Last chance to get pork belly tacos from iconic Midwood restaurant Soul Gastrolounge
Charlotte’s Soul Gastrolounge’s building is for sale, and the restaurant announced it will close its Plaza Midwood area location on Sunday, Aug. 14, due to a rise in rent.
Soul has been open in the Plaza Midwood area since 2009. The restaurant is known for being the longtime culinary and cultural anchor of the area.
The news was first reported by Charlotte Business Journal and confirmed by a statement from the company.
At the end of July, Owners Lesa and Andy Kastanas also closed Sister, an all-day European cafe formerly known as Kiki Bistro that is located in the same building, and Tattoo Lounge.
PLANS TO REOPEN: However, the owners are finalizing plans to relocate and reopen Soul Gastrolounge and Tattoo Lounge in Spring 2023.
Still, it’s a loss for a neighborhood that has seen so much change in recent years. The restaurant is the newest addition to the long list of businesses closing in Plaza Midwood — including The Penguin, Boris + Natasha, Reggae Central, Book Buyers, The Dog Salon, Yoga One and more.
“Our corner of Central and Pecan has been a magical place,” Lesa said in a statement.
NOT JUST CHARLOTTE FAMOUS: The restaurant known for its pork belly tacos with watermelon salsa has garnered national attention from publications including The New York Times, Lonely Planet, Eater and Thrillist.
Rising rents cited for closure
The Kastanases were notified of the sale of the building that houses their restaurants this spring by their landlords.
In June, they were told the leases would be restructured with a 114% increase in rent.
“It’s never easy to close a business,” Andy Kastanas said. “It’s emotionally and financially devastating, especially on the heels of the pandemic that our industry has hardly begun to recover from.
“We remind ourselves that we’re not alone,” Andy said. “Many of Charlotte’s restaurants that have recently closed share our story.”
Soul Gastrolounge
Location: 1500-B Central Ave., Charlotte
Neighborhood: Commonwealth/Plaza Midwood
This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 9:36 AM.
