Nonprofit to Open Thrive Food Hub on Beatties Ford Road

Historic West End Partners (HWEP) on Wednesday announced the purchase of a shopping center located on Beatties Ford Road where it plans to open Thrive Food Hub, helping in the organization’s goals to bring fresh food options to the area while supporting small businesses.

The 6,148-square-foot, newly renovated space includes a corner store, a commercial kitchen and an open meeting and dining space. 

HWEP, a grassroots business district organization advocating for the cultural preservation and economic development of Charlotte’s Historic West End, collaborated with Local Initiatives Support Coalition (LISC Charlotte) to obtain the $1.3-million space.

The purchase was financed by Uwharrie Bank, supported by a grant from Fifth Third Bank’s Neighborhood Investment Program. DPR Construction provided in-kind renovations totaling $300,000 to upfit the existing space.

J’Tanya Adams, founder and executive director of Historic West End Partners, said the short-term and long-term goals of the space are similar: diversify food offerings in the West End corridor and become a food hub that aids up-and-coming and existing food entrepreneurs.

“The retention of commercial properties, recruitment of small businesses, and filling the gap in services and amenities is an important part of our mission,” Adams said in a release announcing the acquisition. “This purchase is one of the tools that will empower us to offer the services our community needs, by taking space and activating it.”

Located at 1121 Beatties Ford Road between Tate Street and Booker Avenue, the shopping center’s current tenants include Beatties Ford Corner Mart and Bite Your Tongue Authentic New Orleans Cuisine. Plans to expand the center include bringing on two resident chefs and a rotating option of pop-up restaurants that will utilize the kitchen space.

“Historic West End Partners is making incredible strides in supporting the small business ecosystem in Historic West End,” LISC Charlotte Executive Director Ralphine Caldwell said in the release. 

“We offer capacity support to HWEP to see more and more businesses receive the technical support, funding and training that they need to grow and thrive,” Caldwell continued. “This acquisition of 1121 Beatties Ford would not have been possible without our partners, and we look forward to seeing the great return on their investment to this locally-owned commercial property and space.”

HWEP will host monthly small business meetings for the Historic West End Business Association in the meeting space, while the convenience store will offer fresh food options, including EBT-eligible foods, to serve a corridor considered one of the city’s largest food deserts. 

Also on the Beatties Ford Road corridor, family-operated urban farming business Deep Roots CPS Farm have made it their mission to connect West End communities to fresh food and agricultural education.

Read more: Deep Roots CPS Farm Builds Network of Urban Farmers

HWEP is currently interviewing potential tenants for Thrive Food Hub. Adams told Queen City Nerve she and fellow organizers are looking forward to hearing from those in the community who want to patronize or participate in what Thrive Food Hub will offer, accepting feedback through the HWEP website.

“We’re all family,” Adams said. “We would definitely love to ensure there’s a … cyclical food ecosystem.”