Ellen Davis, owner of McNinch House Restaurant in uptown Charlotte, dies at 84

The owner of one of Charlotte’s oldest restaurants has died.

Ellen Davis, a Charlotte native and owner of McNinch House Restaurant at 511 N. Church St. in uptown Charlotte, died Friday, her nephew Mitch Clark told The Charlotte Observer on Monday. She was 84.

Davis opened the restaurant 30 years ago on the first floor of the historic purple 1892 Queen Anne-style home. She renovated the house and lived in an upstairs apartment.

The Fourth Ward restaurant closed Friday night but reopened Saturday, Clark said.

“My goal is to keep it going,” he said.

Clark said his daughter and son-in-law Olivia and Liam Keniry may eventually take over the business.

The restaurant has eight staff members, who Clark said are as devoted to the restaurant as Davis was.

“It’s really gonna take all of us together to keep it going,” said Clark, who owns A Lock-It Store in Fort Mill, S.C. Otherwise, he said, he’ll have to consider other options.

Opening McNinch House Restaurant

Davis bought the house in 1978 for $85,000, Clark said.

Before opening the restaurant, she ran a gift shop for several years. She taught herself how to cook and how to pair wines with meals. She had a history of mentoring others in fine dining and kept a culinary garden out back, according to CharlotteFive archives.

Clark and his father and friends helped her with renovations early on.

“She was determined to launch a restaurant and make it successful,” Clark said. “She was so hard working.”

Along with the crab cakes and lamb, Clark’s favorite dish was the stuffed pork tenderloin with pistachio sprinkling on top.

“I could have ate myself silly with that stuff,” he said.

‘Proud of her’

Davis was the second child of four children.

Davis’ only daughter, Beth, who helped her mother build the uptown staple, died Nov. 25 at age 66.

McNinch House Restaurant said on social media Monday: “We are continuing to serve our guests and ask for your prayers as we navigate without our beloved Ellen and Beth.”

Clark remembers having Thanksgiving family gatherings at the McNinch House and was proud that his aunt owned the popular restaurant.

“I loved to drop her name,” Clark said. “I was just so proud of her.”

The restaurant was known for its seasonal menu and eclectic style with china, silver and crystal table settings.

“I sometimes ask myself, ‘Why are you doing this? This is a lot of work,’” Davis told CharlotteFive last March. “But, truthfully, there is nothing else I would rather be doing. I always come back with realizing how much I like this job. It is very rewarding and nice having people who come to share a meal and enjoy.”

Funeral arrangements have not been set.

This story was originally published January 16, 2023 at 4:46 PM.