News and Updates

Belmont ABC Board members are shown with the designers of the new store. Board members (starting second from left) are Tom Olsen, Jonathan Taylor, Joe Stowe, Mike Pate and Tony Marder. In the photo below, are Store GM Bill Montgomery (left) and Assistant GM Ed Browning.

Belmont's first ABC Store is open just in time for holiday buying and celebrated with a grand opening and Chamber ribbon cutting on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. The 4600-square-foot store is in the new South Fork Station retail center at 6425 Wilkinson Boulevard. A unique design theme features a customer service counter resembling the front porch of a Southern country home, and on the opposite wall, a large photo of a Belmont backyard as seen from a gazebo. ABC Board Chair Joe Stowe spoke at the ceremony along with Belmont Mayor Charlie Martin, store general manager Bill Montgomery and assistant manager Ed Browning.

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Holy Angels CEO Regina Moody, center in red, with residents and leadership team.

Holy Angels hosted Chamber members and friends for a special Christmas edition of Network After Work on Dec. 7, 2017. The Push Place outdoor pavilion was tented and heated for the event, and food was provided by Cherub's Cafe. The grounds at Holy Angels are particularly beautiful at Christmas, decorated with dozens of lighted angels. Holy Angels CEO Regina Moody told those attending about the mission of the non-profit organization to serve children and adults with mental and physical challenges. Holy Angels has 350 employees and a budget of more than $15 million, much of which must be raised through contributions.

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Holy Angels residents who work at Cherub's Cafe helped serve guests at the event.

Belmont Mayor Charlie Martin is first through the new drive-thru after ribbon cutting, driven by Chick-fil-A Belmont co-owner Tony Gilbert. In the photo below, are owners Tony and Natasha Gilbert with Mayor Martin.

How do you improve when already you are rated by customers as #1 among all 2,500 Chick-fil-A's in the nation? You get bigger by expanding so you can satisfy even more customers. That's what Belmont's Chick -fil-A has done while being closed for the past six weeks. The kitchen is now 900 square feet larger, and drive-thru customers will find two lanes to serve them now that the restaurant is re-opened. Chamber members and friends gathered to help celebrate the occasion with a ribbon-cutting this morning. Try out the Chick-fil-A that's rated tops in the nation on customer experience. Chick-fil-A Belmont is just off I-85 at exit 27. The address is 801 Park St., Belmont, NC 28012. More information is available at 704.825.8600, or online at  www.cfarestaurant.com/belmont.

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Owner Pat Brennan cuts the ribbon with his family, the Rivermen staff, Belmont Mayor Charlie Martin and Chamber Board members, holding the ribbon, Jeff Lee of The Vintage Nest and Rachael Wruble.

Belmont's first brewery becomes first brewery and restaurant 

Rivermen Brewing treated Chamber members and friends to a preview of what is to come when Belmont's first brewery and restaurant open to the public for the first time on Dec. 9, 2017, at noon. A big crowd turned out on Friday afternoon, Dec. 1, to see how owner Pat Brennan and his Rivermen team have renovated a former mill building at 52 Ervin Street next door to Belmont's Post Office. In addition to a spacious dining area, Rivermen also has a huge deck for customers to enjoy. For more on Rivermen Brewing, visit www.rivermenbrewingcompany.com. (Thanks to John Jacob for contributing photos.)

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Company founder Maureen Anders (left) and Belmont shop co-owner Ryann Fairweather cut the ribbon at the grand opening for AR Workshop Belmont, with (from left) Chamber Board Chair-elect Carey Roberts of Carey Roberts Design, Belmont City Council member Ryan Schrift of RJ Schrift Private Asset Management, Belmont Mayor Charlie Martin, Ryann's husband Scott Fairweather, and Chamber Board member Melia Lyerly of Lyerly Agency. In the photo below are Maureen Anders and Ryann Fairweather.

AR Workshop has grown to 55 locations in 18 months

AR Workshop founder Maureen Anders and co-owner of the Belmont shop Ryann Fairweather welcomed a large crowd of Chamber members and friends to their grand opening at 65 Glenway Street. Guests were impressed by the large variety of home decor and craft items that can be created and/or purchased in the shop.

AR Workshop offers an extensive schedule of DIY (do-it-yourself) workshops at which participants can design and make their own creations, such as pillow-print painting, building Lazy Susans and making plank wood signs. Also offered are special custom-designed events for groups booking birthday parties, club events, workshops, ladies' nights and more. The shop provides the necessary tools, materials and instruction to help even beginners through a project. 

Maureen Anders and co-founder Adria Ruff started AR Workshop as an online business in 2010. Their first brick-and-mortar location opened in Pineville just 18 months ago. Today, they have 55 franchise shops in 24 states. In addition to Belmont and Pineville, there's also an AR Workshop in Davidson and another opening soon in Myers Park. 

For more on AR Workshop Belmont, call 704.967.4004, or visit www.ARWorkshop.com/belmont.

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Jackie Parker (right) and Deborah Baxa cut the ribbon at the grand opening of Parker & Company Jewellery and Art. With them, from left, are Chamber Board member Jennifer Church of the Chronicle Mill, Lynette Demperio, Dot Martin, David Demperio, City of Belmont Downtown Director Vicki Davis, Elizabeth Atterberry and Scott Hughes of Brightway Insurance. 

Gallery features works from award-winning artists and artisans

Parker & Company Jewelery and Art founder Jackie Parker offers an eclectic variety of jewellery and fine art by award winning artists and artisans from Gaston County, throughout the Carolinas and around the world in a new gallery just opened in downtown Belmont at 26 North Main Street, Suite 2. Chamber members, customers and friends attended a grand opening and ribbon-cutting in the beautifully renovated gallery today.

Displayed for purchase throughout the store are high-end handcrafted jewellery, paintings, pottery, textiles and sculptures by renowned and acclaimed artisans. 

In addition, Parker & Company has for sale fashion jewellery and beautiful fine jewellery in gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, other precious gemstones, estate jewellery and many unexpected finds.

Services are also offered to maintain and keep patron’s jewellery looking beautiful. Hours are Tuesday - Friday, 10 - 5, Saturday, 10 - 4, and by appointment. For more information, call  704.277.6275, or visit www.parkerandcompanyjewellery.com.  

Open Broadband CEO Alan Fitzpatrick (left) and CIO Kent Winrich are cutting the ribbon, with NC Sen. Kathy Harrington, Belmont Mayor Charlie Martin, City Council members Ryan Schrift and Doug Gadd and Mayor Pro Tem Martha Stowe, who is holding the ribbon. Holding the ribbon on the left is Belmont City Manager Adrian Miller. Also representing Open Broadband, on the second row, are Jason Crawford, Stephen Morris, who is behind Alan Fitzpatrick, and Joe Giarmo. Dr. Stephen Hannon, third from right, chairs the Board of Directors of Gaston Innovation Group, the organization working to develop the TechWorks project in Gaston County.   

High speed internet and TechWorks are two of the major tools necessary to attract entrepreneurial businesses here

Wireless high-speed internet is coming to downtown Belmont with the arrival of Open Broadband. Open Broadband CEO Alan Fitzpatrick made the announcement at a launch reception and Chamber ribbon-cutting in the space being developed to become the TechWorks business innovation center at 52 Ervin Street in Belmont. Rivermen Brewing soon will open in a separate space in the same building, and more than 100 who attended the Open Broadband announcement enjoyed refreshments and beverages at Rivermen after the ribbon-cutting. 

Open Broadband, TechWorks and the City of Belmont are collaborating to make free public WiFi available along Main Street in Belmont and in Stowe Park. High-speed internet service also will be available for businesses to purchase. Internet speeds will range from 25Mbps to 1000Mbps..

A pre-signup period is under way now, and service is expected to be available in January 2018. More information on the service at http://belmont.openbb.net.

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Open Broadband CEO Alan Fitzpatrick announcing the arrival of high speed internet in Gaston County.