Background

In 2005, the Charlotte City Club membership requested opportunities for casual dining and increased private meeting space; the request was more challenging than it might seem: the club occupies the 31st and 32nd floors of a Charlotte office tower in the heart of the city so expansion space was limited to the existing footprint.

Our Approach

The largest space in the club was the two story formal dining room; Chambers recommended floating an enclosed casual Grill Room into part of that room, leading to an architectural and engineering marvel that creates a dramatic space unequaled in the city. Chambers also created an entirely new, more functional kitchen, completed in only 10 days and a dumb waiter system and service areas for delivering food quickly and efficiently to all dining spaces. The interiors were upgraded with custom milled cherry woods, Hawaiian granite, Axminster wool carpeting, and gracious furniture, fabrics, and accessories.

Results

Not only is the new Grill dramatic but it is a lively centerpiece in the Club, offering dining, a bar, a library, and display. New meeting rooms were expanded to create additional seating, one of which contains cellar storage for members to bring and store their favorite bottles of wine. The Club experienced an increase in membership, meals served, and net profits. Chambers worked closely with the Club, its manager John Scharer, and a blue-ribbon past-presidents committee as well as local contractors, "The team worked very hard upfront to make sure the chemistry would be good," said Robert Hickman, Chambers' Chairman of the Board. It was, and it shows.