In 1975, after retiring from Professional Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Charley Sands decided to open a chain of restaurants called Charley's in various cities of Virginia and North Carolina. The first opening occurred in Charlottesville, VA. The Lynchburg Charley's was the second to open on September 24, 1980 at the River Ridge Mall.The Lynchburg Charley's is now an independent restaurant owned and operated by Rob and MJ Pearson. Charley's moved to its new location on Graves Mill Road in 1996.
A new catering department was created in 2001 offering full service off-site catering for any events including business meetings, anniversaries, weddings and birthdays. The catering menus consist of Charley's favorites as well as creative new entrées
Charley's has received honors such as the Lynchburg Regional Chamber's Small Business of the Year in 2004 and 2012.