No Grease’s owners say shopping mall management informed them their lease was staying terminated. Wednesday, mall management reported they could continue to be right until the conclusion of the lease.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There’s controversy surrounding one particular of Charlotte’s most well-known Black-owned businesses that quickly had its lease terminated months early by SouthPark Mall management. Wednesday, shopping mall management confirmed the enterprise will be authorized to continue to be by way of the conclude of their short-term lease.
Twin brothers Damian and Jermaine Johnson opened the No Grease barbershop franchise in the late ’90s. The corporation has developed immensely since then, opening spots throughout the Charlotte place, like a new site in SouthPark. For a time, their lease was becoming terminated early. They desired to know why.
“We are sons of Charlotte when it will come to our business enterprise,” mentioned Damian Johnson. “We uncovered enterprise the Charlotte way.”
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Johnson states No Grease is more substantial than a haircut, making barbershops and business people all in excess of the Charlotte area and beyond. When the chance arrived to open a new place in SouthPark, they jumped at it.
Johnson claimed his organization signed a 1-calendar year lease with the mall with the aspirations of signing a lengthy-time period offer at the time they established them selves in that location. The brothers signed that temporary lease and opened Knights of the Razor in November.
After investing tens of 1000’s of bucks, the store opened on Jan. 10 with good organization.
“We had current customers that lived in that location, so it was more hassle-free for them, and we had been picking up new buyers,” Johnson mentioned.
But now, those buyers may perhaps have to find a new area to get their hair slash. Mall management informed the brothers their temporary lease, which was supposed to run via the close of 2021, would be terminated on March 31. The mall claimed this was since they have been in talks with a permanent tenant.
“I do know that mainly because of our prior marriage with Simon Assets, this really has blindsided us due to the fact we had a partnership with them,” Johnson stated.
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SouthPark is owned by Simon Assets Team, the similar business that manages Concord Mills Shopping mall and the Charlotte Premium Outlets. No Grease has two shops at Concord Mills. That partnership goes back much more than 10 yrs, but now the company needs to be somewhere they’re required.
“We are not begging to be everywhere,” Johnson mentioned. “We want to do enterprise with whoever would like to do organization with us.”
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Johnson reported he will not believe that they were being discriminated towards and does not consider Simon did anything illegal, but it is about the basic principle and transparency.
“When you get started a business on Central Avenue or Sharon Amity, and you make your business for a variety of decades, to get to the pinnacle of Charlotte business enterprise, and which is SouthPark, that’s a journey that a enjoy of folks have walked with us,” Johnson claimed.
SouthPark Shopping mall management beforehand issued a statement to WCNC Charlotte ensuring the group was open to incorporating additional areas to other malls in the long run. Wednesday, mall management issued an current assertion — No Grease will be keeping at SouthPark, at minimum until eventually the conclude of their authentic short-term lease.
“We are pleased to report that Knights of the Razor by No Grease will be keeping at SouthPark for the length of their short-term lease. We have delayed our other deal until following 12 months and will be talking about with Mr. Damian Johnson and Mr. Jermaine Johnson the possibility of a everlasting spot for their barbershop past their latest non permanent lease phrase. Our other 4 spots with No Grease are all long-lasting leases. We’ve liked a successful and rising marriage with No Grease for the previous 10 years and search ahead to increasing our relationship in the long run.”


