As the Mac’s Speed Shop brand approaches its 20th anniversary celebration in May, Mac’s Hospitality president Tony Salerno and his team are looking toward the future, with plans for a new Mac’s Speed Shop at 1954 S.C. Highway 160 in Fort Mill.
This will be the tenth location for Mac’s Speed Shop, joining fellow Charlotte locations in South End and Steele Creek, as well as locations in Greenville, Matthews, Concord Mills, Lake Norman, Fayetteville, Greensboro and Raleigh.
Salerno told What Now Charlotte that they will be building the site — about 5,500 square feet — from the ground up, with the goal of opening the new Mac’s location by the end of 2025.
“We see the growth potential there. We think Fort Mill is a growing area, and we already have a ton of guests in that area who are excited about us bringing one closer to them,” Salerno said.
Customers can expect an updated Mac’s look, including steel and burnt wood elements as well as a continuous bar that flows from the interior dining room into the outdoor patio. Garage doors will open into the outdoor bar area.
“This will be a new look for us, taking some of the elements from our new restaurants like the one in Concord Mills we built three years ago and our new Raleigh location last year,” Salerno said.
The Fort Mill location has been in the works for a long time. The company bought the lot about three years ago, but Salerno said they have run into quite a few delays with permitting and coordinating with the city.
Mac’s Speed Shop is known for its barbecue offerings, including pulled pork and St. Louis pork ribs. Other menu items include Southern favorites like catfish, cornmeal shrimp and chicken and waffles.
Mac’s Hospitality has several other concepts in its portfolio as well, including SouthBound and The Music Yard.
Salerno said Mac’s Hospitality is looking to continue to expand in the coming years. He foresees opening two to three restaurants per year, shifting focus largely to the Raleigh market, where Mac’s Speed Shop opened a spot on Glenwood Avenue last year.
“We feel really good where we are in the Charlotte market. We’ll be looking at expanding our brand into the Raleigh market,” Salerno said. “We feel that that’s a strong market to continue our expansion around the suburbs of that city as we did in Charlotte.”
However, Salerno said they will be keeping their options open throughout the Carolinas.
“Nothing’s off the table,” Salerno said. “We’re open to exploring a lot of new markets across North Carolina and South Carolina.”
