About Us

Tom and Sherie Hewitt purchased “Townsend’s Restaurant and Lounge” from the Townsend family in 1984. However, prior to 1984, the Hewitt's owned a construction company. Tom started the business small, but eventually hired a crew to keep up with demand. He and his crew became frequent customers at the restaurant in 1982. After a while, Tom became good friends with Harold and Julie Townsend. Periodically, the couple would tease Tom about buying the restaurant so they could retire. The on-going teasing soon became a case for real discussion for the Hewitt's. After some deliberation Tom and Sherie decided it would be a good venture to embark on. The Hewitt’s re-named it the "County Gavel" due to Charlotte being the County Seat and the many judges, lawyers, and county employees frequenting the establishment.

In 1987, after juggling the two businesses and a young family, Tom and Sherie decided it was time to dissolve the construction business and focus solely on the restaurant. After the growing pains of the previous three years and by centering their attention entirely on the restaurant, “The County Gavel” success continued to grow exponentially.

In the mid nineties, the Hewitt's completed a large-scale renovation on the entire dining room and lounge. The end-result created its cozy ambiance and increased the seating capacity from 120 to 138. In addition, “The County Gavel” was then changed to "The Gavel Restaurant and Lounge."

A more recent highlight we've enjoyed is to be the first restaurant in Charlotte to become entirely smoke-free in March, 2009. Another milestone is “The Gavel Restaurant and Lounge” celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2009.

“The Gavel” has won numerous People’s Choice Awards for: best server, best lunch, best dinner, best steak and continues its reputable excellence to date.

“The Gavel Restaurant and Lounge” has a long standing commitment to Charlotte and its surrounding communities. We value being a part of this community and we are always excited to be involved with many projects and fundraisers. In addition, we understand the importance of our customers and welcome any feedback or suggestions to make your experience with us as enjoyable as possible.

Sincerely,

Tom and Sherie Hewitt