electrician in Pineville, NC

Nothing can re-create the same feel of the now-shuttered Asian Corner Mall, once a vibrant gathering spot for Charlotte’s Southeast Asian community, filling up with crowds for holidays and cultural celebrations over the years. But now, a few common threads are appearing in a new spot in the Charlotte area — The Centrum shopping center in Pineville.

“It’s like the new Asian Corner,” said Vu Van, the co-owner of Lula Banh Mi & Bakery who also goes by Tony.

There are plenty of national chains at the busy Pineville shopping center, located directly across the street from Carolina Place Mall. Home Depot, Best Buy Outlet, David’s Bridal and Guitar Center have been staples for quite a while. Recently, however, an influx of Asian-owned local businesses with a more personal touch is bringing in new customers, as well.

Among the growing similarities taking shape over the past year between Asian Corner and The Centrum are the presence of banh mi shops, a nail mall that moved between the shopping centers and international markets as anchor stores. In fact, Super G Mart even announced its intentions to become a “cultural hub” to The Charlotte Observer’s Catherine Muccigrosso.

“Of course, G Mart drove up everybody, from every part of the city,” Vu said, adding that neighboring business owners are all networking to support each other at The Centrum, including Super G Mart’s vice president of business development, Peter Han.

“We talk all the time — he comes here, we go there. ... Maxim Nail, we go back and forth. They send a lot of their customers this way as well, so it’s a pretty good community that we’ve got here,” Vu said.

That sense of community in the area is visibly growing. Super G opened Christmas weekend to much fanfare. Customers are now walking the aisles, bouncing to feel-good beats by Sean Paul and Usher as they fill carts with Chinese eggplant and Napa cabbage, fresh fish and packages of rice noodles.

Nearby, Maxim Nail Mall celebrated its grand opening in January with a buffet of treats from neighboring Lula, handing out well-stocked gift bags with every purchase, as well. And at Lula, it’s not uncommon to see a crowd of folks chitchatting on weekends while waiting for their banh mi and baked goods. Some order in Vietnamese.

“It’s Rock Hill, it’s Fort Mill, it’s Mooresville, Huntersville — people drive from Hickory, just to come up here,” Vu said, adding that people come in from Boone, Greenville and Greensboro, and other surrounding areas, specifically to shop at Maxim Nail Mall.

“And then when they all drive down here, those Asian business owners, they want not only Asian groceries, but they want Asian food. So they come down here and pick up a dozen sandwiches,” he said.

At Maxim Nail Mall Supply, a woman purchasing salon supplies chatted up owner Lam Pham as she checked out, asking about his children.

He said most of his old customers — whom he’s known for years — have followed along with the move from Asian Corner, but he’s got new customers, too.

“We’re kinda stepping up,” Pham said. “It’s a really nice area for community, for everybody to come and have a new experience ... Especially the Super G, which is the biggest one in the state — they have everything in there.”

Like others in the growing coterie at The Centrum, he’s looking forward to the new food court on the way inside Super G Mart, including a new location of Tous les Jours. A Taiwanese hot pot restaurant, Yiding Hot Pot, will be opening soon in the shopping center, too.

As of now, the new and locally owned Asian businesses at The Centrum in Pineville include:

Location: 10400 Centrum Parkway, Suite A, Pineville, NC 28134

Lula Banh Mi & Bakery, a family owned banh mi takeout shop, sells rice and noodle bowls, curry and stew, along with Vietnamese banh mi on scratch-made bread. Plan ahead, because the secret is out and the shop is often busy. You’ll want to make sure to pick up a few of the shop’s macarons or a cupcake to finish your meal off with a touch of sweetness.

Location: 10420 Centrum Pkwy., Ste. I, Pineville, NC 28134

Maxim Nail Mall, a wholesale nail salon supplier, was previously located at Asian Corner Mall. Now, Lam Pham, who owns the shop with his brothers, has moved the business to Pineville. Inside, nail technicians and salon owners will find thousands of bottles of nail polish and dip in every color imaginable, along with industrial size jars of hand scrub, wax warmers and more.

Location: 10500 Centrum Pkwy, Pineville, NC 28134

Super G Mart, an international grocery store owned by the Han family, expanded at the end of 2022 by opening its third location at the shopping center. As. you’re browsing the aisles, you’ll find fresh produce, live tilapia, prepared bulgogi and Japchae, and specialty pantry goods from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean. (You’ll even find a few American staples, such as Lunchables and Coke.)

Location: 10610 Centrum Pkwy, Pineville, NC 28134

Signage for Yiding Hot Pot is up at the Centrum at the former Pineville location of Jason’s Deli, which closed in October 2020. Construction is still under way, and an opening date has not yet been announced.

A 2.1 magnitude earthquake registered near Pineville on Friday, government seismologists confirmed.

The quake struck just before 6 a.m. and was centered 0.7 miles from Pineville and 10 miles south of Charlotte, the USGS reported. Its center was just over 6 miles northeast of Fort Mill, according to the USGS.

The earthquake had zero depth, the USGS reported.

No injuries or damage were reported.

While there’s no single magnitude above which damage occurs, damage typically results when the earthquake magnitude reaches somewhere above 4 or 5, according to the USGS.

No one has yet reported feeling Friday’s quake, according to the USGS.

The USGS asks that anyone who felt the quake to report it on Earthquake.USGS.gov.

Typically, earthquakes below magnitude 2.0 can be felt if the quake is shallow enough and if people are very close to its epicenter, according to VolcanoDiscovery.com.

On Jan. 28, a 1.8 magnitude earthquake registered in the North Carolina mountains near Virginia, federal seismologists said.

The quake struck was centered about 6 miles miles northwest of West Jefferson and 13 miles west-southwest of Boone, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

The earthquake had a depth of 2.36 miles, according to the USGS.

Jan. 10, a 1.2 magnitude earthquake registered in western Catawba County, the Observer reported at the time.

The quake was centered about 3.7 miles southeast of the community of Mountain View, the USGS reported. The earthquake had a depth of 2.17 miles, according to the USGS.

In May 2022, a 2.2 earthquake struck southeast of the town of Catawba, also in Catawba County.

About three years ago, Sparta, North Carolina, experienced a 5.1 magnitude earthquake that researchers recently discovered left a “rupture” in the ground more than 1.5 miles long, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

Major earthquakes are rare in North Carolina, but seismic events can happen any time of the year, according to the N.C. Division of Environmental Quality.

This story was originally published May 12, 2023, 12:49 PM.

Yiding Hot Pot has quietly opened in The Centrum shopping center in Pineville with a big surprise: robot wait staff.

Yes, you read that right. A pair of robots named Wall-E and Eve — stacked with four shelves each — move the food from the kitchen directly to your table. The shift to robotic servers is part of a growing trend aimed at filling labor shortage gaps that have been plaguing the restaurant industry in recent years, CBS News recently reported.

Yiding Hot Pot owner Wenda Wang told CharlotteFive that the robots are “very helpful to the restaurant to reduce the labor,” and he thinks customers will be interested to see the Chinese technology at work. Wall-E and Eve are Keenon Dinerbots that use an AI-based pathway system develop routes through restaurants.

At the new Pineville restaurant, you can order a base broth — such mildly spicy Yiding Mala, extra spicy Classic Mala or Yiding Mushroom — then select the meat, seafood or vegetables you want in your hot pot.

The broth comes out first, and you’ll crank up the heat on your table to bring it to a boil. While you’re waiting for your hot pot ingredients to arrive, you can browse the sauce and toppings bar, where you can grab a few extras to help craft your creation. Among the 20-some options include crushed peanuts, scallions, oyster sauce, soy sauce and cilantro. Edemame and seaweed salad are available on the bar, as well.

Soon after, Wall-E or Eve will glide through the restaurant and deliver your meal, along with the help of human wait staff, who move the dishes from the robot to your table.

Sodas, Asian drinks such as Wong Lo Kat and Snow Pear Juice, and beer are on the menu to help wash it down.

Clean and crisp modern decor sets the tone for the family-friendly restaurant, which is accentuated with blue LED lighting along the seating banks, and pop music plays at a comfortable volume in the background.

Shelving sits along each table to help clear your dining space of the many plates that can stack up with hot pot orders.

Karaoke is available with a private room reservation, which you can make online or by calling 704-919-0420. Walk-ins are welcome for dine-in service, but reservations are also available.

Location: 10610 Centrum Pkwy, Pineville, NC 28134

Menu

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, hot pot

Instagram: @yiding_hotpot

The terms let the project move forward but force the builder to increase the number of parking spots and reduce the number of apartment units.

PINEVILLE, N.C. — Pineville town leaders are allowing the apartment project Livano Pineville to move forward, but with required tweaks.

Livano Pineville is already approved for 65 apartment units, retail, and public parking on Main and Church Streets. The developer was waiting for its planned 172 apartments on College Street to be approved, but the vote didn't go as the company hoped.

Town Council approved the plans under the condition that the number of parking spots are increased, which ultimately will decrease the number of apartment units.

The apartment complex will be within walking distance of restaurants, businesses and local shops in downtown Pineville.

However, it's unclear how the developer, Birmingham, Alabama-based LIV Development, will adjust its blue prints after the vote.

Despite the expected changes, some people welcome the development and the extra foot traffic.

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A small-town feel with a southern charm is what attracted Reza Elyasi to downtown Pineville where his business, Pineville Rug Gallery has been for the last 39 years.

“It has that southern accent to it which made me start my business here,” Elyasi said.

It's a town he said continues to see growth.

“Talking not even five... seven years ago, big change,” Elyasi said.

Kevin Devanney is the owner of The Garrison and Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market, located side-by-side right on Main Street.

“Since we opened the restaurant, the town has really flourished and grown,” Devanney said. “More people are coming into town, more business is coming to town, more townhome development and more business development.”

Both Devanney and Elyasi are excited for the new apartment development they hope will bring more foot traffic to their businesses.

“Seeing commercial and residential development would help all of the businesses including myself,” Elyasi said.

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“We don’t have the bodies and residents to sustain the businesses in Pineville right now,” Devanney said. “It is critical that these apartments come in and put feet on the streets in Pineville in order for all us business owners to grow and have people coming in and out of the doors.”

Devanney said this development will not only help stimulate the local economy, it will also add to the charm the town already has.

“Business owners, new residents, and younger people bring a new vibe to the town, and that is really what we need to take this town to the next generation,” he said.

However, not everyone is on board with the plan. Longtime Pineville resident Gerry Pope told town councilmembers Tuesday the apartments scare her.

"Deep down inside I just don’t feel like this building would match our town," Pope said.

LIV Development's master plan for Livano Pineville includes a second phase of development for a fourth apartment building on College Street and retail space where the fire station is.

As the company goes back to the drawing board, Casey Viser, attorney for the developer, provided this response:

“We are disappointed that the Council has now added additional conditions — inconsistent with past votes, our understanding, and the contract we have with the Town of Pineville — in an apparent effort to satisfy a small contingency of those who do not have the best interests of the Town of Pineville in mind. We have worked tirelessly with planners for over two years, and accommodated many requests to alter plans that we were told would be approved, in an effort to see this deal go through. While we are hopeful the Council will reconsider what we believe is inconsistent with the Town’s obligations, the Pineville Comprehensive Plan for the Downtown Overlay District, and the best interests of the community, we are currently evaluating our options.“

The international food market looks to meet Charlotte's growing global palette.

PINEVILLE, N.C. — Occupying the former Super K-Mart across from the Carolina Place Mall, the much anticipated international market was planned for an opening last summer.

Peter Han, Vice President of Business Development for Super G Mart, told WCNC's Jane Monreal, "It's been a construction site for about two years. So, seeing customers walk through the door and seeing the parking lot filled with cars, it's an indescribable feeling for me."

Han said the hold-up was out of their hands and due to issues with the supply chain.

"The switchgear that we were waiting for, that was delayed about six months from the factory," Han said. "That was the main cause of delay and I think because of that, we kind of lost the momentum in the construction progress."

However, with hiring underway, the store was able to softly open on Christmas Eve, with many eager customers getting to be some of the first to preview food items from Asian to Hispanic to European influences, as well as exotic produce and fresh seafood.

"We're not perfect yet. We still have a lot of our shelves that are not fully stocked," Han said of the store's first few weeks. "But a lot of the customers have been very patient with us, and we're very appreciative that."

The co-owner said the family's decision to invest in the 108,000-square-foot space is due, in large part, to a growing interest in international cuisine in Charlotte-Metro.

Han said, "I think a lot of that stemmed from the pandemic, with the restaurants shutting down, people having to cook at home. And I think eventually people got tired of cooking the same thing at home. So we saw a lot of diversification in our clientele."

Bakery, Tous Les Jours, will be opening a counter inside Super G Mart.

An international food hall featuring almost a dozen stalls, as well as a full-service restaurant, is also in the works.

As of Monday, January 16, Super G Mart extended their shopping hours to 9 AM to 8 PM.