‘Positively Improper’ barbecue joint to open new Charlotte location. What to know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The Improper Pig will open a new flagship location in Charlotte this fall.
- The Plaza Midwood site replaces a former Pizza Peel and adds to two other spots.
- The brand refresh includes a new logo, updated menu and upgraded interiors.
A beloved barbecue spot with Asian flair is looking to expand its footprint in Charlotte with a refreshed look — and a new flagship restaurant.
The Improper Pig, a restaurant from the Stomp, Chomp & Roll hospitality group, will begin welcoming guests to its new location in Plaza Midwood this fall, according to a news release sent to CharlotteFive.
Construction is underway at 1600 Central Ave., where the fusion restaurant will take over the former Pizza Peel building. It’s The Improper Pig’s third Charlotte-area location, with restaurants in Rea Farms and Fort Mill, South Carolina, its website says.
An official opening date hasn’t been announced.
Launched in Charlotte’s Cotswold neighborhood in 2014, the eatery serves “a mashup of smoky barbecue flavors and Asian spice, all wrapped in a rebellious, unpretentious attitude,” according to the release.
Popular dishes run the gamut from Southern-style pork rolls and smoked chicken wings to a vegetarian “No Pig” sandwich, featuring a marinated grilled portobello mushroom.
“We’re not trying to be the most traditional smokehouse in town. We want to be the one you can’t stop talking about,” Will Bigham, a Charlotte native and Stomp, Chomp & Roll founder, said in the release.
“We have nothing but love for traditional barbecue, but we’re not here to replicate; we’re here to remix.”
Before the restaurant started serving smoked meats and savory Asian bites, there was Mama Fu’s. Bigham and his longtime business partner, Darius Amidi, bought the fast-casual Asian kitchen and saw the opportunity to take it a new direction during a lease renewal, they said.
Thus, The Improper Pig was born.
The restaurant is looking to shake things up again with a brand refresh, according to the release. On Tuesday, the eatery unveiled a new logo with plans for upgraded interiors and signage.
The menu is also getting revamped and will feature new wood-fire grilled entrees, reimagined vegetarian offerings and “a refined beverage program” with wine, beer and craft cocktails.
“We’ve never played by the barbecue rulebook, and now our brand reflects that,” Amidi, co-owner of The Improper Pig, said in the release. “What you see now better reflects what we’ve always served, which is big flavors, Asian flair and a whole lot of personality.”
The Improper Pig
Location: 1600 Central Avenue, Charlotte, NC (opening soon)
Location: 9855 Sandy Rock Place A, Charlotte NC
Location: 204 Main Street, Fort Mill, SC
Cuisine: American barbecue/Asian fusion
Instagram: @improperpig