Ready to meet the holiday rush with GFiber at Charlotte’s The Market at 7th Street

Tucked in between a picturesque skyline and modern architecture sits a Market brimming with ingenuity, ambition and dream making.

Billed as North Carolina’s first food hall, The Market at 7th Street opened in Charlotte in 2011. Since its inception, the nonprofit Market has hosted more than 40 small businesses, acting as a non-profit incubator, helping local entrepreneurs and minority businesses realize their vision in an inclusive and supportive environment. To help small business owners reach their full potential, GFiber supplied the building with internet. 

“Our business relies on it. If we’re going to accept business via card, we need to be hooked up to a reliable internet system and Google Fiber does not fail us at all. I wouldn’t change it for anything,” says Janelle Doyle, owner of It’s Poppin Kettle Corn, a Market staple.

Doyle started her business in The Market in 2017. Since then, her kettle corn business went from a handful of flavors to a finger-licking 60, including customer favorites like cheesy caramel, fried chicken and cookies and cream. She says the role GFiber plays in her day-to-day life is even more pivotal during the holiday season when people’s appetites increase.

“The fact that GFiber is so reliable, it really does help us maintain a good customer relationship,” she says. “It’s essential to my livelihood. It’s one less thing I have to worry about. It’s quick, it’s fast and I haven’t had any problems with it at all. It’s reliable and dependable. GFiber checks all the boxes.”

About 20 feet away you’ll find Josh Villapando. The first-generation Filipino American has an eye for elegance and a taste tailored for it. His comprehensive and curated wine selection (along with vintage toys dating back to the 1940s) has operated at The Market since 2012.

“I remember seeing it advertised to greater Charlotte, and I could not wait. Sure enough, Google Fiber set up across the street. It was night and day, not just for us to run faster, but more efficiently and more reliably,” he says.

Similar to Doyle, the holiday season is big business for Villapando. He makes more than 50% of his revenue during this time, so the importance of fast and reliable internet is paramount.

“I don’t know how we could live without it. It’s essential,” he says. “I consult and give advice to other small business owners. I tell them, ‘You need a strong accountant, a very strong lawyer, a paper shredder and you definitely need super-fast and reliable internet service.’”

Posted by Jess George, Head of Government & Community Affairs Manager, East Region