CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte family is risking it all to bring a fresh new food-and-drink concept to the south Charlotte area.
Sips and Dips is opening soon after postponing its grand opening from fall 2021 due to pandemic-related delays. The shop will feature customizable drinks and sweet treats, a concept based on a franchise the owners knew about out west.
While the delayed opening slowed the process down, the owners say it helped make the venture happen and that the timing might be even better for what they're serving.
Lindsay Hart is a mother of four and a veteran photographer, and she's the one who decided to take a major life shift away from her steady career to embark on this venture.
"After 17 years, I just felt like I need a change, something fun, and something I can include my family in," Hart said.
She started to think of something she could franchise in Charlotte.
"There are tons of these kinds of shops out west, but nobody was willing to franchise here, so I thought, 'Let me see what I can come up with on my own'," Hart said.
Hart and her family decided to make it happen without any help.
"I feel like everything is on the line," Hart admitted. "Our family has put in a lot of sweat equity, and we have literally pulled from everywhere. All of our savings, everything. We wanted to do it on our own. We didn’t take investors or any funding. This is just us putting it all out there on the line."
She shared going out on that line was a little bumpy.
"It’s definitely had its challenges," Hart recalled. "At first, we could not find a location. We searched all of south Charlotte, and a lot of spots weren’t open to taking new tenants,"
Once they found their spot they faced what so many other businesses are facing right now.
"It’s been really hard with supply chain issues," Hart said. "Locating a freezer was hard and getting an ice machine. It took me months to get the good ice, and I had to drive to Virginia to find the ice I needed."
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Hart said her whole family will help when Sips and Dips opens at the Promenade on Providence off of 485 in south Charlotte.
"It's like a newborn baby is happening, and it's my baby, so I’m owning it," Hart shared. "I'm marketing it. I'm doing everything and hoping it goes well."
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Hart said they’re almost all set.
"Oh my gosh, we're excited and nervous, and crossing our fingers we can get the last thing in," Hart said. "We just heard there’s a delay in cups. Our whole business is drinks, so, you know."
The hope is they’ll do so well they’ll expand within Charlotte and beyond.
Contact Michelle at mboudin@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.