CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Nestled on North College Street, in the heart of Uptown is a restaurant with 25 years of soul.
Known for its low country and Gullah-inspired dishes, Mert's Heart and Soul restaurant prides itself on serving the city of Charlotte with a smile.
"They've been here forever, and we've been coming here forever to enjoy the food," Steve Roth, a customer said.
This summer, the restaurant celebrated its 25th anniversary. It was a dream for owner James Bazzelle, a native of Athens, Georgia who moved to Charlotte to pursue entrepreneurship.
"I had been reading in Black enterprises about the growth of Charlotte," Bazzelle said, "and I seen the city. I said, 'man, this a pretty cool city.'”
He relocated his family in 1991, began a catering company, became an executive chef, and quickly learned Charlotte's restaurant industry, before opening Georgia on Tryon in 1996. It was one of few restaurants located in Charlotte's uptown area at the time.
“I'm trying to pay the mortgage at the house and I kept getting turned down for loans, but the gentleman that worked in the African American Chamber became a loan officer," Bazzelle said. "And so that's where we got our first loan.”
After meeting a key Bank of America executive, two years later in 1998, he'd move to North College Street and open Mert's Heart and Soul.
"Weren’t no arena, weren’t no buildings, weren’t no restaurants around us, nothing. Just a hotel," Bazzelle said.
They've served families and prominent people, including then-presidential hopefuls Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, but not without challenges.
"I felt like the business was me, and if it failed," Bazzelle said, "that means I'm a failure.”
He said the loans and loyal customers helped them to survive. Now, as uptown changes with fewer people working in offices to support the lunch rush, they're adjusting again.
"Challenges keep pushing you to be stronger," Bazzelle said.
Mert's is open seven days a week at 214 North College Street in Charlotte.
Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.