Restaurant closes but is opening elsewhere, brunch spot opens, the Soul of Plaza Midwood
Hey Charlotte! 👋 It’s a steamy weekend ahead, so we’re rounding up the freshest food and drink intel from today’s CharlotteFive newsletter — closures, openings, ice cream crawls and one very vacant Plaza Midwood corner everyone’s whispering about. Grab an iced coffee and let’s get into it. ☕
🔎 So… what’s going into Soul Gastrolounge’s old building?
The corner of Central and Pecan has been sitting empty for almost four years. Evan reports that online chatter suggests Wild Wing Cafe could be eyeing the space, but the chain hasn’t confirmed anything to CharlotteFive yet. Around the same time, signs for a mysterious “Mattress Center” — which has zero online footprint and sounds suspiciously close to Mattress Firm — appeared in the windows. 🤔
City records aren’t much help either. The last permit on file is a 2010 pre-submittal meeting for the old Twenty Two wine shop. Woodhaven Development Group bought the site for $3 million in February 2023, and since then? Crickets. Soul Gastrolounge left in 2022 after a dramatic rent hike and reopened in NoDa in 2025, leaving the prominent Plaza Midwood corner as a kind of symbol for the neighborhood’s gentrification debate.
📍 4110 Raleigh St #120 (the NoDa Soul Gastrolounge spot).
🗞️ Check out the full story here and cast your vote on what should move in.
🍳 Another Broken Egg cracks open in Concord
Brunch lovers, mark your calendars. Another Broken Egg Cafe just opened a new spot in Christenbury Village, courtesy of North Carolina-based restaurant group FourFiveNine Global. According to Tanasia, the menu leans Southern with chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and a lobster & brie omelette that sounds like a vacation on a plate. 🦞
The owners said they couldn’t wait to bring the same energy from their first location to Concord. “After the incredible culture we’ve built at our first location, we knew Concord deserved that same energy, and we can’t wait for guests to experience everything we have to offer,” a company rep said. There’s a full bar with craft cocktails, mimosas and Bloody Marys, plus rotating seasonal offerings. Hours are 7 a.m.–2 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m.–3 p.m. weekends.
📍 2420 Herrons Nest Pl NW #101, Concord.
🗞️ Full story here.
🍖 Mac’s Speed Shop says goodbye to Matthews, hello to Fort Mill
Heads up, BBQ fans: Mac’s Speed Shop abruptly closed its Matthews location last week after nearly 10 years, with owners citing a lease they couldn’t renew. But the news isn’t all sad — Tanasia reports the Charlotte-based chain is opening its ninth location in Fort Mill, South Carolina, in the next couple of weeks. 🎉
“The new location will feature the same authentic barbecue, cold beer, live music, and laid-back atmosphere that our guests have come to expect from Mac’s, while allowing us to continue growing and serving a vibrant, rapidly expanding community,” co-founder Wynn Davis said. Expect the signature slow-smoked meats and sides, but with an “elevated” look and feel. It joins existing spots in South End, Steele Creek, Concord and Lake Norman.
🗞️ Get the full scoop here.
🥙 Vote for Charlotte’s best Greek restaurant
Calling all gyro enthusiasts and spanakopita devotees! 🗳️ CharlotteFive’s latest Readers’ Choice poll has narrowed it down to 10 Greek restaurant nominees, and now it’s your turn to push your favorite into the Top 5. Heads up — Showmars and Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe didn’t make the cut because they have too many locations nationwide (the contest caps eligibility at fewer than 20).
Eligible spots span the Charlotte area, including Lake Norman, Gastonia, Matthews, Mint Hill and Fort Mill.
🗞️ Cast your vote in the full Readers’ Choice contest and refresh to vote again. (Yes, really.)
🍨 Tristan’s ice cream picks for a hot weekend
If you’re hunting frozen treats this weekend, Tristan has done the homework. In his “Tristan Scoops Charlotte” series, he’s been sampling the city’s best — and two of his standouts deserve your attention on this hot weekend.
The Local Scoop stood out for its higher butterfat content, in-house churning and serious local sourcing — they partner with nearby farms and farmers markets. Tristan went with his usual peanut buttercup waffle cone sundae and called it “creamy, smooth and dangerously easy to eat too fast.”
📍 Try Promenade on Providence, Matthews or East Woodlawn.
Then there’s Two Scoops Creamery in Plaza Midwood, where Tristan sampled flavors like Papi Crunch (yellow cereal milk with Cap’n Crunch berries), Red Velvet Cake Batter and the electric-blue Cookie Monster. Started by three best friends in 2016, the shop now has six locations and more than 200 rotating flavors, including dairy-free options.
📍 913 Central Ave (plus five more around the metro).
🍤 Brunch like a “mover and shaker” at Eddie’s Place
Melissa recommends hitting Eddie’s Place in Cotswold, the Cajun-inspired spot that’s been around for nearly three decades and is reportedly where Charlotte’s “movers and shakers” gather. Even recently visited, and he scored chicken and waffles plus a hearty bowl of gumbo for $25, tax included.
Most entrées run $13–$20. 📍 617 S. Sharon Amity Rd.
🗞️ Read his full review here.
🏖️ One more for the road: NC’s No. 1 beach
If Charlotte’s heat has you dreaming of sand, Holden Beach just took the top spot on USA Today’s 10Best list of North Carolina beaches, reports Simone, climbing from No. 3 last year. Located in Brunswick County about 40 miles from Wilmington, it has fewer than 1,000 year-round residents and around 8 miles of beachfront — perfect if you want quiet over crowds. 🐚
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This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists. To learn more about how The Charlotte Observer is using AI in our newsroom, see our policy here.