North Carolina Businesses Get ‘Love Is Blind’ Boost
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A couple of weeks ago I got a text from a friend who runs a restaurant in Charlotte with a screen grab. Apparently, he got some free love with video footage of the exterior of his business from Netflix’s “Love is Blind.” The popular reality show on the streaming service had its latest season set and filmed in The Queen City. And his business was not alone. A couple of other Charlotte business didn’t just get some free publicity love from the show but have seen a boost in business from “Love is Blind.”
Nicole Steiger is the owner and operator of The Savvy Bride Boutique. Their twenty minutes of fame on “Love is Blind” has already had impact. The boutique has a social media manager. She’s had to have her hours extended. The Savvy Bride Boutique, a Charlotte area business, is now getting inquiries from as far away as Canada! Obviously, this excites Nicole Steiger as she tells WSOC-TV she is “Hoping that continues because it’s been really fun just getting our business out there.” And it’s always a sign that things are going well when your latest Facebook post is a help wanted solicitation.
Orlando Botero is the owner of “Lost and Found” nightclub. “Lost and Found” just casually mentioned his business (not unlike my restauranteur friend). He’s seen a bump in business and social media traffic as a result. Yup, if you’ve been making TikTok’s with “Lost and Found’s” sign in the background, it’s not escaped Orlando Botero’s notice. And he and his club have leaned into the recognition as well by hosting “Lost and Found” watch parties.
Shout out to “Love is Blind.” And more important, shout out to The Charlotte Regional Film Commission. This is the organization that helps production teams with locations, crew and vendors. In the last fiscal year, they have helped the film industry bring in nearly $60 million to the QC.
Number Of North Carolina Reality TV Singing Competition Winners Is Second In The Nation
Do you love reality TV singing competitions? I was once an avid viewer of American Idol back in the early seasons, but eventually gave that up. Partially due to the lack of the majority of contestants ever going on to have a successful music career. It just felt like a waste to watch and get emotionally attached to artists who you’d never hear from again. But many of these shows including American Idol and The Voice are still thriving and attracting both viewers and contestants. And here in North Carolina, we have the second-highest number of reality singing competition winners in the nation. Who would have thought? We actually had several contestants from North Carolina including Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry, and Clay Aiken but none of those three went on to win the competition.
But three others did, and all three represent different genres of music. Our friends over at BetCarolina.com – your source for North Carolina sports betting – utilized Wikipedia to gather each winner from each season of NBC’s “The Voice,” FOX & ABC’s “American Idol” as well as the singers who won on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” After compiling this data they were able to compile a list of the states that have produced the most singing competition winners. Do you think you remember the three North Carolina singing competition winners? Keep reading to see if you are correct!
Read BetCarolina’s full study and analysis here.
Charlie Nance is the Afternoon Drive co-host (along with his wife) of "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple have been with the radio station since 2006. Charlie has won the prestigious CMA (Country Music Association) Award for Radio Personality of the Year and has been a finalist for the Country Radio Hall of Fame four times. Prior to his time in Charlotte, Charlie (along with Debbie) spent more than a decade hosting successful morning radio shows in Greenville, SC; Augusta, Ga; and Birmingham, Al. As a content creator for Country 1037, Charlie writes about dream lottery windfalls, sports, restaurants and bars, and travel experiences in North and South Carolina.