Food and Drink

A new breakfast + lunch bar is set to open in Charlotte. Here are the details

Breakfast and lunch classics are on the menu at a new restaurant now open in Charlotte.

Wakey Wakey is the latest eatery to join the city’s growing brunch scene, owner Juan Martinez told CharlotteFive. Locals were invited to the grand opening Thursday, Dec. 4.

The restaurant was first teased in an Instagram post, promising “something BIG, fresh, and delicious is hatching soon” at the new spot near Matthews.

A close-up of a white plate featuring a slice of toast topped with mashed avocado and two sunny-side-up eggs, served alongside a pile of seasoned, roasted red potatoes.
Wakey Wakey has “a pretty big menu” featuring classic breakfast like avocado toast and eggs. Juan Martinez

“It’s a pretty big menu, I must say,” Martinez said of his new venture, adding that customers can enjoy 20% off their meal during opening week.

“Anything you can think of, we have it as far as breakfast and lunch.”

A white plate holding a croissant sandwich filled with tuna or chicken salad and lettuce, served next to a handful of crinkle-cut french fries.
Croissant sandwiches are also on the menu at Wakey Wakey. Juan Martinez

Wakey Wakey will replace the former Mezcali Mexican Restaurant, also owned by Martinez, at the Galleria Shopping Center on Sardis Road. That restaurant, named among the most underrated Mexican spots in the metro by CharlotteFive readers, was listed as “permanently closed” as of Dec. 1.

Mezcali has since reopened at a new location in nearby Locust, Martinez said, calling it “a strategic move.” The chain also has locations in Huntersville and Greensboro, and is known for its chicken and steak fajitas.

Meanwhile at Wakey Wakey, customers will find an assortment of breakfast and lunch offerings. The from-scratch menu will also feature smashburgers and even Mexican entrees. Wine and cocktails will also be available.

A white plate holding two golden-brown pancakes topped with a blueberry compote and dusted generously with powdered sugar, sitting on a dark wooden table.
“I think (the public) is gonna be really happy with what we’re serving,” Wakey Wakey owner Juan Martinez said. Juan Martinez

It’s the restaurant’s first and only Charlotte location, and Martinez said there are already plans to expand.

A photo of the exterior of a new restaurant called “Brunchtime,” located in a brick building in a strip mall. The restaurant’s name is displayed in large red letters above the entrance, with a small sign below reading “coming soon” and confirming the offering of “BREAKFAST - BRUNCH - LUNCH.”
Wakey Wakey is a new eatery offering breakfast, brunch and lunch on Sardis Road in Charlotte. The restaurant originally was going to be called Brunchtime, as shown in the sign above, but owner Juan Martinez told us on Monday, Dec. 1, he’d decided to change the name. Juan Martinez

“We’re trying to see what the public thinks,” he said, adding: “I think they’re gonna be really happy with what we’re serving.”

Wakey Wakey

Location: 1640 Sardis Road N, B160, Charlotte, NC 28270

Cuisine: Breakfast, brunch and lunch

Instagram: @wakeywakey.clt

An overhead view of a dark wooden table covered with four white plates of various breakfast and lunch items, including avocado toast, an omelet with avocado slices, a fruit and nut salad with pita wedges, a side of potato salad, and a breakfast sandwich on a biscuit.
At Wakey Wakey, customers will find an assortment of breakfast and lunch offerings. Juan Martinez
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This story was originally published December 2, 2025 at 6:00 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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