16-04-2025
What's next for Charlotte favorites Reid's and Salted Melon
Charlotte staple Reid's Fine Foods and its younger sister concept, Salted Melon Market & Eatery, are growing, with both recently announcing new locations.
Why it matters: One is a longstanding Charlotte institution born in 1928. The other is a fast-growing brand, only about to turn three years old.
Both may soon meet customers in other parts of the region, such as the Lake Norman area.
The big picture: Reid's was years ahead of the popularizing "market concept" trend, which is spreading in Charlotte and other cities.
"We try to meet customers at multiple points throughout their day and be a neighborhood staple for people living and working around us," says Thomas Coker, the COO of Reid's and owner of Salted Melon.
Salted Melon is capitalizing on a rise in fast-casual dining and a shift toward healthier American eating habits. Its bestseller is the Super Caesar Wrap, made with free-range grilled chicken, lemon-massaged kale and a wheat wrap.
Driving the news: Reid's will open its fifth Charlotte-area location this fall in Ballantyne, while Salted Melon is expanding to its third location in South Park this spring.
This month, the team closed Lebowski's Neighborhood Grill, which they acquired in 2023, to focus on growing Reid's and Salted Melon.
Flashback: Tom Coker bought Reid's about 13 years ago to expand his e-commerce gifting company, his son Thomas Coker tells Axios. He reopened the Myers Park location on Selwyn Avenue, refreshing the brand and updating the interior for a more modern, upscale feel.
Reid's then expanded to a second location at South Park Mall and two Uptown stores.
The upcoming Reid's in Ballantyne will resemble the other locations, offering wines, pre-made meals, baked goods, fresh produce and local goods with a patio, butcher shop and a bar.
The 6,500 square-foot space is at 14015 Conlan Circle, in the former Duckworth's spot at Ballantyne Quad shopping center.
Thomas Coker says they've been eyeing Ballantyne for several years because of all the new development.
Flashback: About four years ago, Thomas Coker began developing his unique vision for what would be Salted Melon. He said he wanted a concept that they could scale quickly, and he understood the South End demographic as a then-resident himself. The 7,000-square-foot South End restaurant and market opened in the summer of 2022.
After realizing the main revenue was from the food counter, he opened the next restaurant-focused location in Eastover.
The future Salted Melon in south Charlotte's Phillips Place will be 2,769 square feet and seat roughly 100 people, including 40 on the patio. Its all-day menu will be similar to its other two locations: Salads, bowls, sandwiches, wraps, smoothies and juices, coffee and espresso, tea and pastries, plus grab-and-go market items.
Thomas Coker says the location checked many boxes, such as adequate parking, space for the patio and proximity to other stores. Salted Melon opened a pop-up shop at the upscale shopping destination in December 2024.
"The demographics, with the mix of office and residential in the area, are perfect for us," Tom says.
What's next: Salted Melon is expected to grow with two to three more locations a year after the Phillips Place spot opens, and eventually five to six in the Charlotte market, ideally in Ballantyne.
