Longtime Charlotte staple restaurant starts a new chapter at Phillips Place
Have you been dreaming of Bonterra Dining & Wine Room’s fried lobster tail or missing its wine selection? Now it’s reopening at Phillips Place, offering the same food offerings it served for 22 years at its Dilworth location.
Bonterra’s Dilworth’s location closed in 2021, and its new location will open for dinner on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
Bonterra owner JD Duncan told CharlotteFive that it was his goal to open before the President’s Cup golf tournament in September. Aside from the great food and service Bonterra was known for, he said his team will maintain other hallmarks of the restaurant’s 22 years in business.
Selling Bonterra’s building, located in a 100+ year old beautifully restored church, was never part of the plan.
“It was never my intention to sell or close it,” he said. “For four or five years I had several offers to sell — I turned them down.”
Serving the community
He worried about what buyers might do to the establishment. That all changed when Jamie Brown and Jeff Tonidandel, the owners of Supperland (another restaurant in a beautifully renovated church), came along. He knew he could trust selling to them.
“I knew they would carry on the tradition to serve the community and neighborhood,” Duncan said. “They’ve been good customers for years, and it was natural to sell to them.”
While Duncan is proud of the restaurant’s legacy, its new Phillips Place location is more contemporary and modern.
Brining back the Dean & Deluca vibe
Duncan’s plan is to replicate the success of the popular Dean & Deluca that was in Phillips Place years ago. Bonterra will step up to bring that vibe back to SouthPark. It will open for diner only at first, but eventually expand to serving three meals a day.
Bonterra will have a coffee shop feel in the morning. Customers can come in at 7 a.m. for grab-and-go breakfast sandwiches, pastries and various coffee brands, such as La Colombe (one of its owners lives in Charlotte and is a partner in Bonterra). You’re welcome to hang around for awhile to sip that coffee and take a meeting.
“We have a display kitchen,” he said. “Customers can watch as desserts are prepared.”
Around 11:30, there will be light lunch options, including soup, salad or light sandwiches.
The coffee bar will close at 4 p.m., and the wine bar will open, serving cheese boards and shareables.
Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. Make a reservation to enjoy the restaurant’s signature fresh fish, steaks and fried lobster tails. Live music will be offered some weekdays and on the weekends. Indoor and outdoor seating will be available.
Bonterra Dining and Wine Room
Location: 6809-A Phillips Pl Ct, Charlotte, NC 28210
Neighborhood: Phillips Place, SouthPark
Instagram: @bonterradining
This story was originally published May 4, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
