CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Being around roller skates brings back memories for Brandi Fox.
“I used to skate all the time!” she said.
What You Need To Know
Rollin CLT will debut as a pop-up shop in Eastridge Mall on Jan. 22
Every Thursday night they host Rollin’ Lessons at Fran’s Kids Boys and Girls Center
A permanent rink will open over the next two years
Every weekend she and her friends would lace up and hit the floor.
“Here in Charlotte, we had three major skating rinks back in the early 2000s — we were about in middle school,” she said. “So, we skated all the time.”
But, over the years, those rinks shut down.
So, now she’s opening a skating rink along with two other women, Kendria Holmes and Sh’niqua Ussery. Rollin’ CLT has been Holmes’ dream since 2016.
“Our goal is to really get the rink out here, so we can do what we want to do and serve the community with the pastime of skating,” Fox said.
Rolling it out hasn’t been easy with prime real estate prices jumping by as much as $250,000 from when they started looking in 2020.
“We were looking for about 3 acres. At that 3 acres' mark — you were looking at anywhere between $2.5 million and $5 million for that, so that can definitely be discouraging, especially when you’re just starting out,” Fox said.
So, they changed directions, and decided to launch mobile skate parties and lessons.
“We’re definitely like a family, so if you fall, get back up. We got your back!” Fox said.
Over the next two years, the trio plans to open a permanent rink thanks to funding from Charlotte’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan — which helps launch small businesses like theirs.
“Being African American women, we already know that we’re not known for owning our own. So, that was one of the key things for us,” Fox said.
“We want to set an example in the community that you know you can own your own, and what that would look like” — starting next year with an outdoor skating rink.
So they’re taking it slow, one skate in front of the other, and enjoying the process.
“Even though we’re the owners, even though we kind of do a lot behind the scenes, we come out here like literally — we’re all like family,” Fox said.
The outdoor portion of Rollin’ CLT is slated to open in the spring, and their indoor rink and lounge is slated to open in September 2023. Their business will be at North Tryon Street and Sugar Creek Road.
Their debut pop-up shop at Eastridge Mall is open on Jan. 22 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.