Ballantyne Magazine covers news, events, real estate, restaurants, shopping, health, schools and business in the upscale Ballantyne Area of Charlotte, NC.
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chance MOST PEOPLE CONSIDER sports and food to be pleasant diversions, supplements that spice up the mundane aspects of the daily grind. Pete Watters and Erin Hunter are different. For this Ballantyne couple, athletic competitions and the culinary arts are essential to their normal activities, whether they are working during the day or playing at night. When we approached Watters and Hunter with the idea about being showcased in our latest Date Night — a popular, recurring feature that explores Ballantyne's entertainment and dining options — we had a feeling sports and food would play into their plans. The two have been dating since January 2010. Hunter works as a catering sales manager at The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, where she plans weddings, retirement parties and Sweet 16 celebrations. Watters is a coordinating producer for ESPNU, which is headquartered in Ballantyne. They met through mutual friends but immediately found common ground. "We're both die-hard Boston Red Sox fans," Hunter says. Though she's a North Carolina native and Watters is from Boston, they both grew up cheering on the fabled boys from Beantown, immediately bonding over their shared passion. "It was like a match made in WINTER 2010-2011 heaven," she says. It's not the only thing they have in common, though. "We love to eat," she says. "We love to try new places and sample new things, so we're always going out to dinner." This time, they were going out to dinner for us, pairing it with a social experience CELEBRATING TEN YEARS 2000-2010 special to Ballantyne that could be enjoyed by couples of all ages. Instead of the routine movie or drinks, Hunter and Watters decided to have fun in one of Ballantyne's newest adult-friendly playgrounds. They laced up their bowling shoes, filled their pockets with game tokens and kicked the night off at The Sports Connection. Bowled Over Ever since The Sports Connection opened in December 2007, the entertainment facility has drawn steady crowds from Ballantyne, Pineville, Matthews, Fort Mill and beyond. "There really aren't very many places like this," says Michelle Stern, the food and events manager at the Ballantyne location. While many parents know Sports Connection as a choice location for children's birthday parties, Stern says the site's activities have successfully lured kids of all ages. "We really do have something for everyone, from toddler ages right up until senior citizens," Stern says. RED SOX FANS ROLL A FEW FRAMES, MAKE CULINARY RUN FOR THE BORDER By Sean O'Connell Photos by Shane Baskin/Blackbox Studios Hunter and Watters decided they would go bowling at Sports Connection's new lanes, and were quick to point out the festive atmosphere. They were surrounded by other couples who seemed to be out on their own dates. Hunter even noticed men enjoying what she assumed was a "Guys' Night Out" at the bowling lanes. BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE 45