Feature Friday: Leroy Fox South End

It’s our favorite day of the week, #FeatureFriday! This week we had the pleasure of chatting with Alesandra at Leroy Fox South End. Located on the corner of Camden Road in the building next to Price’s Chicken Coop, Leroy Fox is South End’s neighborhood go to for enjoying delicious fried chicken in a classic Carolina atmosphere.

When talking to Alessandra about what made Leroy Fox choose South End for their second location she said, “We love the history that stands behind South End along with the growth it’s taken on. When we were given the opportunity to create a beautiful restaurant in an already well-known and historic neighborhood, we couldn’t wait. We love the close-knit community, the inspiration you see and hear of on every street, and the exciting events that are always taking place. Those that are in this community are ecstatic to be here.” It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to host your next party, grabbing some food and enjoying the game with some friends, or enjoying an intimate dinner, Leroy Fox is the perfect experience. Full of excellent service, delicious food, and tons local art and flat screen televisions lining the walls you can’t help but feel at home when you’re here.

Photo from Leroy Fox Facebook

Alessandra explained that their “food and drink programs take lots of thought and many many rounds of practice and cooking in test kitchens to get it just right-just how we would want to see it/order it/experience it.” The amount of time and effort they put into their entrees doesn’t go unnoticed. Their menu is loaded southern classics such as perfectly fried chicken and shrimp and grits. You can’t forget the pretzels either! If you haven’t been, we highly recommend starting off your first visit with the pretzels served with honey mustard and queso.

Photo from Leroy Fox Facebook

Next time you’re looking for a delicious southern meal in the perfect environment, head on over to see our friends at Leroy Fox (and really, don’t forget the pretzels)!

Get 'Em While They're Hot: The Theory Behind the Hot Desk

The last few weeks we’ve gone over why coworking works and the different levels of memberships offered at The Mill. This week, we’re excited to introduce our NEWEST and final level of membership, Hot Desks!

The Mill Coworking will now have 2 Hot Desks available for members. A Hot Desk in simple terms is a Flex Membership with a slight upgrade. When you become a Hot Desk member you are granted the same access as a Flex Member but with the option to book out one of the two Hot Desks available 10 days a month. Reservations must be placed 24 hours in advance and will be a first come, first serve basis. Desks will be equipped with monitors so that you can plug in and get straight to work! Each desk is also equipped with 2 USB and power ports. No worries, if you forgot to book a desk but still have some work to get done, you will have full access to our cafe style seating and conference rooms as well!

So, who does this work for? Anyone really but if we’re talking specifics, The Mill created Hot Desks with our travelers, photographers, free lance writers, and creative workers in mind. We get that you might not need to be behind a desk Monday-Friday 9am-5pm to be successful at what you do! We also get that everyone has a few days a month where they just need to sit down, focus, and get it done. Our goal was to create a membership for these people that still allowed the flexibility while providing them with a pristine set up to focus when needed.

Hot Desk members will receive the same amenities our other members enjoy as well! That’s right, a desk when you need it, free coffee, printing, and WiFi daily, member events, and a network of people to cheer you on all wrapped up and waiting for you. All you have to do is take the leap. So what are you waiting for? Schedule your Free Trial today and see what you’ve been missing!  

Feature Friday Holiday Edition: Our Favorite Way to Give Back- Friendship Trays

Happy Feature Friday everyone! It’s almost time for Christmas and we’re keeping the holiday spirit high and focusing on our favorite way to give back this year. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of your everyday life and forget that there are people out there who can only dream of living a life you live. That’s why this year we held our first ever Donuts and Donations to gather donations for one of our favorite local non-profit, Friendship Trays.

Photo from Friendship Trays Facebook

Friendship Trays is a local, non-profit organization that provides meals for the elderly and infirm of Charlotte. Founded in the Elizabeth neighborhood in 1976 by members of St. Martin Episcopal Church, Friendship Trays has grown from serving 5 elderly neighbors that had become homebound to serving 750 people throughout Charlotte Mecklenburg each weekday! Delivering nutritious meals isn’t all Friendship Trays has to offer. By delivering these meals, they deliver human interaction to those who may be feeling isolated and alone while delivering peace of mind to the families of the recipient. As Friendship Trays has grown, they’ve added two additional programs to their organization, Friendship Gardens and The Bulb.

Friendship Gardens is also based in Charlotte and is a growing network of “community, school, faith-based, institutional, and backyard gardens as well as an urban farm.” Most of their garden partnerships actually share their harvest for the benefit of Friendship Trays. The Bulb’s mission is “to provide mostly local produce as well as education on health and wellness to vulnerable neighborhoods, namely ‘food deserts.’” To find out more on Friendship Tray’s partners, visit their websites at http://friendship-gardens.org or https://www.thebulbgallery.org.

Photo from Friendship Trays Facebook

We had the pleasure of speaking with Lani at Friendship Trays about what inspires them. Her response,“knowing that we are part of a local food system focused on helping people throughout the community gain access to healthy food”. Lani also shared with us that Friendship Trays volunteer needs are infinite. They need 120+ volunteers each weekday to help them prepare and deliver meals. They even offer volunteer opportunities that can be accomplished during a lunch hour- “Feed five hungry people in the time it takes to feed yourself.” Needless to say, Friendship Trays is hungry for our help! If you’re looking for ways to get involved, head to their website for more information at frienshiptrays.org.

Photo from Friendship Trays Facebook

Perks of a Dedicated Desk

We all know too well that when you work from home there tends to be no “off-switch”. With a dedicated desk, you’ll find a new appreciation for off-hours and can leave all your work behind at the end of the day!

Having a dedicated desk is one of the quickest ways to change your work life balance. Not to mention, no more lugging around all your belongings to and from different locations every day. Your desk is solely yours which makes it a safe place to leave all your belongings. You’re able to set your desk up however you see fit and leave it that way.

Our Dedicated Desk memberships are great for small teams as well! Each team member can enjoy the perks of having their own desk and team meetings can be held in the Conference Room or the Breakout Room. This allows you to still have a professional team environment to come to each day without having to foot the bill of office space, furniture, utilities, etc. Your team will also have access to all member networking events held at The Mill which can promote team bonding while also expanding your network!

With a Dedicated Desk membership, you have full access to The Mill Coworking meeting rooms, phone rooms, common areas, and member networking events. The biggest difference between a Flex membership and a Dedicated Desk is that with a desk you have a space that is all your own. Our large, premium desks provide ample space to create the perfect setup for max productivity. Each desk is equipped with a power plug that has 2 usb ports and 2 outlets. We also offer upgrades that allow you to add a monitor to your desk, wireless mouse and keyboard, or storage units!

Join us for a Free Trial at The Mill Coworking and find out just how much having a space dedicated solely to work can change the way you operate!

Feature Friday Holiday Edition: Favorite Shop for Gift Shopping--Magnolia Emporium

Happy Feature Friday, friends! We’re a week away from Christmas and something tells us there’s a frenzy of people still out there searching for the perfect gift. No worries, we’ve got you covered. This week for our Holiday Edition of Feature Friday, we’re talking our favorite spot to knock out your gifts--Magnolia Emporium!

Photo provided by Magnolia Emporium

Magnolia Emporium is located in The Gold District of South End and offers a curated collection of home decor, gifts, fine art, men’s and women’s accessories and more! The best part about gift buying from Magnolia Emporium is how unique each piece you find is. If you’re looking to WOW this year, we highly suggest making this your first stop on your gift buying list. You won’t have to search hard when you stop by, their eye catching mural and flower filled alley way will catch your eye right away. Warning, you may be inside for hours making your way through all the different offerings. This week, we had the pleasure of chatting with Randolph and asked all our favorite questions. The first one being what inspires you? Randolph responded with, “we find inspiration in the flowers that grow outside our shop to the stories our customers tell us. Our shop is as organic as our design installs. We allow it to grow and change as it needs to.”

Photo provided by Magnolia Emporium

When talking about why The Gold District in South End, Randolph said, “We chose The Gold District of South End because of its rich history and our ability to #DigIn and mine our own fortune. We love being a part of The Gold District because of the strong community support from our neighbors and the rich, diverse history and culture. We are proud to be a part of this community. It is important for us to support other local business owners and to make sure that our neighborhood is a shining jewel in the Queen’s crown.” We couldn’t agree more, Randolph. The community in South End is unmatched! If you’ve been following along, you might have noticed this is a common answer from all our favorite neighbors. Supporting local business is not just our mantra but the whole neighborhood!

Photo provided by Magnolia Emporium

So there you have it, no more fretting over gifts! Just swing by and say hi to our friends at Magnolia Emporium and let them help you out. We promise you won’t leave empty-handed!

Flex Membership: What is it and Who is it for?

It’s hard not to notice that coworking is becoming more and more of a trend in big cities. You may find yourself wondering what the hype is all about and we figured we’d help by breaking it down for you!

Coworking by definition is “the use of an office or other working environment by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge. ‘the whole idea of coworking is to bring bright, creative people together and let the ideas collide’”.

So what does that mean in reality? If you work from home, you know the struggle of maintaining full focus. There’s constantly something that needs to be done around the house that you’ve got in the back of your mind or maybe you’ve got a furry friend that you can’t help but want to hang out with. On top of that, it can be rather lonely working for yourself. That’s where coworking comes into play.

We’ll start with what we call a Flex Membership. Maybe you’re a photographer who just needs a creative space to knock out some edits and client meetings? Or maybe you’re a small business owner who needs somewhere to come in and do day to day tasks without the distraction of your store front? You could even be a Social Media Manager or Blogger and just need a space to crank out this month’s posting schedule. This is the perfect way for you to dip your feet into coworking and see if it’s what you’ve been lacking.

With a flex membership you have full access to The Mill’s meeting rooms, phone rooms, and common areas. Membership fees include free WiFi, Conference Room time, Enderly Coffee Co. brewed fresh daily, snacks, and member networking events. All of these things provide you the perfect space to grow your business. You get to enjoy having a space to hold client meetings and get your work done without having to foot the bill for the office space, utilities, etc.

Not only does this provide you with a more structured environment to run your business, it expands your network! Being a boutique coworking space means that we are much smaller in size which ultimately leads to a tight knit community of passionate workers looking to all achieve the same goal. Our member events, like Breakfast Breakdown, provide the perfect chance for you to hear what other business owners may be struggling with and also get their advice on experiences they might have had that you’re experiencing now (or possibly just the chance to make some really great friends).

Join us for a Free Trial day here at The Mill Coworking and see what you’ve been missing!

Member Spotlight: Amanda Tomlinson, Owner of Zest Marketplace

Everyone say “hello” to Amanda Tomlinson! Amanda is a Flex Member here at The Mill Coworking and the Owner of Zest Marketplace.

Zest Marketplace is a new fashion format that blends the concepts behind a traditional consignment store and Rent the Runway. Instead of making one commission selling an accessory at a consignment store, investors can earn multiple commissions renting their accessories over a finite or indefinite amount of time. They are building a closet full of fabulous fashion accessories that borrowers have access to on a short-term, guilt-free basis - for game day to wedding day and every occasion in between!

Be sure to check out Zest Marketplace and follow their journey as they continue to grow!

Feature Friday Holiday Edition: Best Spot to Host a Holiday Party- The Suffolk Punch

Happy Friday everyone! The Holiday Season is here and we’re getting in the spirit at The Mill Coworking by doing a month long Holiday Edition of Feature Friday’s for you. Each Friday, we’ll be diving into our favorite spots around South End for all your holiday needs.

For the first week, we’re kicking it off strong with our favorite spot to host your holiday party! With a million different options around South End, it can be overwhelming to find a great spot to get together with all your friends and celebrate. Insert The Suffolk Punch and that scenario just got a whole lot easier!

Photo by The Suffolk Punch Instagram: @suffolkpunchclt

The Suffolk Punch is a culinary cafe, coffee bar, taphouse and brewery all packed into one incredible location. This makes the perfect spot for a holiday party due to the fact that they have such a variety in their offerings. From small, intimate dinners in their brewhouse to large (300+ person) affairs, they’ve got options for every type of event!

Photo by The Suffolk Punch Instagram: @suffolkpunchclt

We had the pleasure of chatting with Seth from Suffolk about what inspires them, why they chose South End, and more! When asked what inspires them, Seth said “Our inspiration comes from our passion to craft food and drink that challenge expectations.  We’re constantly tinkering - working to improve and create delicious offerings. Nothing fuels us more than to exceed the expectations of our patrons!” Their menu is loaded down with delicious meals and creative drinks! Spoiler alert: It’s all AMAZING. When speaking to why they chose South End, Seth responded, “We love the people, businesses, and the energy of the neighborhood. The light rail has really breathed new life into the area and created a space where people love to work, exercise, and play.”

Photo by The Suffolk Punch Instagram: @suffolkpunchclt

If you’re looking for where to host your holiday event this year, we highly recommend giving these guys a call! Check them out for New Years too for their New Year's Punchin’ Eve. If you’re interested in hosting an event, feel free to start the conversation here (https://thesuffolkpunch.com/connect/#private-events) or email them at events@thesuffolkpunch.com.

Stay tuned for next week when we dive into the best place to knock out all your gifts!