The troubled Sycamore Brewing company is shelving plans for a major new taproom in Cotswold Village. The Charlotte Business Journal reports that the 11,000 square-foot beer garden on Randolph Road has had its lease terminated. Sycamore’s co-founder was arrested last month and charged with sex crimes involving a minor, prompting stores, bars and distributors to dump its beer. The brewery is also closing its South End taproom.

“This isn’t about changing what made Rockingham special,” said IHRA Owner Darryl Cuttell in a press release. “It’s about investing in it, taking care of it, and making sure it continues to be a place where great racing and great memories are made.”

Before we get too far into the new year, let’s take a brief moment to look back — this time at some of the top Charlotte-area business news of 2025. To do that, Tony Mecia of the Charlotte Ledger Business Newsletter joined our Marshall Terry for our segment BizWorthy.

The state has extended the deadline for the Renew NC program to Jan. 31, citing a need to give residents more time during the holiday season.

It’s now been a week since Charlotte’s biggest brewery was rocked by the bombshell arrest of its co-owner for alleged child sex crimes. The backlash against Sycamore Brewing has included bars, restaurants, grocery stores, and even the airport pulling their products. For the latest, Morning Edition host Marshall Terry is joined by Ashley Fahey of the Charlotte Ledger Business Newsletter for our segment BizWorthy.

At least three major grocery chains say they will no longer carry Sycamore Brewing products after the brewery’s co-owner was arrested and charged with breaking into a Stanly County home and raping a 13-year-old girl.

Foothills Brewing in Winston-Salem turned to hemp-infused drinks to offset sharp post-pandemic declines in beer sales. A new federal move to ban intoxicating hemp products has the company and other North Carolina brewers worried about what the future holds.

Time is running out for those still working at home since the pandemic. One of the changes that could be coming with the new year is a return to the office for five days a week. That’s according to recent data and a survey of business leaders. For more, Tony Mecia of the Charlotte Ledger Business Newsletter joined WFAE’s Marshall Terry for our segment BizWorthy.

State regulators will hold two public hearings next week on Duke Energy’s proposal to combine its two Carolina utilities — Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress — into a single, fully integrated company.

A western North Carolina hospital was supposed to be built and running by 2025, but the state's certificate of need law has been used to delay the project for years.