After 7 years as a Charlotte staple, a 4th Ward tapas restaurant will close
After 7 years as a Third Place for neighbors in Charlotte’s Fourth Ward, the owners of Poplar Tapas have announced the restaurant will close permanently.
The closing date is Oct. 7. The restaurant will have regular hours this week and next. On Oct. 6 and 7, expect live music, good food, and bottles of wine for sale from the last of its inventory.
Co-owners Lucia Zapata Griffith and Bruno Macchiavello are promising a new venture in a new location, however.
“This is not a goodbye but a brief interlude,” they said in a joint statement emailed to CharlotteFive. “We ask our patrons and the community to stay tuned for an exciting new dining experience that will continue Poplar’s legacy of building community around the table.”
Griffith, who is also an architect, created a vibe by merging modern with traditional in a fusion of architectural design with an international feel. “People tell us they feel like they are somewhere else — Charleston or Europe or London or Lima,” she told CharlotteFive a few years ago.
Macchiavello brought his love of cooking and an international culinary education with him to the Fourth Ward restaurant: He studied in Peru, Italy and Brazil before coming to Charlotte. He also opened Viva Chicken and Yunta.
The Peruvian restaurant known for its ceviche and Pisco Sours made its home in the historic Morrison House on Poplar Street. Diners (including this writer, on many occasions) quite literally felt at home in the old house with the sprawling streetside patio. Visitors would often arrive early and stay until bedtime, talking with friends and neighbors, outside if the weather is nice — and especially on the evenings with live music.
Poplar
Location: 224 W 10th St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Cuisine: tapas
Instagram: @poplartapas
This story was originally published September 28, 2023 at 8:42 AM.
