Petalcakes is preparing to relocate from its current shop at 9856 Gilead Road, Suite E105, to a new storefront at 9818 Gilead Road, Huntersville. Owner Courtney McCarthy confirmed in an interview with WhatNow Charlotte that the move will take place within the same parking lot, giving the bakery a more visible storefront and room to develop a café-style experience. The business was previously highlighted by Hey Huntersville, which spotted its “Coming Soon” signage at Rosedale Shopping Center.
The move addresses a visibility challenge at the bakery’s existing premises. McCarthy explained that the current shop sits in a separate building toward the back of the parking lot, away from the main shopping plaza. As a result, the business has largely operated through advance orders rather than relying on walk-in customers. “Right now, I’m really more of a preorder type spot,” McCarthy told WhatNow Charlotte, explaining that customers would not necessarily discover the bakery unless they already knew it was there.
The new storefront will introduce a different experience, with seating and space for customers to spend time at the bakery rather than simply collect orders. “It’s going to have more of a café type feel where people can come in, and they can sit, and they can hang out,” McCarthy said. She described the intended atmosphere as a community space, with the business retaining its bakery identity while offering customers more reasons to visit.
Petalcakes began with cupcakes and cupcake bouquets before expanding its operation into Concord. McCarthy said the business opened its second location at Gibson Mill in July 2025, where the food hall’s customer traffic allowed the bakery to broaden its menu. The company subsequently purchased the coffee shop next to its space, combining the two operations into a bakery and café. McCarthy said the Huntersville storefront will adopt that same model, explaining, “We’re basically going to duplicate that model, but just on our own instead of being in a food hall.”
The expanded offering will build on Petalcakes’ signature floral desserts, which include hand-piped buttercream flower cupcakes and cupcake bouquets. Its online shop also features custom cakes, cupcake cakes and assorted cupcake packs, giving customers options for celebrations, gifting and everyday treats. The new Huntersville location is expected to carry the full selection of bakery and coffee offerings currently available at Gibson Mill, according to McCarthy and the company’s website.
Construction work is still underway at the new premises, with an electrician and plumber completing finishing work when McCarthy spoke with WhatNow Charlotte. She said she was hoping to open within the following couple of weeks, although she could not confirm a date, with the broader target being to open before the end of 2026. Once the work is complete, the plan is to close the existing shop on a Saturday afternoon at its usual 4 p.m. closing time, move across the parking lot and reopen the following Wednesday. McCarthy said the transition is intended to avoid a prolonged interruption for customers.
