3 new food spots recently joined Charlotte’s dining scene. Here’s what to know
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- Crispy Cones opened May 8 in Steele Creek serving pastry shells with soft serve.
- Suki Fusion held a soft opening May 20 in Pineville with sushi, hibachi and KTV rooms.
- South End Hideaway opened May 14 as a 15,000 sq ft bar, arcade, lounge and dance hall.
Happy Friday, Charlotte! It’s Tanasia, and I’m back with your weekly recap of what’s new and coming to the city’s food scene.
Ice cream lovers, rejoice! There’s a new soft serve shop serving cool, creamy treats as temperatures heat up. If sushi and hibachi are more your speed, an Asian fusion restaurant in Pineville has that and more.
Plus, there’s a new bar lounge open in South End to kick off your weekend.
Catch on quick on recent and upcoming openings in the Charlotte area:
Crispy Cones
I have a mean sweet tooth (my dentist will tell you the same), so I was excited to hear about Charlotte’s newest dessert shop.
At Crispy Cones, you’ll find fresh-baked pastry shells filled with swirls of soft serve ice cream, sauces and other toppings. The shop, the chain’s first in Charlotte, officially opened May 8 near the Charlotte Premium Outlets in Steele Creek.
The dessert cones are inspired by the popular chimney cakes in Prague.
“We wanted to create more than just a dessert shop — a place that feels exciting, social and memorable for families, friends and the Charlotte community,” franchisee Anusha Appana told me in a statement.
If the name sounds familiar, Crispy Cones was previously featured on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in 2023.
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Suki Fusion
Suki Fusion, an Asian Fusion restaurant and bar, invited guests to its soft opening Wednesday, May 20 in Pineville.
Taking over former all-you-can eat sushi spot The OG Asian Eatery, the new restaurant offers fresh sushi, hibachi, ramen, stir-fry and more. Hopefully crab rangoons, a favorite of mine, are on the menu too.
For the karaoke lovers, Suki Fusion will also have private KTV and karaoke rooms so you and your friends can belt out your favorite tunes.
South End Hideaway
If you’re looking a new hangout spot, South End Hideaway has the best of three worlds: a bar, lounge and a dance hall.
“For us, we’ll make sure that our customers feel like they’re at home,” creative director Jabari Bradford told me. “And that plays a part in our furniture setup — everything is living room-style, very cozy, very lax.”
The massive 15,000 square-foot venue opened May 14 in the former Slingshot space in the heart of South End. Expect casual, laid back vibes during the day and a “dance-forward environment” after dark.
There are a few games, too. Think: darts and billiards.
This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 11:40 AM.