A variety of Charlotte restaurateurs and industry professionals gathered for an “Accelerate” event hosted by What Now Media Group at Dos Caminos. The event provided a valuable opportunity for the Charlotte restaurant community to connect and share ideas on navigating the competitive market.
Dos Caminos, located at 601 S Tryon St #135, hosted the free event, bringing together dozens of representatives from businesses featured on What Now Charlotte. This included local restaurants and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners. Attendees networked over bites and beverages before attending a presentation on strategies for growing and succeeding in today’s competitive market.
The event, hosted by Mariah Medley, Director of Events and Partner Engagement at What Now Media Group, featured a range of notable restaurateurs and business owners. Attendees included a variety of local restaurant owners, such as Kaeli Silver, sales & events manager at Dos Caminos, and Erin Bucher, director of F&B at Dunbar Social, both of whom are working to expand their restaurant presence in the area. Rob Bryan and Laura Hargreaves, co-owners of Break Bread Ventures/Bearing Fruit Ventures, which operates Slims, Spoons, and Eden concepts, were also present.
Other participants included Nathaniel Frye, franchise owner of The Peach Cobbler Factory, who is looking to expand the brand locally, and Miller Safrit, co-owner of Tap In, a new golf entertainment venue. Paige Childers, operations coordinator at Sage & Citrus, was on hand to share insights into healthy meal service in Charlotte. Additional attendees included Giovanna Kannady, director of sales at Moxy Hotel – Uptown, and Eric Hicklen, owner of Gotcha Matcha, who recently expanded with a second location.
Representatives from several of What Now Media Group’s Preferred Partners attended to provide expert guidance. Jorge Gonzales of 7th Peak Marketing shared insights on creative marketing strategies for restaurants, while Tyler Hayes and Cassie Shaw of Auris (formerly Heartland) offered payroll and HR management solutions tailored to the hospitality industry. Mark Coats from Dressler Construction discussed general contractor strategies for restaurant build-outs. Jeremy Roberts and Robert Favatella from Global Payments provided guidance on point-of-sale systems to streamline operations, and Craig Rosen from Our Town America presented targeted marketing solutions to attract new local customers.
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 that was both enriching and beneficial for all attendees.
This led Mariah to take the conversation even deeper by discussing critical business points, such as developing an exit plan and managing operations efficiently after expanding to multiple locations. After Mariah and the guests shared their tips, insights, and concerns, everyone quickly became interested in learning more about their businesses and how they could help one another.
This event provided a valuable platform for restaurant owners and industry partners to collaborate, brainstorm, and build new connections. It’s clear that the Charlotte restaurant community is eager to continue innovating and evolving, and What Now Media Group’s Accelerate events provide the ideal space for these conversations.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 33 cities across North America, breaking news, and provides timely insight into yet-to-open brick-and-mortar businesses. The platform shares news of thousands of openings across all 33 cities annually.
The industry-leading experts in What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners 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 our partners. To learn more about becoming a preferred partner, click here.
