Szechuan Mansion Hotpot has inked a deal for its third location and its first location in the Charlotte market. It has taken a lease at The Arboretum, with plans to open in August or September in a 3,500-square-foot space at 8046-D Providence Road, co-owner Steven Wang told What Now Charlotte.
Wang said he first began to eye the market several years ago, when they were scoping out spots for a second location to join their original spot in Cary. They ended up opening in Durham for the second location, but Charlotte was in the pipeline next.
“I feel like more people are moving to Charlotte and Charlotte has become a more diverse city compared to the last time I visited, especially with the younger generation,” Wang said. “So I felt like it was a good time for us to expand to Charlotte.”
This location will align with the menu and design at the other brand locations. Customers can expect hotpot offerings with various choices of meats and vegetables, as well as a selection of appetizers.
The design for this space will be slightly upgraded, Wang said. They have dedicated a higher budget to renovating the space, and Wang is excited to unveil the design. The team has aimed for a modern, energetic look that will cater to a young audience. Renderings show plans for a light wood interior, a clean design and natural elements such as plants positioned throughout.
Wang recalls having customers come from Charlotte to Szechuan Mansion Hotpot’s other locations and request that they bring a location to the Charlotte market. He is looking forward to meeting that need and connecting with a new market of customers.
“We will make a lot of customers from Charlotte happy so they don’t need to drive two hours to have our amazing hotpot. And of course we can connect the brand to more local customers,” Wang said. “The connection between our brand and the local area is very important to us, and that makes us very excited.”
Eventually, they hope to open another location in Charlotte, but for now they are focusing on getting this one up and running.
“We’re always looking for new opportunities, but we try to grow with stability rather than fast,” Wang said. “We try to ensure the quality of each restaurant first instead of spreading out quickly.”
This is not the only new concept heading to The Arboretum. The Smoke Pit is also aiming to open up a location there later this year.
