04/10/2026
A little NoDa history for your Friday! ☀️
Before we were slingin’ tacos on the corner, this building was the heartbeat of the North Charlotte mill village. Built in 1912 as Hand’s Pharmacy, it served the families of Highland Park Mill No. 3 and Johnston Mill for over 60 years.
Next time you’re at Cabo, look around at the history:
- 🏠 The Original 1912 Ceilings: Look up. Those 15-foot pressed-tin ceilings are the same ones Jasper worked under over a century ago. They’ve survived the Great Depression, the rise and fall of the mills, and even a fire in 1977. Every layer of paint is a decade of NoDa history.
- 🥤 The Soda Fountain: In the old interior photos, you can see the marble soda fountain along the north wall (on your right as you enter). Long before margaritas, Jasper was serving up Hires Root Beer and hand-mixed tonics to the neighborhood.
- 🧍♂️The Brotherhood Hall: Jasper envisioned the second floor as a community meeting place. For years, it hosted local unions and lodges, making it the primary gathering spot for mill workers to hangout after their shifts.
- 🧑⚕️ The Doctor Upstairs: Those separate outside stairs? They led to Dr. McClosky’s medical practice. Back then, you’d visit the doc upstairs and head downstairs to Jasper to fill your prescription.
Come check it out yourself!
Charlotte NC Restaurant | NoDa History
