South End Spanish Club offers a space to practice Spanish, meet new people, and connect with the city’s Hispanic and Latin American communities, from Spanish-speaking cultures to others across Latin America.
Why it matters: Language clubs like this one help everyone, from native speakers to beginners, connect and get more involved in Charlotte’s growing Hispanic community, which has grown 22% in size in the past four years across Mecklenburg and surrounding counties, per The Observer.
- It’s an especially poignant mission during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Catch up quick: South End Spanish Club began in 2020 as a small group meeting at the old Sycamore Brewing to practice speaking Spanish.
- In 2023, the language club moved its monthly social nights to Hi-Wire Brewing. They still take place every third Thursday of the month.
- Co-founder Julio Gaviria says attendance really took off this past February, with events now drawing 100+ RSVPs.
Context: Gaviria, a native Spanish speaker, said the idea for the club grew out of a trip to Madrid with his wife. She had been learning Spanish through his family, and after their travels, she came home eager to keep practicing.
- “She kept saying, ‘I wish there was a place to do this here,'” Gaviria recalled.
- That trip sparked what’s now one of Charlotte’s fastest-growing language clubs.
What to expect: The group’s monthly Spanish social nights are its most consistent event — free to attend and open to all levels of Spanish speakers.
- In between, the club usually hosts one or two additional social events, often partnering with Latino-owned businesses. In the past, they’ve popped up at Salud’s Coffee Beats and Caffeto Sessions.
By the numbers: The turnout is typically 60–70% from Latino backgrounds and 30–40% with no background or prior Spanish experience, Gaviria says.
I’ve been to several of the club’s events, like their monthly meetup at Hi-Wire in February shown above. Every time I’ve gone, I’ve made friends with someone whose Spanish is far stronger than mine. All that to say, I always feel welcomed as someone still learning. Photo: McKenzie Rankin/Axios
Between the lines: Beyond being a language club, it also addresses Charlotte’s loneliness challenges by giving people a social outlet.
- Gaviria, who is a full-time financial planner and runs the club with co-organizer Ana Robles, says the mission is simple: “The whole goal of this is to connect people through Spanish.”
The intrigue: The club is also tapping intoCharlotte’s rising wellness culture by hosting health and wellness events with a bilingual twist.
- In September, South End Spanish Club threw its first “Muévete Mornings,” a wellness day party featuring fitness classes taught in Spanglish, Venezuelan food from Brasas, Colombian coffee from Caffeto, plus local wellness vendors.
What they’re saying: “Learning another language connects us. The most exposure many people get to Latin culture happens through language,” Gaviria said…