Development sprawling in west Charlotte, landmark Bar-B-Q King site listed for sale
Sprawling development is changing many parts of Charlotte, including the site of the iconic Bar-B-Q King in west Charlotte.
The 62-year-old drive-in restaurant at 2900 Wilkinson Blvd. is included in a $4.2 million property sale listing by Coldwell Banker. “Great for new development,” the listing states.
The restaurant’s corner lot is one of four parcels for sale, Coldwell Banker real estate specialist Vasili Kakavitsas told The Charlotte Observer. The other lots are mostly wooded. The combined acreage is 1.76 acres with road frontage on Wilkinson Boulevard and Weyland Avenue.
The carhop restaurant has a lease agreement for three years, with an option for a five-year renewal, Kakavitsas said.
Bar-B-Q King, which saw a surge in business during the pandemic shutdowns, was featured on Season 1 in 2007 on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” with Guy Fieri.
Kakavitsas, a Charlotte native, said Bar-B-Q King is rooted in Charlotte history having touched many lives, including his own. His father worked there years ago as a cook.
Officials with Bar-B-Q King did not respond for comment.
Wilkinson Boulevard is “booming with new development,” the real estate website says. Bar-B-Q King is about 3.5 miles from Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Wilkinson Boulevard and about 2.5 miles to Bank of America Stadium in uptown.
Development near Bar-B-Q King
Across the street from Bar-B-Q King, Dunkin Donuts opened in August, and an ABC store and QuikTrip convenience store and gas station, opened within the last eight years. Next door, a 7-Eleven is under construction at the former Shell site.
On the next block at 2732 Wilkinson Blvd., the 76-year-old Dairy Queen property was listed for sale last fall for $1.4 million by real estate firm EXP Commercial, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. The .5-acre site was listed for $1.1 million Thursday on Loopnet.com.
A bit further east, toward uptown, developers are building apartment and townhome complexes across the street from each other.
In September, Charlotte-based Madison Capital Group started construction on a 253-unit, four-story apartment building. The project, on the north side of Wilkinson Boulevard by Berryhill Road, is expected to be complete next year. It will have a fitness center, pool and grills.
Just across the street, work is underway on a 216-unit townhome and apartment building. The project — dubbed Bowery West — is being led by a partnership of Catalyst Capital Partners, Beauxwright and Mission Properties.
The two sites sit along the planned route of the 29-mile east to west Silver Line light rail.
Charlotte’s old restaurants
Bar-B-Q King and Dairy Queen aren’t the only longtime restaurants included in recent property sales.
In December, Green’s Lunch building at 309 W. 4th St. in uptown Charlotte was listed for sale for $3 million by Sands Investment Group, the Observer reported. Adjacent lots, including Deluxe Fun Dining next door that opened in 2019, could also be included in the sale for redevelopment. The iconic hot dog shop is open 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Last May, the historic house at 224 W. 10th St., home to Poplar restaurant in Fourth Ward, sold for $2.2 million to 701 North Poplar Street LLC, the Observer reported. The 7-year-old popular tapas restaurant and bar is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
In February 2022, the historic, two-and-a-half-story house that’s home to Alexander Michael’s Restaurant & Tavern at 401 W. 9th St. was listed for sale. It sold last March for $1.6 million to 24th Street Partners, Mecklenburg County property records show. Alexander Michael’s is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday.
Several of Charlotte’s longtime iconic restaurants have closed including The Charlotte Cafe, Mr. K’s and Price’s Chicken Coop.
