New social bar, tasting room opens in Midwood — and it has a swing
The next time you’re craving bubbly with a cotton candy garnish while on a wooden swing, we know just the spot.
A private social lounge and tasting room called Members Only has opened up at 2413 Central Ave., in the space where wine bar Cork and Crate operated until closing in the fall. It will serve craft cocktails, local craft beer and will eventually include a high-end food truck.
Its owner Kimberly Wilkinson, a Johnson C. Smith University business marketing grad, also opened Juice Box Juice Bar in NoDa in November 2017.
“I always knew that once I graduated from Johnson C. Smith, I was going to spend my life backpacking the world,” Kimberly Wilkinson told CharlotteFive. “But I found out I was pregnant with my daughter two months before graduation. People asked me what I wanted to do with my life, and I said, ‘I want to work for myself.’”
Using the tools she learned while researching for her senior exit project at JCSU, Wilkinson created a business plan, sent it over to the property owner of the NoDa space and soon after launched her entrepreneurial career. She started out with a clothing boutique, Vivian B’s, which was named for her grandmother. Finding little success, she decided to rebrand into a juice bar after seeing a need in the neighborhood.
As the juice bar took off, she held onto her dream of opening a bar.
When Wilkinson learned that Cork and Crate would be closing, she contacted the owners to discuss bringing a new business into the space.
“Luckily they were offering the space the way it was and everything that came with it, including a food truck. It was perfect. I made the decision to purchase within 3 days.”
The only changes are new furniture, a larger bar area, newly designed walls and a photo-worthy swing that is sure to be the talk of social media in the coming months.
You’ll need a $10 annual membership to get into the bar. There will also be a gold-tier membership available for $200 per year, which will get you access to monthly private events hosted in the space, as well as special discounts on featured drinks.
The bar will feature local craft beers, wines including grab-and-go bottles and special craft cocktails including The Members Only, which is Luc Belaire sparkling wine topped with cotton candy.
There will be a permanent food truck on site serving a full menu that Wilkinson is describing as “Ruth’s Chris on wheels” during the bar’s hours. While the truck is being rebuilt, guest food trucks will fill in for a few months. You will also be able to catch weekend brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, which will include speciality mimosas.
“I want this to be a neighborhood chill spot but also great enough for a date night,” Wilkinson said. “You can come in and play games, hang with your friend, and still get a great cosmopolitan or French 75. I want this to be Plaza Midwood’s social spot.”
Members Only
2413 Central Ave.
Open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until late night.
