The bank filed a land development construction plan for a bank branch at 2900 Wilkinson Blvd., a filing with the city of Charlotte this month shows. Bar-B-Q King, which was featured on Season 1 on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” with Guy Fieri in 2007, closed after 66 years on Nov. 1.
FNB officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In November, First National Bank, the largest subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based FNB Corp., purchased nearly 1.8 acres, which included the restaurant site, for $3.7 million, Mecklenburg County property records show. It had been for sale since 2023.
The property has road frontage on Wilkinson Boulevard and Weyland Avenue.
Last October, The Charlotte Observer reported that the bank was exploring expanding to the site after submitting a meeting request with the city of Charlotte. The plan also included a future drive-thru restaurant.
The bank’s property is about 3.5 miles from Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Wilkinson Boulevard and about 2.5 miles from Bank of America Stadium in uptown.
FNB has fled a construction plan with the city of Charlotte for the site of former Bar-B-Q King on Wilkinson Boulevard in west Charlotte. The iconic restaurant closed Nov. 1. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
More about First National Bank
In September, F.N.B. announced expansion plans for nearly 30 branches over the next five years in North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. On Oct. 30, FNB opened its East Town Market Office at 5820 East W.T. Harris Blvd.
The bank has more than a dozen branches in the Charlotte region, a small player in a banking market dominated by three players: Bank of America, Truist and Wells Fargo.
In 2021, Dominion Realty Partners and New York Life Real Estate Investors opened FNB Tower at 401 S. Graham St.
The bank’s regional headquarters occupies 40,000 square feet in the 29-story, 420,000-square-foot tower. The building also includes 156,000 square feet of office space with ground-floor retail and 196 apartments.
FNB has total assets of nearly $50 billion and about 350 branches in seven states, including 100 branches in the Carolinas. F.N.B. has about 4,200 employees companywide.
Other banks serve up branches at former Charlotte restaurants
Another out-of-state bank recently opened in an old restaurant site.
Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bank demolished the T.G.I. Fridays restaurant at 12811 S. Tryon St. that closed in 2024, to build a new branch. The 1.2-acre Steele Creek property is an outparcel of RiverGate shopping center. The bank opened Thursday, Jan. 22.
Other restaurants that have been turned into bank branch locations include Chase Bank at the former longtime Harper’s Restaurant, which closed in July 2024, on Fairview Road in South Park. The bank also plans to open in the former Burger King at 2901 South Blvd. in South End.
US Bank opened in August at 1801 South Blvd. in South End at the former Fuel Pizza site.
Catherine Muccigrosso is the retail business reporter for The Charlotte Observer. An award-winning journalist, she has worked for multiple newspapers and McClatchy for more than a decade.
What goes up must eventually come down, and that certainly proved true in Charlotte’s white hot restaurant scene in 2025. As more than 200 new food and drink spots opened or announced plans to do so, more than 60 others closed up shop.
With increasing attention on Michelin-recognized restaurants, James Beard Award semifinalists and other flashy spots built with Instagram-worthy beauty in mind, not every restaurant can survive. Not to mention persistent economic pressures from rising food, rent and labor costs that have weighed on restaurateurs.
We were lucky to have one fan-favorite restaurant that still tugs on our heartstrings reopen after closing earlier this year. Fenwick’s, a Myers Park staple since 1984, shut its doors in March after owner Don Rabb retired at 84. But over the summer, the doors popped open once again. Now, new owner Tommi Harris is carrying on the legacy that Rabb had built with his wife, Catherine — with the same familiar faces, sandwiches and salads. (That signature tomato bisque has stayed, too.)
Fenwick’s steak sandwich comes with lettuce, tomato and onion, plus a side of horseradish sauce for slathering on as much as you’d like. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive
Many others didn’t make that kind of a comeback, however. Amid the many other restaurant closures in the Charlotte area this year, here are some of the places we’ll miss the most.
After more than 60 years of serving burgers, fried chicken and fish, Bar-B-Q King shut down operations on Nov. 1. The old school spot drew in plenty of folks who had been eating there for decades, filling the drive-in stalls and gathering outside for a chat while they waited for their sandwiches and fries.
In its final days, crowds lined up over and over to indulge in the nostalgia of it all before the property was snapped up by First National Bank, which is considering placing a bank branch there. What may have been cheered as modernization by some certainly became a pain point for many others.
Cars fill the drive-in stalls at Bar-B-Q King on Wednesday, Oct. 22 ahead of the restaurant’s Nov. 1 closure. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
The Bottle Tree, which wowed patrons with an expansive patio pretty enough to take top honors in the CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice Best Patio contest, closed in February and took its Duck Fat Apple Pie along with it.
In March, the same owners gave the property another shot as upscale dining spot Kaya Gastrolounge, but the rebranding change wasn’t enough to make things work. Despite offering an array of items from burgers to bone marrow, Kaya Gastrolounge closed in August. And our dreams of warm nights lounging on that welcoming patio died right along with it.
The extensive patio at Bottle Tree in Belmont stole our hearts before the restaurant closed to become Kaya Gastrolounge. That restaurant closed, too. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
JJ’s Red Hots, which appeared on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and at one point had grown to three Charlotte locations, closed its last one permanently in March. For more than a decade, the beloved restaurant served up hot dogs doused in creative sauces and toppings, building a base of superfans.
Now, those regulars can only grab one of the sauerkraut-laden or chili-bathed concoctions through catering from JJ’s food cart, Frank the Tank. Meanwhile, we’re hanging onto the memories of better times, such as the 2016 occasion when JJ’s teamed up with CharlotteFive to create carnivore and herbivore dogs we’d love to taste once again.
A line forms inside at JJ’s Red Hots on East Boulevard in Charlotte on March 12, ahead of its March 16 closure. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
Somewhat hidden inside of Japanese noodle shop Menya Daruma was Kappo En, an eight-seat omakase restaurant that closed in early August. (Menya Daruma remains open, though, serving ramen with house-made noodles, katsu sandos and Japanese snacks.)
Despite putting out food elevated enough to garner a few Michelin whispers, Kappo En couldn’t press onward. The departure of a key chef along with the difficulty of importing seasonal ingredients from Japan and operating costs proved to be too much to overcome. Perhaps, someday, we’ll see its return.
Kappo En closed after dinner service Saturday, Aug. 2 Alex Cason CharlotteFive
Gen Xers were not the only ones drowned in sorrow over the loss in March of Lebowski’s Neighborhood Grill, an ode in restaurant form to “The Big Lebowski.” New owners had given the spot a bit of a fresh look in 2022, but the seven varieties of White Russians on the drink menu remained in tribute to the movie’s main character, “The Dude.”
Although the first Charlotte location Ladybird Taco was slated to move into the space and soothe our nerves with house-made tortillas after Lebowsky’s closed without warning, that has not yet happened.
A “The Big Lebowski” poster at Lebowski’s Neighborhood Grill. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
Perhaps no one in Charlotte will miss Mattie’s Diner quite as much as CharlotteFive’s Melissa Oyler, who holds memories of the restaurant’s blueberry flapjacks close to her heart. The Plaza Shamrock spot that was originally located in NC Music Factory (now AvidXChange Music Factory) closed in early August. She’s currently working through her grief via red velvet waffles from Matt King’s other venture, The Wafflery, which recently announced an expansion.
And we can all hold out hope that someone will step in to purchase the restaurant, which was put up for sale. “It’s been a great run and we are looking for someone who wants to carry on the tradition of Mattie’s or you can create your own concept In this awesome 1948 original New Jersey diner,” an Instagram post said.
Matt King, owner of Mattie’s Diner, pours syrup over a stack of blueberry pancakes. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
The People’s Market, which suffered from financial strains and staffing issues in the weeks leading up to its abrupt closure in November, had just opened a second location in June. A third location was expected in LoSo but never materialized.
The loss of the popular all-day cafe and market with breakfast sandwiches, pizza and cocktails was so great that it quickly sparked a community movement. CLT Black Owned raised more than $26,000 to try to keep the doors open at The People’s Market — but the effort was unsuccessful. In the end, about $9,500 of what was raised went toward the restaurant’s employees, and the rest was slated for other restaurants in need, the group said.
Cory Duran, owner of The People’s Market. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive
Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits. Support my work with a digital subscription
Inside Bar-B-Q King, the restaurant was packed as customers waited patiently in a long line to order at the counter on Wednesday, Oct. 29. A staff member at the register bags an order as the queue stretches back through the building, filled with patrons eager to say a final goodbye to the eatery, which will close on Nov. 1.
Alex Cason
CharlotteFive
A week ago, Bar-B-Q King’s announcement that it would close was still fresh, so it was no surprise when CharlotteFive reported long lines of people showing up for one last meal at the classic restaurant.
In fact, owner Gus Karapanos was “too busy to stop for a chat as the masses lined up Wednesday,” Oct. 22, wrote C5’s Heidi Finley.
A week later, the lunchtime crowds are still pouring in for one last taste before Bar-B-Q King closes on Nov. 1.
The location will become a bank, Catherine Muccigrosso previously reported.
The iconic “Bar-B-Q KING” sign, reading “FOOD SERVICE,” stands watch over a full parking lot on Wednesday, Oct. 29. On a rainy afternoon, the drive-in stalls were filled with customers paying a final visit to the Charlotte institution before it closes permanently on Nov. 1. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
A long line of cars snakes through the Bar-B-Q King drive-in on a damp, overcast Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. Fans of the iconic Charlotte restaurant, which is closing its doors for good on Nov. 1, have been turning out in droves to get a final taste. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
A view down the central walkway of the Bar-B-Q King drive-in shows cars packed into the angled parking stalls on both sides on Wednesday, Oct. 29. For decades, carhops served customers directly at their vehicles in this spot, a memory many patrons came to relive one last time. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
A week after Bar-B-Q King announced it would close on Nov. 1, customers continued to pile in for one last meal on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
A week after Bar-B-Q King announced it would close on Nov. 1, customers continued to pile in for one last meal on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
Melissa Oyler is the editor of CharlotteFive. When she’s not writing or editing, you’ll find her running, practicing hot yoga or snuggling with her rescue dogs, X and Charlie. Find her on Instagram or X: @melissaoyler. Support my work with a digital subscription
First National Bank, the largest subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based F.N.B. Corp., submitted a meeting request with city of Charlotte for a bank branch project at 2900 Wilkinson Blvd. The plan also includes a future drive-thru restaurant.
The 64-year-old Bar-B-Q King was included in a $4.2 million property sale listing in 2023 by Coldwell Banker, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
Bar-B-Q King is about 3.5 miles from Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Wilkinson Boulevard and about 2.5 miles to Bank of America Stadium in uptown. The restaurant, which saw a surge in business during the pandemic shutdowns, was featured on Season 1 in 2007 on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” with Guy Fieri.
The restaurant’s corner lot is one of four parcels that were listed for sale by Coldwell Banker real estate specialist Vasili Kakavitsas. The other lots are mostly wooded. The combined acreage is 1.76 acres with road frontage on Wilkinson Boulevard and Weyland Avenue.
The carhop restaurant’s lease agreement was good for three years, with an option for a five-year renewal, Kakavitsas told the Observer in 2023.
Last month, F.N.B. announced expansion plans for nearly 30 new branches over the next five years in North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
In 2021, Dominion Realty Partners and New York Life Real Estate Investors opened FNB Tower at 401 S. Graham St. The bank’s regional headquarters occupies 40,000 square feet in the 29-story, 420,000-square-foot skyscraper. The tower also includes 156,000 square feet of office space with ground-floor retail and 196 apartments.
F.N.B. has total assets of nearly $50 billion and about 350 branches in seven states, including 100 branches in the Carolinas. F.N.B. has about 4,200 employees companywide.
It’s also not the first time a bank recently snagged a restaurant site as part of expansion plans in the Charlotte market. Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bank demolished the T.G.I. Fridays restaurant at 12811 S. Tryon St. for a new branch. The 1.2-acre Steele Creek site property is an outparcel of RiverGate shopping center. The bank is expected to open by the end of this year.
More development on Wilkinson Boulevard
The real estate listing for Bar-B-Q King’s site touted Wilkinson Boulevard as “booming with new development.”
New development has been spreading west from uptown on Wilkinson Boulevard, including new apartments and townhomes.
In August, Alliance Residential Co. opened Broadstone West End, a five-story, 332-unit apartment at 2220 Wilkinson Blvd.
Bowery West with 46 townhomes and 167 apartments also recently opened at 2401 Wilkinson Blvd., a partnership of Catalyst Capital Partners, Beauxwright and Mission Properties.
Next door to Bar-B-Q King, a 7-Eleven recently opened in the former Shell site.
Across the street from Bar-B-Q King, Dunkin Donuts opened in 2023. Within the last nine years, an ABC store and QuikTrip convenience store and gas station.
Catherine Muccigrosso is the retail business reporter for The Charlotte Observer. An award-winning journalist, she has worked for multiple newspapers and McClatchy for more than a decade.
