Former “hot mess” turned into restaurant with scratch-made hummus and house-brewed coffee

When Marc and Le Anne Kieffer decided to part ways with their stake in three Mellow Mushroom restaurants throughout Charlotte, they were under the impression that they were washing their hands of the restaurant industry. Le Anne dove into her design firm and Marc dipped his toes into commercial real estate. While touring the western side of Charlotte with a client, however, Marc happened upon Toucan Louie’s future home. After they left, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. The rest was history.

“’Hot mess’ didn’t even begin to describe it,” Le Anne said. “You definitely had to use your imagination. The building had been sitting vacant for a really long time. It was so bad that the producers of ‘Homeland’ used it as a location for filming Afghani hostage scenes.”

However, the shabby structure didn’t stop the Kieffers from dreaming about a fun and funky café.

Toucan Louie’s outdoor artwork by Ink Floyd

“I could see what I wanted the restaurant to look like instantly,” Le Anne said.

More than a year of elbow grease and polish later, their hard work has transformed the space into something truly unique.

Toucan Louie’s interior

I swung by their eatery on opening day on Tuesday with my co-worker, Matt. We ordered a variety of things from their menu and sat down to chat with the owners.

Just about everything (besides pre-packaged merchandise) is made in-house. From the scratch-made hummus and salad dressings, to the fresh-pressed juices and coffee, nothing comes out of their kitchen that isn’t handled with tender loving care. The Kieffers are all-hands-on-deck when it comes to Toucan’s menu.

Local products being sold at Toucan Louie’s

“You can learn how to roast coffee in a day, but take a lifetime perfecting it,” Marc said. “I love cooking so this [coffee roasting] is a new chapter for me. I haven’t burned my face on it yet, but there’s still time.”

Marc actually lost a fight with a hot pan of freshly roasted peanuts earlier in the day.

What we ate

Since we stopped by in the mid-afternoon, we ordered a mix of their lunch items. Regrettably, we did not try any of their breakfast items. Although, I cannot wait to go back and try their Congee (millet cooked in coconut milk, shredded coconut, maple roasted sweet potatoes, pistachios and a drizzle of maple syrup. Yes, please.) The Kieffers eventually plan to offer weekend brunch in the new year.

We ate:

Pimento Cheese Steak Sandwich ($8.95) with home fries ($2.25): pimento cheese, sliced steak, grilled peppers and onions on a hoagie roll.

Veggie Hummus Sandwich ($7.50): hummus, sundried tomatoes, spinach, roasted peppers, goat cheese, Kalamata olives and cucumbers.

Bonus fact: Toucan Louie’s only uses North Carolina raised meat and roasts its turkey, pork and roast beef in-house. All cheeses are from NC cheese makers.

Mediterranean Salad ($8.95): romaine, cucumber, goat cheese, kalamata olives, red onions, tomato, bell pepper, garbanzo beans.

House made dressings choices: blue cheese, green goddess, Caesar, balsamic vinaigrette and citrus vinaigrette.

Bonus fact: serving dishes, glassware, silverware and to-go containers are 100% compostable, so please make sure to use the correct bin when you’re done with your food.

What we gulped

All coffees are roasted in-house and the tea is from Chad’s Chai in Winston-Salem. Smoothies are made to order and come in 12-oz. portions. When their license is approved within two weeks, they plan to sell beer and wine, and will carry both local and imported varieties. Matt joked with Le Anne about offering a Toucan’s “Two Can” special… we all got a good laugh.

House-brewed coffee ($1.50 for 10 oz., $2.25 for 16 oz.): Currently, they offer a breakfast blend, dark roast and decaf from Columbia, Brazil and Papua New Guinea. The Kieffers plan to expand their menu in the future to include single blends and beans from different origins.

BB Ruth Smoothie ($5.50): strawberry, banana, orange juice, yogurt, spinach and chia seeds.

When the same-old, same-old won’t measure up, Toucan Louie’s can offer you “a little tropical, a little international… with a southern twist,” Le Anne noted.

Toucan Louie’s is located at 2753 Rozzelles Ferry Road. Its hours are 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday. Parking is sparse out front, but you can find overflow spots located two doors down at The Nickel Bar.

Photos: Jessica Bentley / Foodesign Associates

This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 11:00 PM with the headline "Former “hot mess” turned into restaurant with scratch-made hummus and house-brewed coffee."