Queen City Unleashed

We are coming up on our 50th episode and are excited to have Marques Johnson (MJ), of Two Scoops Creamery, as our guest for episode 49! Two Scoops is the biggest local ice cream chain in Charlotte and they are known for their rotating creative ice cream flavors. MJ started Two Scoops with two of his best friends and in 10 years it has taken them on a journey that none of them would have expected. ...

Yoooo!!! We are so excited to have Cory Wilkins as our next guest on the podcast. It’s been a long time coming and this episode did not disappoint.  Cory has become a trusted voice in our city with his platform Tha Daily Special, especially when it comes to food. He has helped so many small businesses in Charlotte and is known to have fun with an occasional April fools joke 😂 Cory is so authentic...

To wrap up our Beyond The Plate series, we traveled across state lines to Wild Hope Farms to interview Farmer Peanut! Wild Hope Farms distributes fresh produce all over North and South Carolina, and you have probably eaten something from their farm in one of the many restaurants they serve in Charlotte.  This episode is really cool for us because we have been a part of the CSA (Community Supported...

Up next on our Beyond The Plate series, we have Lisa Mathews who is the Executive Director of The Bulb.  The Bulb is a nonprofit, mobile farmers market, that distributes produce to underserved communities in and around our city! Lisa started off as a volunteer, sorting produce and helping at markets, and now she leads the organization. The work they do is transformational for so many in our city....

We are kicking off our Beyond The Plate series with Chef Chayil Johnson! He is the Executive Chef at Community Matters Cafe and a rising star in the Charlotte culinary scene. Chayil has been working on his craft since he was 12 years old, so it is no wonder he is getting the recognition he has been receiving. The most impressive part about him though is his heart for people and the work he is a pa...

Our guest this week is realtor Andy Griesinger. He is a fellow Virginia Tech Hokie and was recently recognized as one of the Top 10 Realtors in Charlotte! Andy never had a plan to get into residential real estate, but less than 10 years in you can tell that he loves it! He is so passionate about his customers and sees himself as a friend, there to walk through all the steps with you. He has such a...

We have one of the OGs in the Charlotte creative scene, we have THE Davita Galloway, owner of Dupp & Swat!! Davita is a multi-hyphenate artist, community builder, and one of the most authentic guests we have ever had. Her story is special and we are honored she shared it with us. So many artists and creators in Charlotte stand on her shoulders and the work she has put in over the years! This e...

You may not know his name, but you definitely know his work because he is behind so many of the really amazing murals we have in our city! Up next on QC Unleashed we have artist Matt Moore.  Matt loves to create and he takes pride in the messages he can tie into his art! This episode was full of energy because Matt carries such an infectious attitude of positivity and appreciation. We are so glad...

Addisyn Merrick is a professional soccer player for the Carolina Ascent and she joined us to share her incredible journey and career! We learned that Addie isn’t just a baller on the field, but apparently can throw down as a baker as well. Her journey to where she is now will make you happy and proud of her for how she fights and stays positive. She understands her position as woman of color in sp...

If you like coffee or coffee shops, then we have a Charlotte Coffee MVP! James Yoder is the Co-Owner of Not Just Coffee and Night Swim Coffee.  James loves coffee and he also loves people, and that is so evident when you hear him talk about the business and see the different ways his coffee shops create connections. This episode gave us one of our all time favorite moments because we realized that...

As we wrap up our Voices of NoDa series, we are happy to introduce Jake Pfeifer, the owner and head artist of glass blowing studio, Hot Glass Alley.  Jake has been blowing glass since he was 15 and he is well known in the glass blowing community for his technique, precision, and consistency. The pieces he is able to create out of glass are mindblowing and incredible! He chose Charlotte as the city...

Up next on our Voice of NoDa series, we have Food and Beverage power couple Jamie Brown and Jeff Tonidandel!! They are the owners of the Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group that includes Michelin Guide restaurants Ever Andalo, Habberdish, and Supperland.  We learned so much about their journey and their passion for what they do. They are so intentional with every concept they develop and you won’t f...

In our first episode to kick off 2026, and our Voices of NoDa series, we have legendary bartender Bob Peters! Bob is a pioneer in the Charlotte cocktail scene and the Beverage Director at Soul Gastrolounge.  Bob shared with us so much history about Charlotte and cocktails. He has a deep respect for the classics, but he is known to add his own spin on things. We even got to step behind the bar and...

In our last episode of the year we have JD Harris, the owner of the very popular Charlotte apparel brand, Glory Days!! This episode was the perfect way to end the year as we talked about him crashing a wedding, working with his creative hero, and building a brand that is recognized all over Charlotte. JD represents so many things we should all carry with us into the new year. He is passionate abou...

Our episode with Valentina was so fun and full of energy as we learned more about her journey as a Pastry Chef and her business La Bonbonniere. She has some of the best cookies and desserts in the city and is known to sell out quickly at markets around the city.  Valentina thought that she was walking away from baking completely when she moved to Charlotte from Venezuela, but a new baby and suppor...

This episode was a really special one because we got to chat about one of our favorite topics with Matt Simpkins and Tom Bogan of Oaklore… Bourbon!! We also got to enjoy some while shooting and that is a first we will always remember.  Before they were owners of a distillery making bourbon, they were two dads, walking their kids to the bus stop every day who realized they both loved bourbon. From...

For the last episode of our Voices of Camp North End series, we had a fun conversation with Mike Salzarulo, the co-owner of Tipsy Pickle, in Camp North End. Mike is also the co-owner of Protagonist Beer and owner of Antagonist, a coffee shop and cocktail bar opening in 2026.   Mike shared his deep passion for hospitality with us, and you can see that passion when you go to one of his establishment...

On the second episode of our Voices of Camp North End series, we sat down with Michelle Fernandez inside her one of a kind airstream. Michelle is the owner of La Bodeguita, a craft cafe in Camp North End, and a mental health therapist.  Michelle has a captivating story that covers a unique childhood, early life obstacles, and incredible discovery. Art has been a consistent part of her life and as...

On the first episode of our Voices of Camp North End mini series, we got a chance to kick it with former professional soccer player turned urbanist, Tesho Akindele. Tesho is the development analyst for Camp North End and the perfect person to introduce our conversation about Came North End.  Tesho has constantly followed the fire in his heart and because of this he is already living his second dre...

On this episode of Queen City Unleashed we get to sit down with Monica Warren who is an amazing example of someone who has made Charlotte her home and found a way to turn her hobby into a business! She is the owner of Pretty Perfect Style and she creates beautiful jewelry that could stand alone as art pieces.  Monica shares her story of how she got to Charlotte and the boredom that led to her taki...

It would be hard for anyone to find a bigger cheerleader of Charlotte than Clayton Sealey, and that is who we had the chance to talk to on this episode. Clayton is from Charlotte, left for some years while still keeping an eye on his city, and now is back making a difference in so many ways.  Clayton is a voice for city government, urban development, walkable cities, the arts and is known to have...

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...