Food and Drink

Former King’s Kitchen space to get ‘new life’ in uptown Charlotte. What we know

A popular uptown Charlotte restaurant shut down in 2024, and now another is slated to take its place.

A new tenant will replace what was The King’s Kitchen at 129 West Trade St., in the heart of Charlotte, commercial real estate firm Rebel Rebel CRE teased in a recent Instagram post.

An empty, wide-angle view of a commercial kitchen space with an industrial stove and hood on the right. The left side features a long service window with stainless steel shelving and white walls showing multiple electrical outlets and signs of prior use or renovations.
A look at the interior of the now-vacant King’s Kitchen restaurant in uptown Charlotte. David Powell Rebel Rebel CRE

The company stopped just short of revealing what’s going in the space, but told locals to “get ready for some new life” in the former restaurant.

The King’s Kitchen, a not-for-profit eatery known for serving Southern fare, closed abruptly in 2024 after more than 14 years in business, CharlotteFive reported. The restaurant’s menu featured classics including shrimp po boys, pork tenderloin and fried chicken wings.

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The King’s Kitchen in uptown Charlotte has closed.
The King’s Kitchen in uptown Charlotte has closed. The Plaid Penguin

Owner Jim Noble didn’t give a reason for the sudden closure, but told the Charlotte Business Journal: “The mission is not going to stop, but ever since Covid it’s been harder to get business uptown. We’re losing money from a restaurant perspective.”

According to an online listing, the spot at 129 W. Trade St. is “second-generation restaurant space” boasting more than 5,600 square feet. Nearby co-tenants include The Capital Grille, Kitchen + Kocktails, Basil Thai and Cowbell Burger & Whiskey Bar, among others.

CharlotteFive reached out to Rebel Rebel CRE for more information Thursday, Dec. 11, and was awaiting a response.

An exterior view of a modern commercial building with extensive glass paneling at the street corner, contrasting with the lighter, older façade of the high-rise structure behind it. The corner is marked by a traffic light and street signs, and a banner on the glass advertises “Trade West: Brand New Suites Available.”
A new restaurant will soon occupy the former King’s Kitchen space on West Trade Street in Charlotte. David Powell David Powell

This is a developing story and will be updated.

This story was originally published December 11, 2025 at 1:41 PM.

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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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