QCity Metro
News, Opinion & Events for Charlotte's African American community
Charlotte’s place to be for education, innovation and growth. Offering a broad spectrum of places to live, operate a business or work with 14 miles of greenway, LYNX Blue Line service to NoDa, South End and Uptown, University City has it all.
University City, home to UNC Charlotte, the Boardwalk, and several light rail stops, has become one of Charlotte’s fastest-growing neighborhoods.
It’s also home to many locally-owned businesses and offers plenty of options for dining, fun activities, shopping and more.
Read on to learn some of what University City’s businesses have to offer.
Eternal Strong Gym is veteran-owned and offers a variety of ways to exercise, from its Functional Fitness Program to its personal training options to help people with their individual fitness goals.
The gym offers four unique fitness programs that cater to your needs and what results you’re looking for.
James Smith, who has 30 years of experience as an outdoor instructor, created MyOutDoor Joy to service people with “limited” and “intermediate” outdoor skills. This is due in part to the pandemic, he said.
“One of the things that happened during Covid…people were told to go outside, but nobody knew what to do when they went outside. And so, for large segments of the population, there was this empty space in which they could not participate in,” Smith said.
Smith lived in the University area and said that influenced him to start his business there; he added that the greenways and access also helped make University City an ideal area.
MyOutDoorJoy offers a variety of activities for learning outdoor skills like hiking and scuba diving. Though the business primarily targeted adult customers, Smith said MyOutDoorJoy is family-friendly as well.
Trevor Lewis founded Caribbean Hut 15 years ago to bring a taste of authentic Caribbean food to Queen City.
Open seven days a week, the restaurant offers classic island dishes like oxtails, jerk chicken and more, in addition to special breakfast hours on Saturday mornings.
Cuzzo’s Cusine owner Andario Johnson announced the opening of a second Cuzzo’s Cuisine back in January 2020. Four years later, Johnson tells QCity Metro that he appreciates the steady and diverse customer base that comes from being located within the self-proclaimed “a city within a city” of the University area.
Johnson told QCity Metro he picked University City for Cuzzo’s second location because he saw a lack of soul food options in the area and wanted to change that.
“I figured it would be a good fit for that area,” Johnson said. With Cuzzo’s Cuisine located so close to UNC Charlotte, Johnson said the restaurant’s customer base of young college students differed from its first location on Tuckaseegee Road in west Charlotte.
He noted that the different crowds required some adjustments on the restaurant’s end.
Johnson said that when customers come to Cuzzo’s, he wants them to feel like they’re at home. When first walking through the doors of Cuzzo’s Cuisine, customers are greeted with a resounding “Welcome to Cuzzo’s!” from the staff before placing an order.
“We want to treat you like you’re family and make you feel comfortable,” Johnson said.
Located on East WT Harris Boulevard, Picasso’s Sports Cafe offers a casual dining many made up of dishes like pizza, sandwiches, burgers and more.
This UNC alumnus-owned business offers a laid back environment to grab lunch during the day or hang out with friends at night.
South 21 JR Family Restaurant is a family-owned business that’s been serving Charlotte since 1955.
The no-frills menu serves all-American classics, such as cheeseburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, fish filet sandwiches and more.
In 2022, Charlotte Magazine included them on their list of top places to get fried chicken in Charlotte.
Tiny Biscuit owner Danielle Phoenix said she always wanted to serve brunch and breakfast-type foods, and that’s exactly what she does.
“Brunch is my favorite time of the day,” she said.
Initially, Phoenix said, she and her mother were supposed to open a food truck together, but her mother passed away before they were able to.
“I use a lot of her recipes,” Phoenix said. She taught me everything I know, so she’s still here with us.”
When asked which item is the “best” on the menu, Phoenix said the question is hard to answer. A couple of key items she noted include the chicken tenders and brussels sprout dishes.
“Everything that’s on the menu, I’ve created, and I feel like it’s the best thing,” Phoenix said. “Whenever you bite into my food, I want you to dance, and I want you to be happy.”
Phoenix added that one of the things she likes about being located in University City is her loyal customer base. “I feel like I’ve created a family,” Phoenix said.
On its website, Ne-Veilles Alterations states a love for clothes and people.
The tailor shop offers repairs for seams, buttons, hems and zippers and has experience working with wedding gowns, tuxedo jackets and more.
Whitney Mitchell, owner and founder of Whitney’s Wittle Wonders, said she likes to call her business a “Covid blessing.” During the pandemic, Mitchell quarantined in her apartment like many others.
Unable to take her two Malteses to be groomed, she ordered a $20 grooming kit from Amazon and groomed them herself. Having studied Animal Science and Pre-Veterinary Medicine and having experience doing hair, she decided to start a dog grooming service that began with the dogs of friends and families. After that, she branched out to neighbors’ dogs as well.
Mitchell says she enjoys the dog-friendly nature of the Boardwalk, a place she’d never visited before searching for a place to house her business.
In addition to the standard washing, shedding and nail clipping, Whitney’s Wittle Wonders also offers dog dye jobs, offering a wide range of “joyful, happy colors” that match the decor inside her space.
“I want to keep a happy, joyful vibe in my shop,” Mitchell said.
In their own words, India Grocers wants to offer shoppers a variety of authentic ingredients for use in their next dish.
Shoppers can find products not in other grocery stores, like kesar boondi ladoo, a traditional Indian sweet made from chickpea flour and saffron. Plus, the store employees help answer any questions you have while shopping.
Real African Art Gallery hosts paintings and other craft items representing a range of African countries, such as Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya. Owner Calstain Ganda said he opened it from a desire to support his fellow African artists who were struggling during the pandemic.
“I’m proudly born and raised in Zimbabwe,” Ganda told QCity Metro. He said he wanted to give back to the community and share his culture and heritage through art.
Ganda, who has lived in University City for the last twenty years, says his familiarity with the area and his proximity to other small businesses are some of the highlights of having a business located in the 28262 zip code.
“I’ve always felt [University City] is a good place to draw the diversity that we are trying to reach with regard to our client base,” Ganda said.
When it comes to the art Real African Art Gallery has to offer, Ganda says that there’s something for everyone. “We have art that appeals to anyone that’s interested in owning a piece of the motherland,” Ganda said. Real African Art Gallery has art pieces for purchase with prices ranging from $10 to upwards of thousands.
“Every customer from every walk of life, from students to lawyers and doctors, they’ll have a chance to get something they deem is for them.”
Amanda was born and raised in Charlotte and graduated from UNC Charlotte with a Bachelor’s in Communications and English. She covers Mecklenburg County. Reach her at amanda@qcitymetro.com More by Amanda Harry
1 Comment
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I recently moved to this area and I had no idea that so many Black businesses were present.
THANX for bringing these businesses to the forefront!!!
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