CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Yet another business is shuttering in Charlotte's Camp North End as Wentworth and Fenn announced it is closing in January. An exact date hasn't been given yet.
"It has been an honor to be a part of the Camp North End community since 2020, but due to unforeseen circumstances, lack of consistent foot traffic, and this economy...it's time," the bakery wrote on Instagram. "My team and I have given it our all, but unfortunately, between rising costs, inconsistent foot traffic, and certain things out of our control ... we can no longer stay open in this location."
WCNC Charlotte spoke to Wentworth and Fenn's owner Samantha Ward back in July. Her concerns were high then, too. Ward said they make everything from scratch and buy quality ingredients that comes to life inside the oven. The problem is recently a lot of the pastries never make it from behind this glass.
"There is just no one coming out," Ward told WCNC Charlotte's Tradesha Woodard in July. "We are getting days where we will barely hit $200, and it's like oh my gosh what is going on out there."
It's a challenge she said left her and some other businesses here in Camp North End slowly dying.
"When we don’t make what we need to, it does force me to sit here and think about the future," Ward said back in July. "We just want people to come out and support."
Unfortunately, the bakery joins a long line of businesses that have closed in Camp North End lately. In recent months, business owners in Charlotte's Camp North End have expressed concern over the lack of foot traffic. Known for its gelato on a stick, Popbar closed in mid-August. That came just a few weeks after the restaurant Bleu Barn announced it would be closing, too. Bleu Barn said it could no longer afford to keep the restaurant open because of rising costs.