Queen City Unleashed

We got the chance to sit down with a longstanding pillar of the Charlotte restaurant industry, Chef Bruce Moffett. Chef Bruce is the owner of the Moffett Restaurant Group that includes Barrington’s, Good Food on Montford, Stagioni, and soon to open Sala.  There are so many chefs in our city now who have spent time learning and growing in one of Bruce Moffett’s restaurants, so his impact can be see...

We are excited to share our episode with Makayla Binter, who is a Creative Catalyst for Charlotte is Creative, a talented artist, and a pillar in the Charlotte arts community. She is one of the most vibrant individuals you could ever be around and she consistently exudes joy. Makayla was often told she would not be able to make a living with art, but she has proven all those people wrong and has b...

We are back after taking some time to celebrate our first 25 episodes of Queen City Unleashed with Emmy Award Winner Shevaun Bryan!! Shevaun is a news anchor on WBTV and has been in the industry, around the country, for a long time. She is passionate about telling important stories and we are lucky to get to chat with her, right off the Emmy win.  Shevaun has interviewed big names like Lebron Jame...

For our 25th episode of Queen City Unleashed we have Kayleigh Ruller, a Food Writer who writes for national and local publications. Kayleigh loves food and writes about it in a way that gives people a better appreciation for the food around them. She has highlighted some of the biggest names in food in Charlotte but she has the same pride when it comes to the smaller names!  Kayleigh is one of the...

On this episode we sat down with Tim Edwards, the founder of Splatter Charlotte and co-founder of Residency Charlotte! Tim is one the most fun interviews we have had on the podcast. His humor and passion make for great stories that we know you will enjoy.  Splatter Charlotte is one of the most fun date activities in Charlotte and it is special because you get to take the art home. Tim and his team...

This episode is really special because it is about a non-profit we are a part of. We got to chat with Leslie Leitner, who is the Community Engagement Associate for Supportive Housing Communities (SHC). Supportive Housing Communities is a local non-profit on a mission to end homelessness and human suffering in the Charlotte area by providing permanent, supportive, and affordable housing to Charlott...

We had the chance to sit down with a man of many talents and interests, Bryan Li! Bryan Li! Bryan is one of the co-owners of Open Rice, co-founder of Residency Charlotte, and a founder and producer of Shameless Improv.  Bryan has such an interesting story that you will enjoy listening too. He grew up in Honk Kong, he has started multiple restaurants, he fell in love with improv comedy and he loves...

We had the opportunity to talk to Chef Sam Diminish on our twenty-first episode of Queen City Unleashed. Chef Sam is the Executive Chef of Restaurant Constance and Owner of Your Farms Your Table! He has been recognized around the city multiple times and was recently a James Beard semi-finalist. He is passionate about supporting local farms and also about being a voice for the voiceless when it com...

In our twentieth episode of Queen City Unleashed, we sat down and talked to Yaz Humaideh, the owner of Sip City Market and Bottle Shop! His bottle shop has become a place of community, where people from all walks of life come to hang out. From coffee,  beer and sake, to ping pong and board games, Sip City has it all.  The thing that really sets Sip City apart is Yaz! He loves people and connecting...

In this episode of Queen City Unleashed, we had the chance to sit down with Chef Alyssa Wilen, owner and namesake of Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen! Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen offers cooking classes for different kinds of cuisines and skill levels. It is a great activity to do with friends, coworkers, or for a date night! You will leave educated and full from a great meal you cooked yourself.  Chef Alyssa is fr...

In this episode of Queen City Unleashed, we got to sit down with a Charlotte legend, Manolo Betancur, who owns Manolo’s Bakery, Artisen Vegelatos, and runs We Care 4 non-profit. Manolo’s Bakery is an institution in Charlotte that serves breads, cakes, and deserts from many hispanic countries. Manolo shared his incredible story of immigrating from Columbia, starting off cleaning dishes, to now havi...

In this episode of Queen City Unleashed, we got to sit down with Steven De Falco, one of the co-owners of Pizza Baby and Flour Shop. His restaurant, Pizza Baby West, was recently named one of the Top 50 Pizza restaurants in America, by an independent guide in Naples Italy.  Steven’s Italian upbringing has led him on an incredible life journey which has seen him go from New York, to Italy, to Miami...

Heather Siblik is the Founder of DishCourse. A company that helps to create community and new friendships for people in Charlotte with events. She is also part of a really cool dance organization that fuses dance and color guard. She may or may not have won silver at Worlds!! Making friends in a new city can be hard, and this wasn’t any different for Heather. Her unique approach to gathering small...

In this episode of Queen City Unleashed, we got to chat with Ian Holmes. Ian is one of the Owners and Executive Director of New Age Athlete and New Age Flag Football. Ian is also a personal friend, which made shooting this episode a lot of fun.  Ian has a huge heart for youth football and has been making his mark on the scenes for years, for both boys and girls. With over 1000 kids in his programs...

In this episode of Queen City Unleashed, we sat down with Larry Swayne, the owner of Wingzza Mambo Sauce! He also has such a vault of knowledge about Charlotte, so we had a great time learning some history. Wingzza Mambo Sauce, originally comes from the DMV (Maryland, DC, and Virginia). Larry wants Mambo Sauce to be known everywhere and with his company he is definitely spreading the word.  The ad...

In the first episode of 2025 for Queen City Unleashed, we sat down with Bryan and Kristen Brown, the owners of Benny Ferrovia’s and Benny Pennello’s! Benny’s Pizza, known for their massive pizzas, originated at Virginia Tech… making this a very full circle episode for host Seyi Olusina, a Virginia Tech graduate. Kristen and Bryan shared the stories of them opening locations here in Charlotte, one...

In this episode of Queen City Unleashed we sat down to chat with Andrea Ritcher, the owner of Pretty Honest Candles. A black woman owned soy candle company in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Andrea started her soy candle company after experimenting with candles for herself and friends/family. Since then she has been shouted out by Beyonce, Cosmopolitan, Buzzfeed and many others. She also told us about...

In this episode of Queen City Unleashed we sat down to chat with Jordan Dollard, the owner of Esther and Elsa and the woman behind Front Porch Sundays and Nebel’s Alley Night Market.  Jordan has become one of the biggest voices and advocates of small businesses in Charlotte. She talked with us about some of her hobbies, her favorite spots in the city, and where she thinks there is potential in the...

In the 10th episode of Queen City Unleashed we went to a TV set to interview Mia Atkins, Co-host of WCNC’s Charlotte Today show.  Mia has known she wanted to be on TV since she was 15 years old and she has worked so hard over the years to get there. From getting her own show 3 days out of college to getting to interview icon Dolly Parton, Mia is truly living out her dream. She cares so much about...

In this episode of Queen City Unleashed we spend some time with Brandon Stirewalt, Director of Operations at Town Brewing Company.  Brandon taught us so much about brewing, from agriculture, to the science, to the art, to the lack of diversity. His passion for what he does was gushing out in this interview. He also shared some really cool and innovative things that Town Brewing is doing when it co...

In this episode of Queen City Unleashed we spend some time with local esthetician, Dani Simonetti, who is a friend and a neighbor.  Dani shared with us what it was like to leave her corporate job and start a business. She told us how that switch helped her to understand her sexuality as a queer woman. We also got some really easy tips for how we can all take better care of our skin and she gave us...

In this episode of Queen City Unleashed we get to sit down with local stand up comedian Jordan Centry! Jordan tells us how he first got into stand up, some of his comedic inspirations, his worst fails and why he runs… it is not why you would think. Seyi also tells a joke that he has been working on for a long time to get Jordan’s approval. This episode is guaranteed to make you laugh so check it o...

In this episode of Queen City Unleashed we got the chance to talk with Pedro Oliveria, the founder of P3 Soccer Lab, and private soccer coach in Charlotte.  He told us all about his journey to America from Brazil, his passion for the game of soccer, and what it is like coaching and playing here in Charlotte. He has some incredible and funny stories of living in Iowa when he first moved here, and h...

If you have ever been curious about what the life of a content creator is like then this is the episode for you. Tomi Obebe, a content creator based out of Charlotte, shares with us how she got into the field, her passion for books and her love of pop culture. She also does not hold back from sharing her hot takes! Tomi is also a personal friend, so the episode is full of the jokes and jabs that g...

In this episode of Queen City Unleashed we interview Shawn Cosner who is an event planner, the founder and CEO of 3rd Rock Events, and a wine connoisseur.  We got to share a glass of wine and talk about how he started his company, some of the incredible events he puts on in the City, and some Charlotte history. Check out this episode to hear more! Website: qcunleashed.com Linktree: https://linktr....