Clarence and Kia Lyons, owners of the NoDa Popbar location, are expanding their footprint in Charlotte at Camp North End’s Bunkhouse building
ATCO Properties & Management, developer of Camp North End, announced today that it has signed a retail lease with frozen dessert retailer Popbar at The Bunkhouse in Camp North End’s Mount district.
Popbar’s new agreement comes amid a flurry of retail leasing activity by food & beverage tenants at the site, as it follows announcements of specialty cocktail company Black Moth Bars’ new Airstream in the Boileryard and Raydal Hospitality’s new food stall concept La Caseta on Keswick Avenue, the street that cuts through the Gama Goat Building.
With the new Popbar location, local Popbar franchisees Clarence and Kia Lyons – owners of Popbar’s NoDa shop – are expanding their footprint in Charlotte at the site. Overall, it will become Camp North End’s 11th food and beverage tenant.
Dedicated to serving the best in frozen treats, Popbar serves handcrafted gelato, sorbet and frozen yogurt on a stick. The menu includes 13 of the most popular pre-dipped and topped pops, frozen lemonade, and a few items exclusive to this location.
The new shop, which is expected to open in mid-to-late June 2020, will serve customers through a walk-up window, allowing ample room for visitors to maintain social distancing guidelines outside. Adjacent outdoor seating agreements have been reduced and spaced in accordance with North Carolina’s phased re-opening requirements. Popbar will also have a cart on wheels that will move throughout the site.
Popbar Camp North End is seeking to partner with various local nonprofits in the Charlotte community. A portion of the sales from the cart will be given to each non-profit that hosts an activation. Interested non-profits should send an email to charlotte@pop-bar.com to learn more.
“We are so excited to be bringing this delicious frozen treat concept to Camp North End,” says local Popbar franchisee Kia Lyons. “The uniqueness of the property and its commitment to the Charlotte community aligns perfectly with our values of quality, service and authenticity. We are so thrilled to be joining the exciting retail lineup at the site and look forward to opening our shop in time for the summer season.”
Tommy Mann, development director at Camp North End, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Popbar to our growing Camp North End family of businesses committed to quality and customer experience. This shop is another great example of how Camp North End’s ample outdoor space strategically supports open-air dining and walk-up ordering, which is critical to the successful return of small businesses after COVID-19.”
In addition to Popbar, other notable culinary tenants include James Beard award semifinalist chef Greg Collier’s new restaurant concept, Leah & Louise, James Beard award nominee chef Samantha Allen’s gourmet bakery Wentworth and Fenn, taproom Free Range Brewing, loose-leaf tea bar Birch Fine Tea, healthy food purveyor Chop & Chisel, Noda Company Canteen, coffee bar Hex Coffee Roasters, specialty cocktail company Black Moth Bars, and food stalls La Caseta, Bleu Barn Bistro and Bow Ramen (opening in June 2020).
Camp North End is also leading the way in terms of healthy building design. In January 2020, the development was one of four trailblazing developments in North America to receive the first Fitwel Community Certification from the Center for Active Design (CfAD), a national building standard that focuses on optimizing holistic health benefits in neighborhood-scale projects.
https://camp.nc/ or follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linked In at @campnorthend.
About ATCO
ATCO is a real estate investment and ownership platform deploying capital in select cities across the United States, with a particular emphasis on creating value through placemaking and other strategies in urban locations. ATCO seeks to improve people’s lives by creating places where they genuinely want to work, play, or live, and by doing our work with a long-term perspective.
Through eight decades and four generations, ATCO has owned, managed, and developed a diverse real estate portfolio, primarily in and around New York City and also in select markets we target. ATCO presently owns and manages more than 25 buildings ranging from high-rise office and residential towers to retail properties, from one-story industrial structures to a mixed-use former military base. The portfolio of New York City properties includes: 555 Fifth Avenue, 40 Central Park South, 41 West 58th Street, 630 Third Avenue, 381 and 373 Park Avenue South, 515 Madison Avenue and the Atlas Terminals. Nationally, the company owns properties in Charlotte and Chapel Hill, NC; Austin, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Darien, Stamford and Westport, Connecticut. Internationally, ATCO has investments in seven European countries.
About Popbar
Popbar specializes in all-natural, handcrafted gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt on a stick. With 50+ indulgent, but guilt-free flavors and 15+ premium toppings, there's a pop to satisfy every sweet tooth. Other treats include gelatoShakes, wafflePops, and Hot Chocolate on a Stick.
Founded in 2010 in NYC, Popbar has since expanded via franchising to 20+ shops around the US in California, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas. Popbar has also opened its doors internationally in Canada, Portugal, and Singapore.
Visit www.pop-bar.com or @popbar for more information. To follow along locally visit Popbar Charlotte on Facebook and TikTok or @popbarclt on Instagram.
