Axios Charlotte

May 17, 2025
👋 Hey, Saturday! It's McKenzie, about to drop so many weekend happenings for your group chat to plot and plan.
🌩 Weather: High 88. Low 66. Scattered thunderstorms.
🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Charlotte members Joye Palmer, Ashley Hardy, Kelli Small!
Today's Smart Brevity™️ count is 517 words — a 2-minute read.
1 big thing: 🎲 This tournament is all fun and games
Squabble Squares is a new strategy-based board game created by a Charlotte couple.
Why it matters: They're celebrating the game's launch with a public tournament at Resident Culture South End tomorrow.
Backstory: Founders Ben Moomaw and Heather Bard created Squabble Squares out of pandemic boredom.
- While staying in a mountain cabin one weekend, the two spontaneously made up a game using the tile squares on the kitchen countertop.
- What started as throwing dice on those squares turned into the building blocks of the game.
- Over the next year, they added more rules until they had something ready to debut.
What to expect: A fast-paced, interactive and tile-based tabletop game, Squabble Squares is very much an original, but it has elements of Trouble, Connect Four and Sorry, says Moomaw.
If you go: Registration will be open from 1–1:30pm. The tournament will start soon after.
- It's free to sign up and play. Walk-ins will be accommodated, but you can register here for an earlier spot.
2. ☕️ That's that Chief's espresso
Chief's in Noda launched its coffee program, along with extended hours, earlier this week.
What to expect: With daily coffee service, the modern cocktail bar wants to become an all-day destination.
- Its new coffee menu will serve Nightswim Coffee and tea, plus pastries and light bites like overnight oats and parfaits made by Goodyear House pastry chef, Becca Rankin.
If you go: Extended hours are Monday-Friday 7am-3pm and Saturday-Sunday 8am-2pm.
- Evening hours won't change. They're open until 1am Sunday-Thursday and until 2am Friday and Saturday.
What's next: A grand opening celebration on May 31, featuring $2 lattes, live music, giveaways and bites off the new menu.
3. ⛳️ It's a massive sports weekend
Charlotte is packed with sports this weekend, from playoff hockey to soccer and one of the biggest tournaments in golf.
⚽️ Charlotte FC takes on Chicago Fire at Bank of America Stadium tonight at 7:30pm. Tickets start at $35.70.
⛳️ The world's best golfers compete in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club through Sunday. Prices vary.
🏟 Carolina Ascent takes on Tampa Bay Sun in their regular season home finale tonight at 7pm. Tickets start $24.
🏒 The Charlotte Checkers face the Hershey Bears in game two of the AHL division finals tonight at 7pm. Tickets start at $29.12.
4. 💌 A love letter to self-care and connection
Love Letter To, a Raleigh event company that hosts themed luxury social experiences around the state, is making a stop in Charlotte next month for its newest series, A Love Letter To Wellness.
Driving the news: The event will take place at PINE (4100 Raleigh St.) from 1-5pm on June 15.
What to expect: Breath work sessions, B-12 shots, body waxing, mini facials, ear piercings, and light bites, plus the opportunity to connect with other attendees.
The vibe: At its core, Love Letter To events are meant to bring people together over shared interests, its founders tell Axios.
- The series first launched in August 2022 by co-founders Anya Rinracha and Maya Alawar.
If you go: Tickets are $125 and include all of the services mentioned above.
☕️ I recently discovered Black Cat Coffee, and this mobile cart might make some of the best coffee I've found in Charlotte (gotta add cookie butter syrup).
- To my fellow caffeine fiends, here are some other local coffee carts to fuel your weekend plans.
Thank you to Laura Barrero for editing this newsletter.
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