The story behind Charlotte’s most talked-about restaurants, with Jamie Brown

Charlotte’s restaurant scene has changed dramatically over the past two decades, and few people have helped shape it more than Jamie Brown. Alongside her husband, Jeff Tonidandel, Brown has built some of the city’s most recognizable restaurants — from Growler’s Pourhouse and Haberdish to Supperland, Ever Andalo and Leluia Hall — while also helping define what Charlotte’s food culture can become.

In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Brown reflects on the unconventional path that led her and Jeff from corporate jobs and world travel into the restaurant business, why each concept is deeply personal to their lives and how they approach building restaurants around storytelling, hospitality and design. She talks about the meticulous details that go into every space, from table spacing and plate placement to preserving historic Charlotte buildings and creating restaurants that feel rooted in the city’s identity. Brown also discusses:

• The highs and lows of opening restaurants in Charlotte, including projects that never came to fruition
• The importance of paying a living wage and building career paths for restaurant employees
• Why her restaurant group adopted tip pooling and how it changed workplace culture
• Her experience with anxiety, panic attacks and the gut-health journey that transformed her life
• How her dietary restrictions reshaped the way her restaurants think about accommodating guests
• What it takes to preserve consistency in an industry where “one strike and you’re out”
• Why Charlotte’s food scene is becoming an increasingly important part of the city’s identity
• What’s next for the restaurant group, including Olivelli Deli, Wyatt’s Superfine and a new commissary project in South End

This episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast is presented by PBS Charlotte's Unspun program, helping you learn what politicians are thinking but not saying. Hosted by former governor Pat McCrory.

This episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast was produced by Lindsey Banks. For more information on The Charlotte Ledger, go to TheCharlotteLedger.com.