CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte is losing an icon of Plaza Midwood and loyal customers are not happy. The Dairy Queen on Central Avenue has been open for more than six decades, but will soon close its doors. 

A protest was held Saturday near the location to address "another greedy gentrifying developer," according to organizers. Several people held signs and say the overall message is that they don't like some of the changes coming to the east Charlotte neighborhood.

“Gentrification is so common in this area. Not only in Plaza-Midwood, but other areas of Charlotte as well and its affected a lot of working class families,” one protester said.

 

Protesters outside the Dairy Queen in Plaza Midwood.

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The restaurant's co-owner, Sherman Walters, told us last week the decision was simply because they couldn't agree on a new lease with Aston Properties, the owners of the building. While he doesn't know what will happen with the property, many frequent visitors are scared it will be redeveloped.

"I’ve been coming here for like 19 years, so yeah, it’s going to be missed! This is one of the best Dairy Queens there is," customer Kisha Holmes said when the news first came.

"I'm kind of upset. Like, it's kind of annoying," Nathan Hohnbaum, another customer said.

Spectrum News reached out to Aston Properties for a comment:

"Since acquiring this property, our primary focus has been to keep Dairy Queen in place. While we are disappointed with the outcome, we will now begin the process of identifying a replacement tenant that will be a long-term asset to the neighborhood."

The lease is up November 1, so DQ plans to close by that date. Walters is hoping to open another Dairy Queen location in the same general area soon as long as everything goes to plan.