Charlotte’s oldest gift shop is having a moment. The Buttercup started as a consignment shop in the basement of the Manor Theatre in the ’70s but quickly became the go-to place for big occasion gifts when they moved into the cottage on Providence Road that they now call home. Over the years, the five women who started the Myers Park staple faded out, and just one woman was left at the helm: Stewart Gordon. She recently sold the store to her son and daughter-in-law, Kim Gordon.
An Alabama native who moved to Charlotte in 1995, Kim does all the buying and says her Southern roots shine through in everything the store sells. “I love featuring local artists as much as I can,” she says. “The Buttercup started out as a consignment shop, and they had women doing macramé and handcrafted items that they would make in their homes and then consign at the store. This was back in the ’70s, and so I feel like we’ve had a 360 because those are the things people seek out now. They want to know the person and the story behind it.”
Kim has been slowly modernizing the store since she took over last summer, and she recently gave us a peek at some of the old staples The Buttercup is known for – as well as some of her new favorite finds.
The Buttercup is known as a great place to scoop up a great hostess gift – like hand towels with fun sayings like, “No woman has ever shot a man while he was washing dishes.” When paired with a bottle of wine or maybe a delicious food product from the shop, these hostess gifts will delight!
There are also areas of the shop to grab a baby gift or something for the man in your life. “I feel like people come to us for the big things – weddings, graduations, babies. I think they always have, but what I’ve tried to add is that you can also come and get a $15 fun thing for your friend’s birthday, or a husband can come in and buy a more expensive gift for their wife.”
The Buttercup has an entire section dedicated to locally made food products. “Charlotte is a little bit transient – people move here and then they move away,” Kim says, “so we have a lot of people looking for locally made foods to give as going away gifts.”
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They were the first store to sell the crazy popular (Charlotte-made!) Dee Dee’s Gourmet cheese straws, and they have a local woman who bakes a high-in-demand apple cake. Kim says, “She comes by a few times a week to keep up with all the orders. It’s like crack, so we try to always have them in the store.”
The entire second floor is dedicated to pretty paper! You can create your own custom crest, logo or monogram to adorn your personal set. Charlotte residents have relied on them for years to stock their desks with old-school custom stationery.
Next time you’re in need of a thoughtful gift for a friend or a fun treat just because, stop into The Buttercup where you’ll find a dose of all things Southern, thoughtful and unique!
The Buttercup is located at 343 Providence Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28207. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, call (704) 332-5329 or visit buttercupcharlotte.net.
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