A dynamic mix of Charlotte’s most exciting restaurateurs and food industry professionals came together on Thursday, June 12, 2025, for an “Accelerate” event hosted by What Now Media Group at Dos Caminos. The event offered a valuable platform for Charlotte’s restaurant and hospitality community to exchange insights, share strategies, and build relationships.
Dos Caminos, a modern Mexican restaurant known for its upscale street-style fare, hosted the complimentary event at its location in Ally Charlotte Center at 601 S Tryon St #135, bringing together dozens of attendees from businesses featured on What Now Charlotte. This included a diverse mix of local restaurant owners and hospitality professionals, alongside industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s growing network of Preferred Partners. Guests were welcomed with small bites and drinks before attending a presentation focused on sustainable growth and expansion in today’s competitive hospitality landscape.
The event was led by Mariah Medley, Director of Events and Partner Engagement at What Now Media Group, and featured a diverse group of Charlotte’s emerging culinary entrepreneurs.
Among those in attendance was Brendan Kuhlkin, owner of McHale’s Pub, who is working to revive the iconic NoDa Irish pub. Also present was Kim Jackson, COO and creative director of Decadence Popcorn, a gourmet popcorn shop preparing to open a new storefront in Concord with indulgent, handcrafted flavors.
Representing the expanding dessert space, Lillian and John Brijeski, co-franchisees of Shipley Do-Nuts, were in attendance and shared plans for further expansion in the Charlotte market. Siobhan and Ayden Reddick, owners and finance intern of The Social Cow, were also present, celebrating their scoop shop’s presence at The Market at 7th Street.
A major presence came from the team behind Que Fresa Taqueria + Bar and Qué Hospitality, including Manny Flores (founder and CEO), Lucas De Lima (director of marketing), Roger Lemus (corporate chef), and Alex Cañas (beverage director). The team shared updates on their vibrant new taqueria, which is generating excitement ahead of its highly anticipated debut.
Other notable attendees included Patrick Knorring, franchise owner of Scoop N Scootery, and Inga Carey and Victoria Coglianese from Purrfect Pair Cat Cafe, Rock Hill’s first cat cafe concept.
Tommi Harris, owner of Fenwick’s, shared their thoughts following the event, saying: “I thought Mariah was very thorough and prepared. She seemed to have a deep understanding of the business and its people. It was informative and organized. She gave the platform to each business designated to speak while engaging them and the audience. I learned a lot, and it was really nice to be amongst others going through the same processes. Great networking opportunity. Thanks for including me!”
In addition to restaurant operators, the event brought together nearly a dozen representatives from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners, offering guidance and resources to help operators optimize their operations and scale their businesses.
Among the preferred partners present were Geoff Weaver and Kyle Benzick of SpotOn, who spoke with attendees about their point-of-sale and marketing technology. Craig Rosen from Our Town America shared ways restaurants can grow their customer base by targeting new movers through direct mail and digital campaigns.
Tyler Hayes and Trevor Collins of Heartland offered expertise on payroll systems for the hospitality industry. Mark Coats from Dressler Construction discussed restaurant build-outs and remodels. Also present were Jorge Gonzales and Kelly Pasour from 7th Peak Marketing, a digital marketing firm helping restaurants boost visibility and foot traffic.
The restaurant owners and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners shared valuable insights, operational highlights, and expert advice, creating an engaging and informative evening.
This led Mariah to delve deeper into the conversation by discussing critical business points, such as having an exit plan and efficiently managing operations after expansion. Attendees quickly became engaged, eager to learn more about each other’s businesses and share support.
This event provided a valuable platform for restaurant owners and industry partners to collaborate, brainstorm, and establish new connections. The Charlotte restaurant community continues to innovate and evolve, and What Now Media Group’s Accelerate events offer the ideal environment for growth-focused discussions.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 33 cities across North America and offers insight into upcoming businesses. The platform reports on thousands of openings each year.
The experts in What Now Media Group’s Preferred Partner network help new businesses open and existing businesses grow.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2025. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
Click here for a complete list of partners. To learn more about becoming a preferred partner, click here.
