland," as designer Brenda Ische once described it).

Send this to someone who owes you a sweet treat

🛝 Immersive slime playground Sloomoo Institute will open in midtown this summer, per a press release.

🏬 Target has purchased land worth $7.3 million in the Charlotte region, signaling a potential new retail development. (CBJ 🔐)

🎶 J. Cole will perform at Spectrum Center on July 11 and in Fayetteville (his hometown) Sept. 23. Tickets go on sale Feb. 20. (Instagram)

Lowe's is laying off about 600 employees company-wide, including at its Mooresville and South End corporate offices. (Observer)

From Lunar New Year celebrations to Hornets basketball, to a writing club at a local bookstore, there's plenty to do this week.

🧧 Tuesday: Celebrate Lunar New Year with Drum Tao, an internationally renowned musical group, at Carolina Theatre. | 8pm | $37+ | Details

💪 Wednesday: Sweat it out with a sculpt class at Trio. | $33.56+ | 5:30-7:30pm | Details

✍️ Thursday: Head to writing club at That's Novel Books at Camp North End. Write in peace and then connect with fellow writers. | Free | 5:30-7pm | Details

🏀 Friday: Cheer on the Hornets as they take on the Cavaliers. | $31.15 | 7pm | Details

Shaped by Sound, PBS North Carolina's platform for highlighting the work of the state's musicians, is back with a packed season 2.

Why it matters: At a time when PBS North Carolina is grappling with tough budget cuts, the television station continues to forge ahead with one of its most ambitious productions.

Driving the news: The first episode featured a performance and interview with the Asheville rock band Wednesday. The show's second episode features the Raleigh band The Connells.

• Altogether, season 2 will have 13 episodes, showcasing bands and artists like Winston-Salem native Ben Folds, Durham's Hiss Golden Messenger and Charlotte native Anthony Hamilton.

State of play: Series producer James Mieczkowski said he's grateful that PBS North Carolina can still invest in Shaped by Sound amid reduced contributions from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Keep reading

News you can use from our partners.

• 📚 A lifelong love of reading starts with the ABC's. As you read together with your child, remember to Ask questions, Build vocabulary and Connect the story to their world. Get more kid-friendly reading tips.
• Get all shook up for an Elvis party + IMAX screening on Feb. 20 at Discovery Place Science. Rock along with a live Elvis impersonator, a DJ with karaoke, themed cocktails and a special screening of "EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert." Get tix.

Car insurance prices dipped last year in most of the country, but not in North Carolina, a new Insurify report finds.

Why it matters: North Carolina has one of the lowest rates in the country — it's one of only a handful of states where full-coverage premiums average below $1,300 a year — but rates are slowly ticking up to keep pace with the cost of repairs.

Context: Nationwide, car insurance costs rose 46% from 2022 to 2024, "partially due to risky driving behavior following the pandemic," said Insurify, an insurance-comparison platform.

• That raised insurers' margins high enough that they can now afford to soften prices as they compete for customers.

By the numbers: The average annual full-coverage premium fell 6% nationally from 2024 to 2025, to $2,144.

• North Carolina held steady last year at around $1,278, but the state's insurance commission approved a 5% increase that has begun to take effect, as WRAL reported. Auto insurers had requested far higher — 22.6%.

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