Latest news with #Charlotte-based
Axios
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Axios
New SouthPark restaurant offers interactive tableside dining and fresh pasta
Fontana Di Vino is a new Italian restaurant in SouthPark offering freshly made pastas and interactive family-style dining experiences. Why it matters: Chef Scott Leibfried brings a fun atmosphere and an engaging menu to Fontana Di Vino, following his time with Gordon Ramsay on "Hell's Kitchen" and his Hawaiian restaurant with Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood, which was destroyed in the 2023 fires, CBJ reported. Context: Much of Leibfried's extensive background in the restaurant industry influenced his vision for his south Charlotte restaurant. In May, he partnered with Charlotte-based Famous Toastery co-founder Robert Maynard to bring his latest concept to life. In addition to spending 10 seasons as a sous chef on Hell's Kitchen, Leibfried has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in London, and owned restaurants in Santa Barbara and Manhattan. What they're saying: Leibfried tells Axios that while working on his Maui restaurant with Fleetwood, they often hosted unexpected live performances— an experience that taught him the value of creating a space that's bold and full of surprises, something he plans to incorporate at Fontana Di Vino. "We have table-side services, which I've always loved my entire life, but you only see them in environments where, you know, there's white gloves and people are wearing tuxedos. Those are the types of things that I think everybody should have the opportunity to experience," Leibfried said. Dig in: Expect a menu that features traditional Italian cuisine with ingredients like black truffles sourced from Italy and fresh pasta, along with innovative touches such as pinsa — a Roman-style flatbread pizza. The restaurant offers multiple tableside activations — such as a polenta pour and veal chop — where the ingredients are prepped and plated in front of you to create an interactive and educational experience. Drinks include an extensive selection of Italian and California wines, plus classic cocktails with an innovative twist. Highlights include a sangria topped with sorbet and a lemon drop made with limoncello that tastes like key lime pie. The vibe: The 5,000-square-foot space has eclectic artwork and indoor bar, table, and patio seating for 160 people. Eventually, they hope to offer weekly live music. Stop by: Find Fontana Di Vino at 4905 Ashley Park Lane, the space formerly occupied by David Burke's Falcon & Fox, which closed after less than a year in business. Fontana Di Vino open Sunday through Thursday 4-9:30pm, Friday and Saturday 4-10:30pm. What's next: By the end of the summer, the restaurant will offer a private counter dining experience served family style. The hope is to also open their second restaurant in Davidson by September.
Business Journals
7 hours ago
- Health
- Business Journals
Always Best Care Expands to Charlotte to Serve Seniors with Compassion & Excellence
Always Best Care Senior Services, a nationally recognized provider of non-medical in-home care and senior placement services, is proud to announce its expansion into the Charlotte & Lake Norman region. This growth marks a strategic milestone for the agency's owner, Samantha Loy, who has successfully operated Always Best Care locations in Alamance, Guilford, Orange, and Durham Counties since 2017. With over 15 years of experience in senior care leadership, Samantha brings a unique combination of local expertise, deep community partnerships, and a passion for dignified, personalized care. The Charlotte location will serve Mecklenburg County and the surrounding area, offering a full continuum of senior care services—including in-home personal care, respite services for family caregivers, Veterans' services, and no-cost senior living placement support. 'Our expansion into Charlotte is more than a business decision—it's a calling to ensure seniors and their families have trusted, reliable care options as they navigate aging,' said Loy. 'Charlotte deserves the same high standards and responsive care that we've provided in the Triad and Triangle for years.' Always Best Care Charlotte is poised to meet growing demand in the region for skilled, compassionate caregivers and tailored care solutions. Services are delivered with 24/7 support and backed by caregiver training in Dementia Live™, Parkinson's care, and GUIDE dementia care through Medicare. As part of the expansion, Loy has appointed a dedicated Charlotte-based team and is actively building partnerships with hospitals, discharge planners, senior living communities, and local organizations. The agency is also a strong advocate for Alzheimer's awareness and caregiver education. Whether it's helping a senior remain safely at home or supporting families in finding the right assisted living community, Always Best Care stands ready to be a trusted partner in care.
Business Wire
21-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Compass Precision Purchases Pocasset Machine
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Kent Family has come full circle with their ownership of Pocasset Machine Corporation. Al Kent bought the company, which was a two-man tool & die shop in Waltham, Massachusetts at the time, from a friend who was close to retirement in 1977. His two sons, Barry and Chris, successfully operated and grew the company for nearly five decades. But now ready to retire themselves, they are officially selling Pocasset Machine. Compass Precision, LLC a Charlotte-based manufacturer of custom, close-tolerance metal components for mission-critical applications, announced Monday that it has acquired Pocasset Machine Corporation in Pocasset, MA from the Kent family. Barry and Chris are expected to remain with Pocasset Machine through the transition phase. After that, Compass will replace both men with the rest of the company's staff remaining intact. Pocasset Machine will become the ninth operating company under the Compass umbrella, and the fifth situated outside the Charlotte area, location of the company's headquarters. 'We are thrilled to be joining forces with Pocasset Machine,' explained Bill Canning, Compass's President & Chief Operating Officer. 'Barry and Chris have developed a terrific niche CNC machining business focused mostly on serving the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) market, some of which is concentrated on and near Cape Cod.' 'We see many opportunities to grow Pocasset as an integral portion of Compass,' added Jim Miller, Compass's Vice President of Sales. 'Compass loves to acquire shops with differentiated capabilities serving mission-critical markets. Pocasset Machine is all of that and more. They are a great fit for us.' Two years after Al bought the company, the Kents began moving the machine shop to Cape Cod. While most people view the Cape as a tourist destination, Al and his sons saw a business opportunity. 'I checked it out with the associated industries of Massachusetts and found that this corner of the state could use a machine shop,' Al said. 'It was thought of mostly as a vacation spot, but the oceanographic industry spawned a lot of small company spinoffs.' 'We were familiar with the Cape. Everything we made back then was small, location wasn't all that important,' Chris said. 'So, we had the bright idea of over a few months, slowly moving everything out to the Cape.' On the cape, the machine shop became an intricate supplier in Oceanographic instrument products and scientific research. Many decades later, that led to the development of the AUV market, which Pocasset Machine is heavily involved in today. Barry began working at the company immediately in 1977. Chris started a few years later after high school. The two brothers learned under the company's previous ownership – the Paquette brothers. Barry and Chris assumed leadership roles at Pocasset Machine in the early 1980s. Al transitioned from his previous manufacturing company, Millipore, to Pocasset by 1983. He brought Millipore work with him, but he mostly stayed 'out of the way,' as he described it, to allow his sons to operate the company. Pocasset fits Compass' operating model, which has proven highly effective in integrating and supporting geographically dispersed operating units. Compass particularly emphasizes numerous cross-selling and cross-sourcing opportunities to enable each operating company to succeed in ways not possible by itself. Pocasset had other potential buyers, but the Kents saw Compass as the best fit. 'They speak our language. They know what a job shop life is,' Barry said. 'Until you have lived that life, you can try to explain to people what you do, but they really don't understand it until you've lived it. It's a pretty unique life, good or bad.' The Kent family members expressed how proud they are that Compass wanted to acquire the shop. They are looking forward to Compass continuing their traditions to help the machine shop continue to grow and prosper. 'Chris and Barry have grown this unbelievably successful company. They have done a great job, and we have a lot of really nice employees,' Barry's wife, Vicky, said. 'Because of that, we wanted to make sure that the company lived on and continued and didn't just close up and end what they had worked so hard for. 'So, that's the very, very important part of it. 'With Compass, the type of company that they are, adding Compass' family, friends, employees, is what we were looking for too.' Chris sees Compass taking Pocasset Machine to the next level. Al stressed how important it will be for Compass to keep the machine shop's integrity, which he is confident the parent company will be able to do. 'I'd like to see that integrity factor that Pocasset Machine has developed to continue working under the Compass umbrella,' said Al. Compass Precision was formed with the acquisition of Advanced Machining & Tooling, LLC; Quality Products & Machine, LLC; and Tri-Tec Industries, LLC in October 2019. In August 2020, Compass added Gray Manufacturing Technologies, LLC as its first add-on acquisition. Seven months later, Douglas Machining Services, LLC became Compass's second add-on acquisition in March 2021. R&D Machine, LLC was acquired in April 2022, Strom Manufacturing, LLC in July 2022, and Bergeron Machine, LLC in April 2023, becoming Compass's third, fourth and fifth add-ons. Together, Compass's operating companies, now numbering nine including Pocasset Machine, serve a diversified group of blue-chip customers in the aerospace & defense, space, semiconductor, medical, industrial automation, power generation, telecommunications, high tech, and specialty industrial markets. In addition to expansion via acquisition, Compass has also grown significantly since its formation in 2019 by investing aggressively in advanced equipment and adding new customers drawn to the company's mantra of 'we do the tough stuff'. In particular, Compass has concentrated its CAPEX expansion on machines capable of running unattended, lights-out, and/or in multi-tasking mode whereby previous discrete CNC machine processes are combined into a single operation. 'The technology underlying CNC machining is advancing quickly,' said Compass CEO Gary Holcomb. 'We are capitalizing on these developments by buying the latest machines capable of doing even more difficult parts faster and with fewer set-ups and operator intervention. We put our money where our mouth is regarding 'we do the tough stuff.'
The Hill
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Thune: Little desire in Senate to force Epstein files release
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters that he's not hearing any talk in the Senate about backing an effort led by conservative Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to force the Trump administration to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Thune indicated on Thursday that even if the House passes a resolution demanding that the Justice Department release files about Epstein, it would not gain much traction in the Senate. Asked if there's any support among Senate Republicans to force the disclosure of the Epstein files, Thune told reporters: 'I'm not hearing it.' Massie is working with Democrats to try to force a vote in the House on whether the administration should release more information about Epstein. He has filed a discharge petition to force the issue to come to the House floor. Thune on Monday said he would leave decisions about whether to release additional Epstein-related documents and information to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. 'I'll leave that up to DOJ and to the FBI. I think that's in their purview. I think the president's expressed his views on it, and so I'll just leave it at that,' Thune said. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told The Hill on Monday that Bondi has been forthcoming enough. 'With anything in government, I always urge the greatest of transparency,' he said. 'I'm not saying they're coming up short there, but that's just a good principle of government, as far as I'm concerned.' President Trump has repeatedly dismissed the calls for law-enforcement agencies to release more information about Epstein and associates who may have engaged in sexual activity with underage women at Epstein's private island. 'I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody. It's pretty boring stuff,' Trump told reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland earlier this week. But not all Republican senators are willing to cede the issue entirely to the Department of Justice and FBI, which announced in a two-page memo earlier this month that it did not have additional information to provide about Epstein. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Wednesday called on the senior Trump officials to 'just release the damn files.' 'I have to disagree with the president. I don't think human trafficking of young teenage girls being exploited by billionaires on a private island is boring. I think it's despicable and I believe that anybody who had anything to do with it or knowledge of it should be held accountable,' Tillis told a Charlotte-based radio talk show.
Business Journals
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Charlotte's new med school ready for inaugural class (PHOTOS)
Expand Charlotte-based Atrium Health delivered The Pearl, a $1.5 billion, 700,000-square-foot innovation district in midtown last month. Melissa Key/CBJ
