October 2024 – From the beginning, Larry Farber referred to uptown nightclub Middle C Jazz as a bucket-list business venture.

He had long wanted to spotlight jazz and related genres in Charlotte, but he knew that success would require a mix of serving hard-core enthusiasts while creating events accessible to a broader audience.

Much like jazz itself, Farber’s approach reflects both discipline and improvisation.

Consider: The 190-capacity club caters to traditional jazz artists and performances on Fridays and Saturdays but delves into blues, R&B, funk and classic rock on other nights. To create revenue stability, Farber and his partners developed a perks-filled membership club for $350 annually. As Middle C approaches its fifth anniversary this weekend, membership now numbers 1,300 people. …

Those innovations, along with a partnership with local restaurateur Rare Roots Hospitality (Dressler’s, Fin & Fino), have pushed Middle C well beyond internal expectations. Farber told CBJ that he and his business partners, including sons Reid and Adam and Managing Partner Teddy Johnson, originally hoped to generate annual revenue in the range of $1 million to $1.5 million at this point. Instead, it’s hit $3 million.

Full Charlotte Business Journal article here.