Three businesses in two spaces on the Park Road and Montford corridor have closed since May, and neither space is going to a stranger. A longtime general manager from Good Food on Montford's own restaurant group is taking over Good Food's space, with the owner as an investor. A running store with 23 years in Dilworth is moving into the old Bruegger's Bagels and Caribou Coffee space, and it's keeping the coffee bar. The one brand that's new to this stretch, Que Onda, won't open until 2027.
That's why this fall feels in between. The successors are lined up but not yet open, so for now the corridor's calendar depends on businesses that never left.
The Montford storefront goes to Good Food's own people
Good Food on Montford had its final day of service on Saturday, August 29, after nearly two decades at 1701 Montford Drive under chef Bruce Moffett. Axios Charlotte credited the restaurant with helping start the city's small-plates era. It was one of several Moffett restaurants, along with Barrington's, Stagioni, Bao and Broth, and Sala.
The next tenant is Bitters | Sweet Bar & Bites. Its owners already know the room. Lee Ann Dolcetto spent 18 years in Moffett's restaurant group and most recently managed both Stagioni and Sala. Her longtime partner, Brian "Russ" Johnson, worked with Moffett at Stagioni for about six years and is an owner of Public House. Dolcetto told WhatNow Charlotte that Moffett is investing in the new concept.
Moffett is stepping away from Good Food after nearly two decades, but the space is staying with people who worked alongside him for years. For neighbors who ate at Good Food for years, the name is the newest thing about the next restaurant at that address.
What isn't known yet is when it opens. CharlotteFive reported on August 10 that details of the concept were still under wraps. WhatNow's September 4 report named the owners but gave no opening date, menu or hours, and nothing newer had been published as of early October.
The old Caribou space keeps its coffee bar
Park Road Shopping Center's first change came in the spring. Bruegger's Bagels and Caribou Coffee closed on Tuesday, May 26. Charlotte Running Co. announced the next tenant in May. It will move its Dilworth store into the combined space and grow from 2,400 square feet to 4,600.
The plan keeps the space's past in view. Founder Scott Dvorak told Axios Charlotte that because the space was Caribou's home for so long, it made sense to put a coffee bar in the new store. CRC's Thursday morning run club, The Sole, usually stops for coffee after its runs. CRC's own announcement put the move in terms of the center's history:
"Originally opened in 1956 as Charlotte's first open-air shopping center, Park Road has long been one of the city's most iconic gathering places, making it the perfect home for CRC's next chapter."
Here's what the company has said the store will include:
- A full coffee bar, plus beer and wine service
- A locker room with a shower
- A treatment and rehab room run with a local sports doctor
- More retail than the Dilworth store has room for
- Possibly a sauna, cold plunge, Normatec sleeves and red light therapy, though Axios reported in May that the final list hadn't been decided
The location is part of the plan. CRC says the store sits right on the 19-mile Little Sugar Creek Greenway and is meant to serve "runners, walkers, cyclists, and neighbors alike."
As for timing, CRC said it would take over the space on August 1, 2026, and aimed to open "around Nov/Dec" once the buildout was done. As of October 5, the company's store directory still listed the Dilworth store at 1412 East Boulevard with regular hours and showed no Park Road location. The Sole's next run, on Thursday, October 8, is still listed at the Dilworth store. Dvorak has said Dilworth will stay open until the new space is ready. Until CRC announces an opening day, the morning coffee stop at Park Road isn't back yet.
The one new name is the furthest away
Que Onda Tacos + Tequila is the only brand coming to the corridor with no history in these storefronts. It's also the biggest project. Axios Charlotte reported on August 18 that Que Onda is building a $2 million flagship at 1515 Mockingbird Lane, across from L'Ostrica. The restaurant will be about 4,100 square feet with roughly 230 seats. CharlotteFive reported plans for a bar, a patio, a private-event room, and lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
The opening date depends on the source. Axios says February 2027. CharlotteFive's story says the same in its text, but the location card on the same page says "spring 2027." Either way, Que Onda opens next year, after the two handoffs above.
The order things are expected to happen
Here's every change on the corridor, by date, with the confirmed dates kept apart from the targets:
- May 26, 2026: Bruegger's Bagels and Caribou Coffee close at Park Road Shopping Center. Confirmed.
- August 1, 2026: Charlotte Running Co. takes over the space and starts its buildout. This was CRC's stated plan.
- August 29, 2026: Good Food on Montford's final day of service. Confirmed.
- No date announced: Bitters | Sweet Bar & Bites opens at 1701 Montford Drive. No opening date or season had been published as of early October.
- Around November or December 2026: Charlotte Running Co. opens at Park Road, and The Sole moves its Thursday runs there. This is CRC's target.
- February or spring 2027: Que Onda opens at 1515 Mockingbird Lane. Sources disagree on the month.
Only the first and third items are confirmed dates. Everything after August depends on construction, so check before you plan a night around it.
What's on the calendar until then
The long-running independents at Park Road Shopping Center are keeping things busy while the new tenants build out.
Park Road Books, 4139 Park Road. The bookstore's author series continues this fall. Paul Domowitch is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7, and Vani Hari for Saturday, November 14. Check the store's calendar for signing details and any ticket requirements before you go.
Blackhawk Hardware, 4225 Park Road. Blackhawk has two Halloween events on Saturdays. Schleich's Eldrador Halloween Bat event is listed for October 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The store's first-ever Pet Halloween Costume Contest is free and starts at 2 p.m. on Halloween, Saturday, October 31.
Park Road Park, 6220 Park Road. The 3rd Annual UNCF Walk for Education is Saturday, October 10, from 8 a.m. to noon.
Here are the next few weeks in order:
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Wed., Oct. 7 | Paul Domowitch author event | Park Road Books |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | UNCF Walk for Education, 8 a.m. to noon | Park Road Park |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Eldrador Halloween Bat event, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Blackhawk Hardware |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Pet Halloween Costume Contest, 2 p.m. | Blackhawk Hardware |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Vani Hari author event | Park Road Books |
The bookstore and the hardware store are the anchors that haven't changed. Both are carrying a full fall schedule while the coffee counter and the Montford dining room are closed. If CRC hits its target, the Vani Hari signing on November 14 will be one of the last Park Road weekends before the running store's coffee bar reopens the space Caribou held for so long.
If you live in Park South Station and want to know what your home is worth while the Park Road and Montford corridor fills its new storefronts, request a home valuation from Carolinas Real Estate Partners and we'll walk you through the numbers.
