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1911 Central Ave.
704-376-2242
The Breakfast Club, a three-level nightclub that plays '80s music
Jody Sullivan: We're actually having our best summer yet. It's kind of amazing. Earlier in the summer we thought it might have just been a fluke with people just wanting to get out and have some fun. I think that's the entertainment aspect of it. We're running this crazy drink special on Fridays, and our Friday numbers have doubled. We do this thing called "123 nights" and we've been doing it for a while. We've just actually seen a bit of an increase on our Friday nights. It's $1 bottle beers, $2 imports, $3 mixed drinks and we're really pushing that out there. Overall, we haven't seen any decrease.
225 N Caldwell St.
704-374-1982
Greek Isles, a restaurant that offers Greek cuisine
Frank Photopoulos: It's definitely dropped. People just aren't going out to eat as much. We're still surviving; there are a lot of restaurants that are closing down left and right. Our prices are fairly low so I guess we're what people are looking for. We're surviving.
200 E Bland St
704-444-9000
Park Road Books, an independent bookstore
Sally Brewster: Business is a little soft. We were trending up until July, and then it looked like everyone went out of town on vacation. It is soft, but I don't think I've come across another business owner that hasn't said the same thing. I think it's just one of those two steps forward and maybe one step backward. You have to just keep on putting one foot in front of the other and looking down the road instead of micro-managing every minute of the day or the week.
4139 Park Road
704-525-9239
blynk organic, an eat-in or take-out organic food restaurant
Karl Purkarthofer: Despite the difficult times, we have seen a positive trend in our business during this year. For sure, such times are challenging for startups, specifically premium brands like blynk organic. But consistently each day we strive to provide our customers with a superior quality product, superior service, and ongoing innovation. People who come to blynk value the benefits of organic and healthy food. Moreover, they realize that by buying blynk products they not only do good for their body but also conserve our planet. More and more people are concerned about what they eat and about their ecological footprint. Seeing this number of health and eco-conscious people increasing day by day is the greatest motivation for our team. We believe that Charlotte is a great place for blynk organic -- a dynamic city, which will exploit its potentials and continue to thrive again.
200 S. Tryon St.
704-522-3750
RealEyes Bookstore, an independent used bookstore
Jaz Vincent: I look at it like this ... every business owner will be challenged at one point or another. This recession is nothing new for most of us -- many of us are used to struggling. This recession can either be an excuse to fail or motivation to succeed and try harder. I had to be very creative for RealEyes Bookstore to be still standing. That includes partnering with other organizations with similar motives, attaching my name to other major events that promote literacy, etc. I strongly believe that when a person leaps out on a limb to start something as challenging as a new business, it can only fail when you give up because its like having a child; when you're down, the business is down, when you're up and feeling good, ideally, you're more creative and you tend to distance yourself from at least most of the negativity surrounding you. Your business can cry and cry but when you're ready, you realize that you always had the milk to silence the noise.
3306 N Davidson St.
704-377-8990
The Common Market, a convenience store that offers sandwiches, beer and an extensive wine collection
Blake Barnes: Business is actually up. I think the neighborhood I'm in is doing pretty well through this whole mess. And the other thing is, I put a bar in my convenience store about a year ago because of Trader Joe's -- because I knew it would put a dent in my wine business. I didn't even realize how people would like it. People can come here in a relaxed environment and drink at retail, not at a bar, price. I have all these beers from all over the world, wines from all over the place. People can just come in and sit down and chill out. And somehow we're even surviving [in the new Southend location]. We signed that lease April of 2008 and watched the economy steadily fly straight down. So it's been a rocky start over there but that thing has taken off just fine. And I think it's just the nature of these small little neighborhood-y businesses -- people just like something that feels more grassroots.
