Here’s the new restaurant moving into the former Lulu’s space in Plaza Midwood
An entrepreneur has snapped up the former Lulu’s Maryland Style Chicken & Seafood location, with plans to bring a new concept, The Club House Kitchen & Cocktails, to Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood neighborhood.
“Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop… Work Starts Now!!! Taking our talents to #plazamidwood for our second announced project of 2023… Details Coming Soon!!!,” restaurateur Chet Desai posted on Instagram. The news about Desai signing the lease was first reported by Unpretentious Palate via its newsletter.
Desai, a partner at PARA Charlotte and the Temple Charlotte lounge, reached out to his broker as soon as the space became available. “We moved very quickly,” Desai told CharlotteFive. “It took two weeks from our first visit to having the lease in hand.”
Among the reasons Desai is so excited about the space? Its proximity to Pinhouse, a self-pour bowling bar next door. “We’ve got a great relationship with (Pinhouse owner) Rich Moyer — and the ability to have Pinhouse as a dining room we’re not paying rent for is awesome,” Desai said.
First things first
Desai’s team is working feverishly to get the kitchen set up. “Our first priority is to launch a kitchen to serve Pinhouse,” Desai said. “We hope to have the kitchen open by the end of the month.”
The Club House will have a 6-10 item menu specifically for Pinhouse patrons to order from using a mobile device, and food will be picked up from a dedicated window. The menu is still being developed, but expect elevated bar food with a twist — burgers, chicken lollipops and the like.
A separate menu, to come later, will likely be available for those dining at The Club House. “We’ll have Southern classics — we’ve talked about everything from pimento cheese to Hoppin’ John,” Desaid said. “We also want to put a nice cocktail program in.”
PARA chef Myles Scaglione — who won the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association 2022 People’s Choice for Best Chef — is working on the menus. The PARA team is helping to launch The Club House, however it is a separate endeavor.
“Plaza Midwood is a great area and we want to become part of that community,” Desai said. “We don’t want to be South End or Uptown there, we want to be part of Plaza Midwood.”
Figure it out
Though Desai’s immediate focus is on the kitchen and serving Pinhouse patrons, he’s excited for the restaurant itself. He plans to activate the front patio and utilize the garage doors facing Central Avenue. “Lulu’s wasn’t there long, and it’s still a brand new space the way I look at it.” Desai said.
He believes that being paired with Pinhouse will create a destination in that nook of Plaza Midwood. “We want to create a fun vibe and become your local watering hole,” Desai said.
Over the next few months, obtaining ABC permits and designing the dining room are on Desai’s to-do list. Since moving to Charlotte from Toronto in 1999 to attend UNC Charlotte, Desai has completed many to-do lists — the entrepreneur has owned gas stations, package stores and even a paper napkin factory.
“In the restaurant industry, the best words are ‘figure it out’,” Desai said. We’re excited for him to figure this one out.
The Club House Kitchen & Cocktails
Location: 2308 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Instagram: @clubhouseplaza
This story was originally published March 6, 2023 at 4:02 PM.
