From Jamaican jerk chicken to cocktails, here’s what to expect at this new NoDa spot
Roy’s Kitchen and Patio — targeting a late-June opening — will soon join NoDa’s booming food scene in the space formerly occupied by Mangos Caribbean restaurant to the left of Haberdish.
Charlotte sees a lot of restaurant openings, but the story behind Roy’s Kitchen and Patio sets it apart.
“It’s kind of a sad story with a happy ending,” said Courtney Nesmith, owner of Roy’s Kitchen and Patio.
Nesmith said Mangos had great food that people enjoyed, but never really had the total package with customer service. Earlier this year, the restaurant fell on hard times, so Nesmith and his business partners decided to buy the business.
But this isn’t just a story of a restaurant under new ownership — this is about keeping a restaurant owner’s dream alive. Dennis Roy Grant, the former owner of Mangos, is from Jamaica. He’s an electrician by trade but grew up working in kitchens. His lifelong dream was to have his own restaurant. Cue Mangos. Now, he’ll be working alongside the staff at Roy’s Kitchen and Patio, both with the chef in the back of the house and checking on the guests out front.
“With us stepping in with Roy’s Kitchen and Patio, we’re actually trying to help his dream come true,” Nesmith said. “The restaurant will be under new ownership, but it will let him have something that he’s going to live through.”
THE FOOD
NoDa has Southern food. Latin American food. Mexican food. Roy’s Kitchen and Patio will add to the already impressive lineup with Jamaican and Caribbean flavors.
“We’re taking a twist on it to where it’s going to be rotisserie and island fare,” Nesmith said. “I’ve seen a lot of great successes doing the rotisserie chicken.”
You can look forward to both jerk rotisserie chicken and island rotisserie chicken. The island flavors will be more muted, but the jerk will taste like traditional jerk from the islands — it’s Roy’s family recipe.
Roy’s Kitchen and Patio will bring back the island fare portion of Mangos menu, but will represent more than just the Caribbean in its diversity. Look for items like Hawaiian fried rice, empanadas of the month (in unique flavors like cheeseburger, pizza and plantain) and other items that head chef Richelle Espinosa Brewer will throw a twist on.
“A lot of the stuff in-house is made from old family recipes from Roy’s family and the sous chef’s family. We’re taking flavors from all over the islands,” Nesmith said.
There will also be handheld fare, including chicken kabobs, during special events and catered events.
THE DRINKS
Beverage Director Erynn Greer is currently working on a cocktail menu that’s reminiscent of tropical drinks you may have enjoyed on a family vacation to the beach or the islands.
“You really don’t see those cocktails on a regular basis,” Nesmith said. “We’re working on infusions right now because we want to make sure that we’re using fresh juices and ingredients out of our kitchen.”
Right now, Grier is working on a plantain-infused simple syrup for an Old Fashioned. There will also be pop-up events with drinks served in coconuts and pineapples.
Nesmith describes the cocktail scene at Roy’s Kitchen and Patio as the middle-ground between the elevated drinks from Haberdish and the classic options from Jack Beagle’s.
A FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE
“The biggest part of this is not just having the food and drinks from the islands,” Nesmith said. “I’ve been a stickler of the service industry in hospitality for my whole life. I am hawking on customer service to our staff members to give to our customers. That employee touch could take that food into another dimension. We want people to feel like, ‘Hey, am I in Charlotte still, or am I on the islands?’ The staff is very friendly.”
Nesmith brings 16 years of expertise in the bar and restaurant industry to Roy’s Kitchen and Patio. He was the general manager at Vida Cantina and Kitchen, Suite and worked with the bar management group that runs Alive After Five. In 2012, he decided to start consulting with bars and restaurants like Prohibition and Draught and has worked with other establishments since.
“My years of being in the industry I’ve learned day in and day out, you need to remind your staff that these people are coming here for an experience of food, drinks and fun, and you’ve got to give it to them,” Nesmith said.
“I never wanted to be an owner, but I love pleasing people and giving them something they can love. Which is what we did with Roy’s Kitchen and Patio,” Nesmith said. “I tried to see what they were doing correctly, what they were doing wrong, what’s happening in the neighborhood, how we could be a great addition to the neighborhood without being competition, and at the same time offer a little bit more.”
THE AMBIANCE
Roy’s Kitchen and Patio will have an indoor dining area and a back-deck bar area with limited seating. Currently, Nesmith and his team are in the process of building a back patio area, as well. You can expect community tables and games like cornhole, Jenga and (hopefully) ping-pong. The best part? It’s dog friendly — and pup-approved: Nesmith’s bulldog, Rosie, loves to go back there and sunbathe.
Nesmith and his team are also prepared to implement and follow regulations related to COVID-19.
“We’ll have the tables 6 feet apart. Staff members will have on masks and be wearing gloves, and have taken any and every course that’s out there to prepare us to deal with this situation and make sure we’re being super sanitary. We’re taking all those precautions,” he said.
The interior will change from bright orange, green and yellow to a more subtle hint of the islands.
“We wanted to tone it down a bit to a more relaxed environment so that when you leave the indoor dining area and go out to the bar, then you feel like you stepped out of your hotel and into that back beach,” Nesmith said.
Monday nights will feature a crab leg boil with rock and reggae tunes (think: Sublime, 311, Incubus). Other nights will showcase Calypso and Jimmy-Buffett-esque sounds. All music will be programmed by local DJ company Radical Grove, which you’ll find familiar from Lost and Found, Merchant and Trade, QC Social, SIP, Ink N Ivy and more.
“These guys really know what they’re doing as far as music programming,” Nesmith said, noting that the founder has played for Justin Timberlake and other celebrities.
The music will be live some nights and during events, and Radical Grove will provide a track list cultivated for the island vibe on other evenings.
“We’re definitely going to try to cater to the neighborhood, “Nesmith said. “Once we do get open and roll out with our menu, if there’s something that fits in what our profile is going to be that the neighborhood wants, we’re going to do it.”
Roy’s Kitchen and Patio
3112 N. Davidson St.
Instagram: @RoysNoDa
