In a reversal, Southpark mall lets Black-owned No Grease barbershop stay put for now

A Black-owned barbershop will stay on at Charlotte’s upscale SouthPark mall after all.

Knights of the Razor by No Grease co-owner Damian Johnson told the Observer Tuesday that the shop had been open less than two months at SouthPark when mall management said their temporary one-year lease was being terminated early, effective April 1. Johnson said he thought the mall was going to offer the barbershop a permanent lease but instead said a new tenant was taking over their spot.

That decision involving a well-known Black business in Charlotte quickly drew a lot of public attention, and questions about the treatment of the owners by the mall.

And on Wednesday night, mall owner Simon Property said an agreement had been reached with the barbershop.

“Knights of the Razor by No Grease will be staying at SouthPark for the duration of their temporary lease. We have delayed our other deal until next year,” Simon said in a statement emailed to the Observer.

Simon also is discussing the possibility of a permanent location for the barbershop at the mall.

Mall management had sent a statement Tuesday night saying it had reached out to “resolved the situation in a fair and equitable manner.

No Grease owners did not immediately respond for comment Wednesday night.

No Grease has locations at other Simon malls, two shops at Concord Mills in Concord, Charlotte Premium Outlets and one at Sugarloaf Mills in Georgia.

“We’ve enjoyed a productive and growing relationship with No Grease for the past decade and look forward to expanding our relationship in the future,” Simon said.

Since opening their first barbershop 24 years ago at 3731 N. Sharon Amity Road, the Johnson brothers and partner Charlie Petty now have 10 shops in both Carolinas and Georgia, and a barbershop school on Wilkinson Boulevard. They began franchising in 2017.

The latest shop to open was at SouthPark.

The backstory

Johnson and his twin brother Jermaine understand the temporary lease could be broken at any time, Damian Johnson told the Observer Tuesday, but said a permanent lease was never provided as an option to them at the current site or anywhere else on the mall.

They were taken aback by the termination notice after the lease had been signed in October and the brothers put about $70,000 into renovating the space before its January opening.

Community members questioned SouthPark management’s decision. The only other Black-owned business in SouthPark mall is the women’s boutique Captivate, owned by Charity Washington.

Activist Colette Forrest, a former leader of the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, asked if the lease termination was related to race, in an email to the Observer.

No Grease took to social media Tuesday morning saying Knights of the Razor would closed effective April 1. It later shared the mall’s statement about finding a resolution saying: “This is a much bigger conversation and call to action!”

Community members also shared support through social media comments on the businesses Facebook page.