Mazi has closed after just a few months in Charlotte’s South End
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mazi, a Mediterranean restaurant in Charlotte, closed after opening in March 2025.
- Built On Hospitality developed Mazi’s menu and managed daily operations.
- Chef Whit Thomas emphasized the meaning behind Mazi’s short-lived presence.
Mazi, a new Mediterranean restaurant that opened in Charlotte’s South End mid-March, has closed its doors.
“It is with disappointment that we share yesterday was Mazi’s last day serving you. Thank you to everyone who supported us and experienced Mazi — coming together to share Mediterranean tastes and traditions.,” a post on the restaurant’s Instagram said.
“Thank you to Built On Hospitality for creating a distinctive culinary and beverage experience. And thank you, most of all, to our team. We are grateful to everyone who was a part of Mazi,” the post continued.
A Built On Hospitality statement to CharlotteFive sent on Friday added: “ We’re grateful to the culinary, beverage, service, and leadership team there who crafted a unique experience and some of the best food and drinks we’ve seen in Charlotte, recognized not just by us but by a number of respected media outlets. Thank you to everyone who supported Mazi and thank you to the owners for trusting Built On Hospitality with the culinary and beverage operations of the restaurant. While this chapter is coming to an end, we remain hopeful and committed to our remaining concepts and to new concepts and partnerships coming in the near future. “
Mazi opened in March
Built On Hospitality — the restaurant group behind The Goodyear House, Folia, Chief’s Modern Cocktail Parlor and Old Town Kitchen and Cocktails — developed Mazi’s innovative menu of modern Mediterranean dishes. It also managed the operations of the restaurant owned by Troy Brewer and Hemant Patel.
The restaurant opened March with dream team of Charlotte food and drink professionals at the helm — executive chef Chris Coleman and chef Whit Thomas putting together the menu, plus cocktails by beverage director Bob Peters and a Mediterranean-focused wine list curated by wine steward Rob Oldenburg.
Mazi means “together” in Greek, and the team had worked to build a menu and space to celebrate the “shared experience of dining out.”
Before Mazi opened, Coleman described the restaurant’s point of view: “The Mediterranean Ocean touches such a wide variety of places and people, providing an array of cultures and cuisine for us to learn from and bring to Charlotte. On top of that, the food is fresh, healthy, and has some similarities in ingredients and technique to the American South that we look forward to expanding upon,” Coleman said.
A statement via Instagram from Thomas, who led the Kitchen at Mazi as chef de cuisine said, “I’m so grateful for the time I had at Mazi. Though our doors were only open a short while, what we built in that kitchen mattered. Working at Mazi was coming home — to North Carolina, to my roots, to a space where I could show up fully as myself. I walked in with intention and poured everything I had into that space. Day by day, plate by plate, we created something meaningful.
“To everyone who came out to dine, celebrate, and support — thank you. Your presence made this more than a restaurant. It made it matter.”
CharlotteFive’s Tim DePeugh wrote just last week, “At Mazi, Thomas is cooking some of the most exciting food in Charlotte, wielding ingredients like words in an epic love poem.”
The pan-Mediterranean menu included mezze, seasonal vegetables and dishes including Cast Iron Shrimp, Grilled Octopus and kofta. Mazi’s standout baklava sundae quickly became a favorite dessert.
Lunch service was added to the restaurant’s offerings in early June, and Mazi also participated in Charlotte Restaurant Week. But nonetheless, it served its last guests on Wednesday, July 30.
Charlotte diners reached out to offer their condolences and wonder aloud as to what happened.
“I’m sad to learn of this closing and I’m asking myself many questions. I’m curious if it was the location? Would South Park, Dilworth, Selwyn, or Elizabeth have worked better?” food influencer Asha Ellison of Asha Eats World asked via Mazi’s Instagram post.
Cocktailery Lifestyle posted, “This one doesn’t make sense. Everything was so good, so thoughtful from the food to the hospitality. Glad I was able to experience it.”
Shai Muse said, “I am soooo sad! This was one of my fav restaurants. The food quality and atmosphere is what we needed in South End!”
“It’s been like two days since they opened. What?” Josh Ocampo responded on CharlotteFive’s Instagram post on the sudden closing.
CharlotteFive has reached out to representatives for the restaurant and will update as we learn more.
Mazi
Location: 1300 South Blvd. Suite 101-F, Charlotte, NC 28203
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Instagram: @maziclt
This story was originally published July 31, 2025 at 2:12 PM.
