Charlotte just became a little bit sweeter. Urban Sweets, an ice cream and dessert shop is now open at Centro Square in South End.
Flavors for the city
The shop, that originally began as an ice cream cart, offers lots of flavors that are named after some of Charlotte’s most iconic landmarks and neighborhoods. Some examples include the cookies and cream flavor named Dilworth Delight, Ballantyne Butter Pecan, or the classic vanilla flavor called Queen City Cream.
There’s even a flavor named as a nod to the never-ending list of construction happening around the city. It’s called Construction Crunch, an espresso ice cream made with toffee bits.
Though ice cream is the main attraction at the shop, it isn’t the only crowd pleaser. According to owner, Kristin Stewart, Urban Sweets aims to provide a fix for the sweet tooth of any person who enters.
In addition to ice cream, freshly made waffle cones, and plenty of toppings to choose from, the shop is also currently home to a variety of specialty macaroons and gourmet chocolates.
“I love ice cream, but not everyone is an ice cream fan,” she said.
She went on to say that even ice cream fanatics can change up their wants from time to time.
“You might want ice cream today and tomorrow you might want something else.”
Stewart wants to be able to attract sweets-lovers of all kinds. Soon, the shop will even offer other desserts like baked goods and seasonal sweets.
Journey to opening
The shop is Stewart’s second brick-and-mortar in Charlotte. She also owns another business in South End, Three Little Birds, but said that opening Urban Sweets was significantly more difficult.
“This honestly was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
Like many business owners this year, Stewart had to delay her opening. She originally planned to open earlier this year but said the process of meeting all her opening requirements wasn’t a simple task.
“It felt unnecessarily hard”, she said, but she was able to make it happen. With the support of what she describes an “amazing” contractor — and fellow North Carolina A&T graduate — and a team of diverse support like her real estate agent and her architects, Stewart was able to open to the public on Nov. 30.
Now that Urban Sweets is open, she’s planning to help South End and all of Charlotte “live sweetly.”
Urban Sweets is located at 222 West Blvd Suite 1114 and is open Wednesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
