Food and Drink

Charlotte-area restaurant + cocktail bar to open new spot. Here’s what to know.

A Charlotte-area cocktail bar and restaurant is taking its classic American fare across state lines.

The Garrison is expanding from Pineville to Tega Cay, South Carolina, with a second restaurant slated to open in mid-spring 2026, the restaurant announced in a recent Instagram post.

The side-by-side exteriors of Margaux’s and The Garrison restaurants are shown, featuring dark brick facades and outdoor patio seating. Patrons are visible sitting under green and striped umbrellas on the sidewalk on an overcast day.
The Garrison and Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market stand side by side in downtown Pineville. Incentive Travel Solutions

The eatery, nestled on Main Street in downtown Pineville, will take over the former Tega Cay Shore Club spot on Molokai Drive, according to a news release.

“We’ve always wanted to be a big fish in a small pond,” owner Kevin Devanney told CharlotteFive. “We had been looking at smaller communities that needed a restaurant ... and this opportunity came up.”

A generous portion of seasoned french fries and a large bacon cheeseburger are presented on a white plate. The burger, held together by a toothpick, is topped with cheese, bacon, and sauce, and the fries are served with a small metal cup of ketchup.
The Garrison’s food menu features modern American fare, including classics like The Garrison Burger made with applewood smoked bacon, a fried egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. WAYNE ST. JOHN

The Garrison opened its Pineville location back in 2022, serving up signature dishes including Cheerwine short ribs and braised lamb shank. Gourmet burgers are also on the menu alongside local seafood, ribeye and fried chicken sandwiches.

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“I want people to be able to come in three days a week,” Devanney, who also owns Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market next door to The Garrison, told CharlotteFive at the time. “They come in and sit at the bar one evening to have some chicken wings. The next day, they come in with their kids to have sandwiches. Then, Friday night they come back and have a ribeye.”

This is an interior shot of a stylish, upscale restaurant bar with a dark, L-shaped countertop and a front clad in glossy green subway tiles. Several ornate crystal chandeliers hang from a tin ceiling, illuminating the bar and the rows of brown leather barstools.
“Now suburban income-level people are demanding better dining. They have a culinary palette, want independent restaurants and are willing to pay,” said Kevin Delaney, owner of The Garrison: A Cocktail Bar & Restaurant in downtown Pineville. Chad Whittington
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There’s also a 20-drink cocktail menu, plus an outdoor dining area.

Things will be done a bit differently at The Garrison’s new location, pairing the restaurant’s original menu with the pizza offerings found at Margaux’s.

“We’re bringing the pizza oven down. We’re also going to have a lunch menu geared toward golfers,” Devanney said, noting that the new spot is steps from a golf course.

Other noteworthy features include an expanded bar and 3,500 square-foot event space that will be used for private gatherings and celebrations, Devanney told CharlotteFive.

A grand opening date for the new location wasn’t announced, though renovations are slated to begin in February, according to the release.

Three distinct, colorful cocktails are lined up on a dark bar top in front of a brightly lit display of liquor bottles. The drinks include one with a salt-rimmed glass, one in a coupe, and a tall one with chili flakes on the rim.
The Garrison: A Cocktail Bar + Restaurant features a 20-drink cocktail menu inspired by flavors from across the globe. Incentive Travel Solutions

“This community has such a unique charm and strong sense of connection,” Devanney said in a statement. “We don’t want to lose the history of Tega Cay, but rather honor it while creating an atmosphere where families, individuals, and couples can all feel at home.”

A smiling, middle-aged man wearing a dark blazer and blue jeans stands on a metal staircase inside a commercial space under construction. Behind him, large industrial windows look out onto a city street, and a ladder sits on the partially finished wood floor.
Kevin Devanney owns The Garrison in Pineville. Sara Douglass

The Garrison: A Cocktail Bar + Restaurant

Location: 15083 Molokai Dr, Tega Cay, SC 29708 (opening spring 2026)

Location: 314 Main St, Pineville, NC 28134

Menu

Cuisine: Cocktail bar, modern American

Instagram: @thegarrisontc, @thegarrisonnc

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This story was originally published October 23, 2025 at 8:42 AM.

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Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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