New Plaza Midwood rooftop patio spot will serve sushi and cocktails. Here’s when.
A two-story hotspot containing a pair of Japanese-inspired concepts offering sushi and cocktails is opening soon at Commonwealth Plaza Midwood.
First up is Uchi, a modern and elevated restaurant that will open March 31. The ground-floor space will serve both hot and cold tasting menus, along with a la carte items that incorporate seasonal North Carolina ingredients.
Uchibā, a more casual izakaya-style bar focused on pairing beverages with small bites and rooftop views, will follow April 3.
The pair of Plaza Midwood restaurants are Hai Hospitality’s first foray into the Carolinas, bringing James Beard Award-winning chef and sushi master Tyson Cole’s vision for non-traditional Japanese cuisine to life via chef de cuisine Shaun King and his team.
At both restaurants, diners will find Uchi’s fan favorite items. Think: tuna nigiri, salmon sashimi and a few surprising options, such as the ham and egg, a roll with pork belly, yolk custard and togarashi.
“I think it’s really important to understand that this is not a fancy restaurant — we are not trying to be fine dining,” King told CharlotteFive.
“Demystifying that we are fine dining is really important to us, and making sure our guests feel warm and comfortable when they walk in the door through hospitality and through warmth and through genuine guest interaction. Our service model tends to be on the side of creating really, really great vibes,” he added.
What to know about Uchi
Cole first started Uchi in 2003 in a little red home in Austin, Texas, naming it for the Japanese word for “house.” But in Charlotte, the restaurant will come to life in a historic brick building that’s been renovated top to bottom while preserving the outer shell.
Uchi’s dining room blends a modern Japanese feel with industrial touches of original brick and high ceilings. The space holds 172 guests, including bar seating, sushi bar spots and a private dining room for 20 that includes a hidden TV screens for business meetings. A small patio is available outside, too.
Uchi boasts an extensive menu, with hot and cool tasting bites, chef’s tasting menus and seasonal specials alongside caviar, nigiri and sashimi.
“I’m not Japanese; neither is Tyson. So we’d like to say that we use a Japanese palette,” King explained. “And then we use our experiences, our chefs, our sushi chefs, our line team to really kind of round out the experience and make sure that it feels like them. ... We really heavily rely on collaboration between our teams.”
That team collaboration extends to the servers, who will help guests make selections.
“It’s what we call server omakase,” King said.
“Really, it’s a conversation — it’s a relationship — that the server develops with the guests. I think that sets us apart, and I think that’s something we’re really, really proud of.”
Among King’s favorites are the seasonally-driven fare and plant-based offerings. “I love vegetables, so I love our vegetarian offerings. I think that people don’t always think of us as a vegetarian-focused restaurant,” he said.
What to know about Uchibā
Uchibā, translated loosely to “Uchi Bar,” is a little more laid-back, with a tightly curated menu of small plates and comfortable rooftop seating to lounge while you enjoy cityscape views.
The beverage program emphasizes craft cocktails and a robust highball menu, plus high-end Japanese whisky and sake.
Diners can expect to nosh on bao, buns, dumplings and skewers, along with Uchi staples, with cushy seating inside and outside on the patio.
There’s also a lineup of “Perfect Pairings,” such as an oyster dressed in mignonette and a martini, or wagyu tartare with marsala.
Along with exploring the area’s fresh, seasonal ingredients, King has also set up collaborations with top chefs around Charlotte to get to know the city — and its food — to make sure the menus at both restaurants feel appropriate for the Queen City.
“We really, really heavily rely on our guest feedback and what our servers are telling us that our guests are looking for,” King said. “And that really dictates the future of the venue for Charlotte — and that’s like all of our stores.”
Uchi and Uchibā
Location: Commonweath Plaza Midwood, 1720 Commonwealth Ave., Charlotte NC 28205
Cuisine: Japanese, sushi at Uchi; bar, izakaya at Uchibā
Uchi hours: Sunday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m.; and Friday-Saturday, 4-11 p.m.
Uchibā hours: Sunday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Instagram: @uchirestaurants, @uchibarestaurants
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This story was originally published March 10, 2026 at 6:00 AM.
