10 reasons to be excited in 2023
December 30, 2022
Can’t hardly wait: There’s always something new in Charlotte — and it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the headlines. Here are 10 of our most-anticipated openings in 2023. Featured image: a rendering of OpenTap
Suffolk Punch SouthPark
The 400-seat taphouse/coffeehouse/restaurant will be a welcome addition when it opens this spring at SouthPark Mall in the former California Pizza Kitchen space. The project also includes a stage for live music. The original Suffolk Punch debuted in South End nearly six years ago.
House of Nomad
Kelley Lentini and Berkeley Minkhorst started House of Nomad in 2017, inspired by their love of travel. Natural materials, a minimalist design and bold patterns are hallmarks of their aesthetic. Since 2018, HON has bounced from South End to Myers Park to East Boulevard, and in the middle of their rapid growth they opened a retail store on Charleston’s King Street. This month, HON will open a design center and retail store at Hazel SouthPark, and we couldn’t be more excited.
Left: Rendering of Rosemont Market and Wine Bar. Right: A rendering of Suffolk Punch SouthPark
Rhino Market SouthPark
The first Rhino Market opened in Wesley Heights in 2014, just a few blocks down from SouthPark’s HQ. From work lunches to coffee meetups to beers after work, Rhino has been a mainstay. We can’t wait until they bring their homemade soups and salads, chicken torta sandwiches, breakfast burritos and more to SouthPark’s Capitol Towers later this year.
Leluia Hall
Jamie Brown and Jeff Tonidandel have a knack for creating buzzy culinary concepts that Charlotteans can’t get enough of — and that live up to the hype. When Haberdish opened in NoDa, customers waited hours to enjoy its fried chicken and Southern-inspired sides. Supperland, one of the most anticipated restaurant openings of 2021, was named one of the best new restaurants in the U.S. by Bon Appetit and Esquire. Leluia Hall is their next venture, housed in the former Dilworth church that was home to Bonterra for 20 years.
Calle Sol
Calle Sol found quick success in the former Penguin Drive-In location in Plaza Midwood, which housed several short-lived concepts after the burger-and-fried-pickles joint closed in 2014. With its colorful interior, upbeat vibe and reasonably priced menu, Calle Sol fills a void for a great casual meal with vibrant flavors. When Calle Sol opens at Apex SouthPark this spring, expect a crowd waiting to sample its zesty ceviches, vaca frita, Cubanos, rum punch, daiquiris and more.
Left: House of Nomad photo by Laura Sumrak. Right: Calle Sol photo by Remy Thurston
Intown Golf
The new “private social club to golfers” is sure to be a hot spot when it opens in SouthPark. Intown Golf launched in 2020 in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood with golf simulators, custom club fitting, golf instruction, a restaurant and cocktail bar. If local fervor for the sport during last year’s Presidents Cup is any indication, memberships will be in high demand.
Restaurant Constance
Chef Sam Diminich reinvented himself in the pandemic, launching Your Farms Your Table, a catering and meal-delivery service offering local farm-to-table three-course meals. Last summer, he debuted a line of sauces and vinaigrettes and partnered with McLeod Addictive Disease Center to provide nourishing meals to recovering addicts. As if he’s not busy enough, Diminich plans to open Restaurant Constance, named after his daughter, in early 2023 in Wesley Heights.
Rosemont Market and Wine Bar
The team behind The Crunkleton and Cheat’s Cheesesteak Parlor are going all-in on Elizabeth, opening an all-day restaurant and market with grab-and-go meals at the new Elizabeth on Seventh development from Crescent Communities. Last fall, Axios Charlotte also reported the Crunkleton team plans to open a new Mexican restaurant in the former Stanley space on 7th Street.
OpenTap
The craft beer and wine bar near the intersection of Carmel and Pineville-Matthews roads will provide a much-needed community hub for south Charlotte. OpenTap will offer 64 self-pouring taps (including craft sodas) in a 7,500-square-foot family-friendly space with a shade garden, a tree house mezzanine and a village green.
Rally Pickleball
The pickleball craze shows no signs of slowing, and a new sports complex in Lower South End is certain to be a popular gathering spot for both novice and seasoned picklers. Rally is targeting a spring opening. SP