The Investor
Many people view Charlotte as a land of opportunity. Mascot Uzor-Kalu is one of those people. With more businesses than one person should even be able to keep track of, through the Euzor Investments company he started in 2004, the thirty-one year-old is quickly becoming a power player in the city.
Businessman puts his money where his mouth is
Many people view Charlotte as a land of opportunity. Mascot Uzor-Kalu is one of those people. With more businesses than one person should even be able to keep track of, through the Euzor Investments company he started in 2004, the thirty-one year-old is quickly becoming a power player in the city.
In May, the RE/MAX Legacy realty office Uzor co-owns moved into a new building in Ayrsley Town Center. Its previous office was located in Ayrsley, but with a growing number of real estate agents, a larger space was needed. But what has Uzor most excited is the 6,000 square foot space he just purchased, also in May, in the Courtside condo building uptown where he plans to open an upscale restaurant, bar, and lounge this fall.
“There’s no place in Charlotte that I can think of that’s going to be like it,” Uzor says. “It’ll be like Belvedere in [Houston,] Texas, but with a restaurant added to it.”
This won’t be Uzor’s first mark on the local nightlife scene. He co-owns The Jazz Café, which opened two years ago and since that time has been a great learning experience for the Nigeria native.
“We had a tough time getting here because we were the first to open here (in Ayrsley Town Center),” says the married father of two. “We made a lot of mistakes in the beginning, but we’ve learned from those mistakes.” He says he expects The Jazz Café to earn about $1.2 million in revenue this year.
Uzor, who also owns ZEY Trucking, which operates sixteen fleets, is assembling a team of experienced restaurateurs who will manage his restaurants (he’s eyeing a piece property in South Park for a potential restaurant as well). “Each business that I’ve owned, I’ve found people who share my passion and have a common interest, so they become the driving force. I’m an investor.”
