How Best Charlotte chooses the city's best businesses
Five steps from first research to regular updates: how Best Charlotte editors decide which Charlotte businesses earn a place in our rankings.
In a city where so many people are new, a trustworthy recommendation is worth a great deal. Best Charlotte rankings are meant to be that recommendation, the one a good neighbor would give you over the fence on a Saturday morning. Behind each list sit five steps, and we follow them every time, for barbecue and estate lawyers alike.
The whole Queen City
Our research covers Charlotte from end to end: Uptown and South End, NoDa and Plaza Midwood, University City in the north, Ballantyne and Steele Creek in the south, and the west side neighborhoods along Freedom Drive. Parts of town that newcomers rarely see get the same attention as the ones featured in every relocation brochure.
A steady record with customers
Years of contented customers matter more to us than months. Charlotte sees plenty of businesses open with a splash, especially in its busiest growth corridors. The ones still being recommended across backyard fences long after opening day are the ones that earn a place here.
Facts we can stand behind
Every entry is verified before it appears in a ranking: doors open, location correct, phone answered. Anything that has shut down, appears twice or has moved away is dropped. With this much construction and change around town, details go stale faster than you might expect, so we take this step seriously.
The clear leaders
Barbecue joints are measured against barbecue joints, family law firms against family law firms, and nothing in between. Within each group we look for the names that plainly lead, and if just three or four qualify, the ranking simply ends there rather than filling up with also-rans.
Regular review
Our editors work back through every ranking periodically: closures come out, younger businesses that have built a loyal clientele are weighed up, and opening times and contact numbers get a refresh. Trustworthy tips from readers are handled as they come in, so the guide never has to wait for the calendar.
Tell us about a change
Write to info@bestcharlotte.com if something is wrong or if there is a business you think we should look at. Every note is checked before anything changes on the site. Owners who would like to edit their own entry will find the tools in our For Businesses section.