Landlord sues burger restaurant, coffee shop over proposed Matthews locations

MATTHEWS, N.C. — A property owner in Matthews is suing a popular local burger chain and a coffee shop.

According to our partners at the Charlotte Business Journal, SNY Holdings LLC filed lawsuits against Harriet’s Hamburgers IV and Fly Kid Fly 2, alleging breach of lease agreements at 101 West John St. in Matthews.

Harriet’s is a Charlotte-based burger restaurant, while Fly Kid Fly is a coffee shop with a location currently in Ballantyne.

The lawsuit says both restaurant concepts have defaulted on their lease obligations, failing to pay base rent and shared costs. Harriet’s Hamburgers owes $24,805.10, while Fly Kid Fly owes $9,301.50 as of March 2025.

The CBJ reported that SNY Holdings LLC has owned the property since June 2018, having purchased it for $305,000. The landlord inked lease agreements with Harriet’s Hamburgers IV and Fly Kid Fly 2 in March 2024.

The complaints allege that both tenants have defaulted on their obligation to pay base rent as well as their share of common-area costs and other fees.

Harriet’s Hamburgers displayed a status of closed for that location, and the last activity on that permit was noted in February 2025.

A spokesperson for Harriet’s Hamburgers provided a statement to Channel 9, saying, “Harriet’s Hamburgers strongly disagrees with the characterization of events described in the lawsuit.” The spokesperson added that the lease contained a landlord termination right tied to an opening deadline and the company requested an extension of that deadline.

They said, “We were supremely disappointed by the landlord’s decision, but remain fully committed to opening a Harriet’s location in Matthews and are actively evaluating alternative sites in the community.”

We’ve reached out to Fly Kid Fly 2 for a comment on the lawsuit, but we haven’t heard back yet.

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