Grand Opening of Pizza Fusion in Charlotte this Saturday; Win Free Pizza for a Year or for Life

There have been so many new openings lately in Charlotte's dining and nightlife that it's almost hard to keep up. But who doesn't like a big grand opening event, right? Pizza Fusion is holding its grand opening this Saturday, November 3 and they're giving away a bunch of cool stuff.

Based in Boca Raton, Florida, Pizza Fusion has opened its first North Carolina location at the Metropolitan here in Charlotte, at 1055 Metropolitan Avenue, suite 140, pizzafusion.com/charlotte. The franchise touts itself as "an organic, socially responsible pizza restaurant," and it is a welcomed addition to Charlotte's rapidly expanding restaurant scene (several restaurants have opened at the Metropolitan this year alone).  

Pizza Fusion's new location at the Metropolitan. Credit: facebook.com/PizzaFusionCharlotte

Saturday's grand opening event, taking place 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., features some of the biggest giveaways I've seen. Pizza Fusion Charlotte will host a drawing to randomly select 50 guests from those in attendance at its grand opening and 10 Facebook entrants (click on the Free Pizza tab) to win free pizza for a year. Plus, one lucky guest in attendance will be selected at random to receive free pizza for life. Sign me up!

The event will also feature free pizza and drinks, including organic beer and wine, and entertainment for kids and adults. Drex and Maney, hosts of the morning show on KISS 95.1 FM, will broadcast live, playing the latest top-40 hits while giving away free concert tickets and other prizes. Guests will also receive free Pizza Fusion T-shirts, souvenir BPA-free eco-cups, eco-wristbands, stickers, and other prizes from local businesses. The grand opening will also feature a charity raffle for two bicycles, courtesy of Queen City Bicycles, with all proceeds from the raffle going to Camp CARE (Cancer Ain't Really the End), which provides a camp and other year-round activities for children affected by cancer and their families in the Charlotte area.

Pizza Fusion serves an organic and all-natural menu of pizza, sandwiches, salads, and desserts, as well as local craft beer and sustainable wine selections. The restaurant also serves an assortment of vegan and gluten-free menu items. Its ownership says Pizza Fusion is the number one green franchise in North America. Founded in 2006, there are now locations in Florida, Colorado, New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio, and, most recently, North Carolina. Coincidentally, all but one of these are swing states, but, thankfully, there doesn't seem to be any politics going on here. Just organic pizza and booze.

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Next Charlotte Restaurant Week—January 20-29, 2012

The semi-annual Queen's Feast: Charlotte Restaurant Week returns for its Winter 2012 edition, taking place Friday, January 20 through Sunday, January 29. The CRW website, www.charlotterestaurantweek.com, went live today with the updated info and there are a record 101 restaurants participating.

Charlotte Restaurant Week began in 2008 and since then has been held each January (winter) and July (summer). I remember the first time I blogged about it here on Grown People Talking was in the summer of 2009, in which was its third installment--it featured a then-record high 71 restaurants and also marked the first time it spanned 10 days. Clearly, CRW has grown—the last one featured 92 restaurants—and it's now solidified as a culinary tradition in the city.

It's the same deal you love: participating restaurants offering a prix fixe, three-course dinner for $30 per person (not including tax and gratuity). Many restaurants will throw in a fourth course or glass of wine for the deal.

Fern, Flavors from the Garden is one of a dozen first-time participants in restaurant week.

Restaurant owners love the promotion because it draws in diners during what is typically slow periods, and brings them a lot of first-time customers whom they hope will become regulars. And we, patrons, love it because it's a chance to enjoy a great meal and evening out at a reduced cost. Hensley Fontana Public Relations & Marketing, which owns and executes Charlotte Restaurant Week, reports that the summer edition in July 2011 generated approximately 90,000 dinners and an estimated economic impact of more than $4 million in revenue.

While nearly two-thirds of the participating restaurants are located in the Uptown, Dilworth, SouthPark, and south Charlotte areas—understandably so because those areas have the most restaurants period—the list spans the entire Charlotte area. The Lake Norman/North Mecklenburg/Iredell County section of the list has grown the most, now featuring 17 restaurants.

There are also a dozen first-time participants, including Bernardin’s at Ratcliffe in Uptown; Campania Cafe in Davidson; Fern, Flavors from the Garden in Plaza Midwood; Waldhorn Restaurant in Pineville; Yama Asian Fusion in SouthPark; Jeffrey’s Restaurant in Mooresville; Osso Restaurant & Lounge at N.C. Music Factory (opened just last week); La Paz in the Metropolitan; and several others.

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Urban Living on Display

Charlotte Center City Partners is presenting an Urban Living Showcase this weekend to show you the many residential, dining, nightlife, and entertainment options in Uptown, Midtown, and South End. They held a premiere party last evening at the MetTerraces at the Metropolitan complex in Midtown that I attended. Just from taking a tour of this new development I can tell you that you have a lot to look forward to if you choose to tour some of the more than dozen properties being featured, including Ashton South End, Catalyst, The Arlington, The Trust, Trademark, and more. It's cool to look inside beautiful condos and penthouses and see how some people live.

I took a few pictures (pardon the quality; I used my camera phone) from inside one of the condos at the Met. On the second floor they had an empty unit open that served as the reception area, and on the fourth floor was a fully furnished unit with the same layout. It was like looking at a before and after.


The Urban Living Showcase is a free event on Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. You can go on a self-guided tour or have one of the trolleys take you around. Visit www.findyourcenter.com for more details.

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