CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Over the years, Wilkinson Boulevard has said goodbye to some of its cherished food stables.

“We’ve seen so many places like that close. South 21 we used to have out here, Town and Country right up the street. So, Bar-B-Q King has really held its own over the years,” Charlotte native and Charlotte Fire Department Chief Shane Nantz said.

For seven decades, Bar-B-Q King has served Carolina-style barbecue curbside to generations of Charlotte’s west siders.

“The Bar-B-Q King and me go back 51 years,” Nantz said.

Within the last year, commercial development across the Queen City has skyrocketed. 

Commercial specialist for Coldwell Banker Realty, Vasili Kakavitsas says 900,000 square feet of commercial development is underway, and two-thirds of it has already been spoken for.

“So, you have high-paying jobs, and beautiful weather, so people want to be here,” Kakavitsas said.

On Friday, four parcels of land on Wilkinson Boulevard were posted for $4.2 million. While the majority is covered in trees, a portion of the for-sale property is where Bar-B-Q King sits.

“Apparently there is a frenzy about Bar-B-Q King being for sale, and clearly it is not for sale,” Kakavitsas said.

Kakavitsas says the restaurant is a tenant of the property and has a lease agreement for another three years, with an option for a five-year renewal option.

“Bar-B-Q King is really the last place there is that you can go get good food that is not a fast-food restaurant, so the possibility of losing that is huge, and now that we know that is not the case is a big deal,” Nantz said.