Bar owner speaks out after arson destroys west Charlotte business

CHARLOTTE — A west Charlotte bar was destroyed by fire last Friday, allegedly set by a man who had previously threatened to burn it down.

James Johnson was arrested in connection with the arson at The Garden Bar and Lounge on Tuckaseegee Road.

Johnson faces multiple charges, including possession of a weapon of mass destruction, for allegedly using Molotov cocktails in the incident that left the business a total loss.

According to authorities, Johnson is accused of making threats after being asked to leave the bar by security personnel. He is currently held in the Mecklenburg County Jail with no bond.

Court documents indicate that the suspect attempted to burn down the bar shortly after being ejected and later left a threatening note at the establishment.

Trey, the bar operator for The Garden Bar and Lounge, recounted the initial threat made by Johnson as he was being asked to leave.

“I’m going to come back, and I’m going to burn this place down,” Trey said Johnson stated.

Just 30 minutes after Johnson left the bar, a Molotov cocktail was reportedly thrown over a fence at the establishment, according to court documents.

However, no damage resulted from this initial attempt.

The harassment continued, with Johnson allegedly returning the next day to place a note on the bar’s door.

“The next day, the guy came and put a letter on our door and said that if you don’t fire the staff member that confronted him, that he would come back and he would burn the building down,” Trey stated.

Last Friday, more Molotov cocktails were reportedly thrown at the business, leading to the fire that consumed the bar.

Video footage from Charliit showed the extent of the blaze, with “That tree done caught, the core done caught, the car done caught,” as observed by a witness.

Trey highlighted the significant investment lost in the fire. “We had hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in this business. Time, effort,” he said. A GoFundMe has been created to help the business recover.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department stated that Johnson, the man accused of setting the fire, was apprehended when he returned to the scene while police were investigating.

Trey confirmed how Johnson was identified. “One of the people who was here that saw that photo happened to see him walking across the street from us, right in front of the building, and they said, ‘There goes the guy right there,’” Trey said.

Trey also expressed the emotional toll the destruction has taken on him and his business. “No words can describe the time, the effort it took to build this place up,” he commented.

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