CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The "Great Resignation" has many people in the area starting new careers and new businesses.
One Charlotte man, born and raised in the city, said his ties to the community have made all the difference as he went from the finance world to running a food shop.
Life is a whole lot different these days for Andrew King.
"I worked for a private equity group that had nothing at all to do with food," he said. "It was very different than what I'm doing now, this is less stressful."
He explained that opening his new gourmet food shop, The Butler's Pantry, was less stressful than his old gig. This is despite the staffing shortages and supply chain issues most in that industry are facing today.
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"It was really difficult with supply chain issues and trying to get equipment," King said. "I had to order almost everything from Amazon."
He opened the gourmet food shop, where everything is made in-house, at the end of August but still said he’s thrilled with this complete professional reset.
"We had some time at home to really think about things during the pandemic a lot of people took it as a time to reset," King explained. "A lot of my team members left when I left and they went to entirely different career paths."
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 4.4 million people left their jobs in September.
The department says quitting increased in several industries with the largest increases in arts, entertainment, and recreation (+56,000); other services (+47,000); and state and local government education (+30,000).
King said he’s much happier for the career change and grateful the community he was born and raised in has made the transition — and starting a food business — so easy.
Customers in the neighborhood have made sure he and the shop stay busy.
"I think that has a lot to do with it," he said. "I have a large network, I grew up three blocks from this spot, this is the neighborhood I grew up in."
He even managed to hire restaurant workers who lost their jobs when other area restaurants closed.
His front house manager was at popular Charlotte restaurant Carpe Diem for 30 years, until it closed because of the pandemic.
She is thrilled to see her new home doing so well.
"Not even three months in and were thriving in a way that’s spectacular due in part to the neighborhood, Charlotte in general," Theresa Girault said.
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