Waxhaw soul food spot closing ‘within the next few weeks’ amid rent dispute

A Charlotte-area soul food spot is preparing to close its doors for good following a rent dispute with the landlord.

The owners of Food Geeks Eatery shared the difficult news Wednesday, Sept. 23, in a statement posted on its social media, saying the Waxhaw restaurant will shutter “within the next few weeks.”

Its last day in business is still uncertain.

“We don’t want to have to completely shut down, but our goal is to find somewhere else to go within the time frame that we need to move,” owner T.R. Burns told CharlotteFive in a phone interview.

The news comes after Burns posted a livestream video on Tuesday accusing Pam Hinton, who owns the shopping center, of attempting to lock him and his wife out of the restaurant at 203 N. Broome St. . A Waxhaw police officer was called to the scene.

Burns acknowledged owing $3,000 in rent after falling two weeks behind, citing a lull in business. The couple said it was paying Hinson from week-to-week as agreed. However, the landlord said their signed lease set the monthly rent at $5,500.

“I agreed to accept weekly payments temporarily to give him time to catch up,” Hinson told CharlotteFive in an email. “The tenant still was not able to make those payments, and unfortunately had a returned check.”

She denied showing up to the restaurant on Tuesday to change the locks.

Online video showed a tense exchange between the two parties, during which Hinson told Burns he must vacate the space by the end of the month. She insisted on going inside the restaurant multiple times but was denied by Burns and police, prompting a warning that she could be charged with trespassing.

The officer instead advised her to go through the proper channels to start the eviction process.

Under North Carolina law, a lessee has 10 days to pay any past-due rent after a formal demand for payment, or otherwise forfeit the term of the lease.

“This right here hurts us bad,” Burns said. “We’re a small, family-owned business. We’re bootstrapping. We’ve never had major funding … or major backing or investors. It’s just been my family’s money.”

He and his wife launched the restaurant out of their church more than 20 years ago with hopes of starting a family-run franchise. Food Geeks’ menu centers on classic comfort food dishes. Think: saucy wings, chicken sandwiches, burgers, loaded fries and a “Brooklyn Big Back Burrito” filled with fried chicken, candied yams, mac and cheese and collard greens.

Burns said they were about two weeks shy of celebrating one year in Waxhaw before making the tough decision to shut down. This was their third location; the others in West Charlotte and Monroe have also closed.

“I’m sorry the situation has reached this point and understand that a possible closure would affect others,” Hinson, the landlord, said of the Waxhaw restaurant. “I’ve tried to give the tenant time to catch up, while also meeting the expenses of my own small business.”

She told CharlotteFive that she plans to start the formal eviction process, adding: “I hope the next steps can be handled respectfully.”

No order of eviction had been filed as of Thursday, Sept. 24.

CharlotteFive reached out to the Waxhaw Police Department for prior records regarding similar incidents involving the landlord and her property, but didn’t hear back in time for publication.

Looking ahead, Burns said he hopes to relocate and is working to provide at least one month’s pay to his employees as they wind down operations in Waxhaw. The goal is to remain local, but Burns said he’s open to putting down roots elsewhere.

In the meantime, he has called on the community to continue supporting Food Geeks.

“We are a family-owned business, and over the past year we have taken some major losses,” Burns wrote in a farewell message shared on Instagram. “But we still believe in what we’ve built, and we are grateful for every customer, every prayer, every meal purchased, and every person who has supported our family.”

“This is not the end of Food Geeks. This is our next chapter.”

Location: 203 N Broome St, Ste A, Waxhaw, NC 28173 (closing soon)

Cuisine: Soul food, comfort food

Instagram: @foodgeekseatery