by Jacqueline Pennington

Justin Hazelton has taken on many roles in the Charlotte mixology scene while working his way up to running his own concept. Starting out as a bartender, Hazelton climbed the ranks to bar manager, director, and eventually consultant. He first started to get noticed while working the bar at the original 5Church. From there, he moved next door to Sophia’s Lounge before taking over beverage direction for FS Group’s restaurants and SB&J Group to build out bar programs at the Charlotte airport. It was around that time that Hazelton started working as the mixologist for Soul Food Sessions, a nonprofit founded to raise awareness and enhance opportunities for black chefs. There, he connected with Greg and Subrina Collier, an introduction that led to Hazelton building the bar program at Leah & Louise. 

With Leah & Louise earning national recognition and Hazelton earning a reputation as one of the best in the city, the mixologist found himself entering a chapter that would allow him to open his own concept at The Bar at Refuge in Plaza Midwood. Lorem Ipsum, a listening bar, opened in 2023 and has found an abundance of support and success in its residency. (Sample Hazelton’s skills in our Old-Fashioned Sampler Kit). That success has given Hazelton the opportunity to continue growing his presence in Charlotte with another project currently in the works. 

Hazelton was true to himself in creating his first solo concept. His passion for creating cocktails and his love of music brought his bar to life. “Lorem Ipsum is a true expression of where I am and who I am,” Hazelton says. “It’s also a good snapshot of where Charlotte is. What I’ve been able to witness here is bringing out a mixture of people who I didn’t see before. The big question always was: Is Charlotte ready? Absolutely. Create it and let the flower grow. If you make it, they actually will come.”

Here is what a day in his life looks like.

7:45 a.m.: Hazelton wakes up slowly, hydrates, and takes some time to relax in the morning before getting into work mode. Once he’s ready for the day, he skips breakfast, checks his email and to-do list, and may stop by Night Swim Coffee or Haraz Coffee House before heading into Lorem Ipsum.

10:30 a.m.: After getting settled at the bar, whether that be in his office or in the main space, Hazelton uses the next several hours to tackle any admin work that needs to be done and takes some time to get creative. “It’s a mixture of doing bar stuff, admin work, and DJ stuff. There’s different needs for different days,” says Hazelton. “Then, we’re doing a lot of ideation and building systems of expression because we’re talking about music and cocktails and people connecting. The beautiful thing about it is that I get to be surrounded by all of my passions every day.” Hazelton always has a lineup of musicians at Lorem Ipsum — whether it’s local artists performing live or DJs that play until close. He considers himself a “nerd” who loves the fine details in music which lends to the full experience customers get to be a part of in his bar.

While Hazelton tries to build structure into his days, he finds himself being pulled in many directions. “My schedule right now…it’s a very interesting time. Everything’s kind of in the air to get the new place together and run a new business. I have a pretty grueling schedule and it changes a lot. What I’m trying to find more of right now is a little bit of a balance between work and home…it’s very tough to do that when you have as many things going on as me. So, I’m not necessarily proud of my schedule right now. It’s just what I need to do to get stuff done.”

3 p.m.: After eating some lunch, likely from Calle Sol, and wrapping up his time in the office, Hazelton jumps in to help prep Lorem Ipsum for the night. “My opener comes in at 4 p.m.,” says Hazelton. “We open at 6 p.m. so we have to be ready for that. We’re doing or talking about what’s going on for the day with the team. Then, I either get ready for pre-shift for Lorem Ipsum or I would take an hour to do what I need to do at my new concept.”

6 p.m.: With a team he trusts to manage the bar without him, Hazelton normally heads home between 5 and 7 p.m. depending on what he has to wrap up for the day. “I’m also a husband, a father, and a dog dad,” says Hazelton. “I go back home to my family and do whatever I want to do. I hang out with them and get my house in order.”

10 p.m.: Hazelton keeps at it even after his family has turned in for the night. “I’m a nocturnal animal,” says Hazelton. “I will spend time with the family until 10 or 11 p.m. and then I will be up doing some work, researching, and messing with music. I don’t lay it down until 1 a.m. and that’s being nice and generous. Sometimes, I can stay up later.”