White Duck, Vivace, Capishe, Brixx: Charlotte restaurant news from the past month
Charlotte’s restaurant scene is constantly changing, and if it seems like it’s happening faster than ever, you’re not alone. It can be hard to keep up with all the new places to try or remember which places have closed. Here’s a look at some Charlotte’s dining news from last month.
RESTAURANT OPENINGS
Belmont Cocktail Club is now open. Drive 22 minutes from uptown Charlotte and you’ll find yourself on a Main Street with a Southern barbecue restaurant owned by the Jonas brothers’ father, a cotton candy store that employs people with developmental disabilities and now — a craft cocktail bar with a chef-driven menu. The Belmont Cocktail Club quietly opened recently in the former Luna Hombre restaurant at the Belmont Drug Company building.
Matcha Cafe Maiko had its grand opening Nov. 30. The Honolulu-based cafe has expanded into Charlotte at The Arboretum. Matcha Cafe Maiko began serving high-quality Japanese treats in Honolulu in 2016, and has since opened more locations around the United States and U.S. territories.
Capishe opened a location in SouthPark on Dec. 6. Capishe opened its second location on Morrison Boulevard, inside a former Bojangles that includes a shared space with Wendy’s. Co-owner Bruce Willette told CharlotteFive that customers have been requesting a Capishe in SouthPark and Huntersville over other neighborhoods in the area. “There’s a big demand for what we offer, and there aren’t too many pizza places or a ton of fast-casual in the area,” he said. “A lot of new restaurants opening are higher dollar, and us being family friendly will be a welcome addition to the SouthPark area — it’s a good match.”
Mal Pan is now open. Bold flavors. Lots of fresh spices. Authentic Mexican liquors. These are all things that owner Andre Lomeli uses to describe the new fast-casual concept he’s bringing to SouthPark. This taqueria and bar that was inspired by his former restaurant in San Diego offers a menu that isn’t found often in the Charlotte area.
Tiff’s Treats opened its second Charlotte location in uptown on Dec. 7. The company keeps the menu simple, offering cookie flavors you remember your mom making, said co-owner Tiffany Chen. A flavor of the week, typically a seasonal variety, rotates every few weeks.
Velvet Taco opened Dec. 9. It’s the latest in the Optimist Hall food hall offerings, and it has a varied menu. Try the Nashville hot tofu or angus brisket on your next visit.
Chopt opened uptown on Dec. 11. This is the fourth location for the brand, which launched in Charlotte in 2015 with its Park Road Shopping Center spot. It also has locations in Blakeney and at the Arboretum.
Sabor Latin Grill opened its 14th (14th!!) location inside the Lynx light rail station at JW Clay Boulevard on Taco Tuesday: Dec. 17.
Studio Movie Grill opened its second location on Dec. 18. Watch a movie while noshing on burgers, pizza and salads. (But remember you’re eating in the dark, so be aware of what you order.) The Prosperity Village theater features luxury recliners in 10 dine-in auditoriums. Relax before or after the movie at the full-service bar and lounge area.
Room and Board celebrated its soft opening in mid December. After a year of planning and construction, Charlotte-based brothers Jamie Sprowles and Justin Sprowles have opened Room and Board, a bar and grill style restaurant in NoDa.
Deluxe, The Fine Art of Dining, opened in the former Loft & Cellar. Several months after Loft & Cellar shut its doors, the owners of Deluxe Catering opened a restaurant and bar in the three-story uptown building. “It’s not just the food, it’s a kind of art here,” co-owner Tatyana Khom told The Charlotte Observer. “We took small ideas and wrapped it into something different.”
White Duck Taco opened in Charlotte’s Belmont neighborhood on Dec. 22. Banh Mi Tofu. Bangkok Shrimp. Jerk Chicken. No, these are not dishes from the menus of international restaurants. But they are a few of the taco options from Asheville-based White Duck Taco. This is the first of several Charlotte-area locations.
Devil’s Logic Brewery opened Dec. 27. It is housed in a 1926 building that sits on the edge of Cherry and Elizabeth neighborhoods — where breweries up to this point have been nonexistent. There are two outdoor patios, one elevated and with a clear view of uptown during nice weather. An event space will hold 65 people and has a projector and the ability to run video conferencing.
SAD NEWS IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY
After Scott Brooks was fatally shot on Dec. 9, Brooks’ Sandwich House has closed temporarily. The evening of his death, hundreds of mourners gathered at Brooks’ to say goodbye to Scott. “Guys, you don’t know how much this means to me,” twin brother David Brooks said to the crowd. “My heart’s broken, but my spirit’s not broken. We are going to be back.”
RESTAURANT CLOSINGS
Brixx closed its uptown location on Dec. 15. Uptown pizza fans, all is not lost. “We are actively seeking a new Uptown home to continue serving the professionals, travelers, families, Charlotte sports fans and all of our own fiercely local, fun fans who spend time in Center City,” read a statement on the restaurant’s front door. All team members were being relocated to one of the other Charlotte-area Brixx spots.
WP Kitchen closed Dec. 19. Thanks for the memories, WP Kitchen. We’ll never forget the time Wolfgang Puck himself showed Katie Toussaint how to make — and eat — pizza properly. We enjoyed the Father’s Day brunches, the wine and tapas weeks, the autumn plates of pine nut purée, apple butter and maple brown butter gastrique.
Vivace closed Dec. 31. As the rest of the world was saying goodbye to a decade, Urban Food Group was saying goodbye to one of its restaurants. Italian restaurant Vivace closed its Metropolitan location after dinner service on New Year’s Eve. The restaurant had been open since 2009.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Goodyear House to open this month. The Goodyear House is slowly but surely changing owner A.J. Klenk’s vision into reality. Slowly but surely is actually the perfect speed for a restaurant named as such — a good-year house is one traditionally added on to when years are good, Klenk told CharlotteFive. The restaurant itself is Klenk’s first of three, each of them side by side in former mill homes on North Davidson Street. The Goodyear House will open later this month. Then, Klenk will create a second restaurant to the right of GYH. A third building sits to the left, where he will eventually add a third restaurant. “We will zone them all as one property, then you can walk with your drink from restaurant to restaurant,” he said.
The Studio to celebrate grand opening on Jan. 11. Hoppin’ Brands (of Hoppin’ in South End and Pinhouse near Plaza Midwood) has a new project: The Studio is now in its soft opening at 2501 South Blvd., between Mac’s Speed Shop and SouthBound Restaurant.
Cavendish Brewing Company to open in later January. Another choice for craft beer buffs is coming to Central Avenue in Plaza Midwood, thanks to the recent collaboration between Zada Jane’s Corner Cafe and Cavendish Brewing Company. The breakfast spot will still be Zada Jane’s by day but will turn into the Cavendish Brewing Social House nightly.
BurgerIM to open in South Charlotte this month. The popular California-based chain introduced its concept of “always more than one” back in 2016, giving customers more than a million ways to customize their burgers. Since then, the company has opened nearly 500 stores across the country — and in just a few weeks, it will bring a third location in the area to South Charlotte’s City Park community.
Oh My Soul vegan cafe coming to NoDa. Tallulah Duffin co-owns Oh My Soul with her husband, Richard, who both hail from South Africa. They started serving up hearty vegan food – waffles, “vurgers” and way more – just over a year ago at Oh My Soul Café in Durban North, which overlooks the Indian Ocean. Now, Oh My Soul’s second location will be located in the former Red House Cafe mill house on North Davidson Street.
Bargarita to open in NoDa soon: Since NoDa mainstay Solstice Tavern closed last November, Charlotteans have been walking past its boarded-up windows, anticipating the restaurant that would take its place along the popular strip of restaurants and bars along North Davidson Street. Now, the wait is almost over. Bargarita, the latest concept from the Mason Jar Group, will open in this location.
AC Hotel to open its rooftop bar in SouthPark before spring. You’ll want to visit the eighth-floor bar. It will feature skyline views, indoor and outdoor seating for up to 100 people and a menu of craft beverages — look for locally inspired gin and tonic cocktails and tapas-style small bites. AC Lounge, on the first floor, will offer a secondary space, serving small plates and drinks.
Little Mama’s will open around March in SouthPark. The owners of Mama Ricotta’s are busy getting ready for Little Mama’s Italian, which will open around March in the former Zebra location in SouthPark (next to Diamonds Direct). The restaurant is based on owner Frank Scibelli’s experiences growing up in Massachusetts visiting Italian restaurants in the 1970s.
Lost Worlds Brewing to open within the next few months. Dave and Allison Hamme will open their Lake Norman-area brewery and tap room, Lost Worlds Brewing — a name that comes from Dave Hamme’s love of traveling and exploring the world. “We want to be a place where people can come together and talk about their adventures over beer,” Hamme told CharlotteFive.
Camp North End opening food stalls by springtime. Visitors can look forward to hand-cut noodles, farm-to-table fare and gourmet desserts. Bow Ramen, Bleu Barn Bistro and Wentworth & Fenn are expected to open in March 2020. The stalls will be outdoors — with heaters, shade and community tables.
Orto will open in the spring. James Beard-nominated chef Paul Verica hopes to create a casual NoDa neighborhood standby in his new Italian restaurant, Orto, that will offer the quality and creativity he’s become known for at The Stanley at a price point that can make regulars of Charlotte’s foodies. The spring opening of this new Italian joint adds to the argument that everyone loves Italian — and to the evidence that Charlotte restaurateurs are banking on it.
Anomaly to open in the spring. The 22-seat restaurant (location TBD, but probably Dilworth) will be run by chef Samuel Hart and sommelier Erin Skaryak (you recognize her from 5Church, Mere’s and Foxcroft).
Protagonist Beer expanding into LoSo in summer 2020. The team will take over the Great Wagon Road Distillery/ Broken Spoke venue. Protagonist’s original plan was to expand next into Optimist Park, and the brewery still plans to do that eventually, said Mike Salzarulo, Co-Founder of Protagonist.
The Degenerate opening this year. Tater tot poutine. Banh mi for breakfast. Later this year, this and more will be available at The Degenerate, a sports bar/gastropub set to open in Villa Heights. Located at 2116 N. Davidson St., it promises more internationally-inspired, yet homey fusions, as well as draft cocktails.
Tupelo Honey expanding into six more locations, including uptown in winter 2020. Tupelo Honey can be found in 14 locations across seven states. And soon, the company will bring six more — with one coming to uptown Charlotte. The new restaurant will be located at the corner of Trade and Tryon streets in the Bank of America Plaza.
Saku to open in March. An Asian restaurant is coming to a new uptown Charlotte tower in March. The 1,330-square-foot restaurant, Saku, heading to 5th Street will be between Connolly’s On Fifth and Hearst Tower. The restaurant will be in the Binaco Tower at 123 E. 5th St., which broke ground in July. The five-story, 13,000-square-foot building is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Boga Mexicana to open in February 2020. Boga Mexicana, a Mexican restaurant taking over the space where The Packhouse used to be, is anticipated to open in February 2020. Vishnu Varthanan, the new owner of the space who is a restaurant operator in Germany, said Boga Mexicana will be an upscale Mexican restaurant that serves quality products. The space will be designed with handmade decorations and furniture imported from Mexico. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner, and it will have a full bar with fresh-pressed juices for cocktails.
Tempest Charleston opens spring 2020. The team behind 5Church Charlotte, Sophia’s Lounge and 5Church Charleston is opening Tempest in Spring 2020. It will be next door to 5Church in Charleston. The restaurant will be located in the former historic Harriott Pinckney Home for Sailors.
Sycamore Brewing to move next door in 2-3 years. “The building is visually stunning, the beer garden is set to be unrivaled, and our product offering even more diverse and exciting. We can’t wait to share the new space with Charlotte,” owner Sarah Taylor Brigham told CharlotteFive. The new space will feature a beer garden twice the size of the current one. It will include a 6,000-square-foot second story outdoor terrace overlooking the light rail, with views of uptown.
ICYMI: SPOTLIGHT ON NOVEMBER
Foxcroft Wine Co. opened Nov. 5. The locally owned wine shop and wine bar opened in Waverly off Providence Road in South Charlotte. Featuring a cozy yet upscale interior, this latest addition to the shopping center does not disappoint in the menu offerings.
Check out November’s other restaurant changes here.
CHARLOTTE CLASSIC EATS
As new restaurants open every day in Charlotte, it’s easy to forget about the old standbys, the places that have grown up alongside the Queen City. We think they’ll always be there for us, but so many favorites have closed along the way. This makes it even more important to support the ones we love. Our series highlights the classic Charlotte eats that you have frequented for years, reminding us why they have stood the test of time.
Check out: Zack’s Hamburgers. If you haven’t lived in Charlotte for long, there is a chance you’ve driven by Zack’s Hamburgers’ red-and-white awning, umbrella tables and retro red-and-yellow sign without realizing the significance of this Charlotte staple.
Located on the corner of Scaleybark and South Boulevard, Zack’s has been spinning milkshakes and flipping some of the best burgers in town since 1975.
