What's New in Charlotte, North Carolina: Culinary, Libations, Hotel Development, Attractions & More
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Feb. 8, 2017) – One of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. according to Forbes and the U.S. Census Bureau, Charlotte has an extensive lineup of exciting development projects, attractions and activities coming to the region. Among them are new chef-driven culinary concepts, innovative beer and cocktail offerings, 22 hotel projects and major attractions like Topgolf.
CHEF-DRIVEN CULINARY CONCEPTS
National acclaim has been the name of Charlotte’s culinary game recently. A wave of unique, chef-curated culinary models continue to join Charlotte’s burgeoning food scene. Zagat recently named Charlotte No. 9 on its list of 26 Hottest Food Cities of 2016. 5Church Charlotte’s Executive Chef Jamie Lynch also helped bring the national spotlight to the city thanks to a successful stint and admirable exit on season 14 of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” His stardom continues tonight in New York with his James Beard House cooking debut. Below are just a few of the unique food and drink concepts joining the scene this spring.
Oak Steakhouse
Opening Date: Spring 2017
Location: South Park
Concept: With famed locations in Charleston and Atlanta, Oak Steakhouse is now opening in Charlotte. Oak Steakhouse if part of The Indigo Road restaurant group, the same owners of O-Ku, a recently opened and very popular sushi spot in the South End neighborhood. The 5,200-square-foot mid-century modern restaurant will focus on more seasonal offerings designed by the chef himself than a traditional steakhouse.
The Packhouse & Joe and Nosh
Opening Date: May 2017
Location: Dilworth
Concept: These new restaurants are part of the trend of combining two unique gastronomic ideas in a shared space. With a focus on inventive Southern fare and cocktails, The Packhouse will have an upscale Southern feel that incorporates decor from a dismantled packhouse and tobacco barn. Joe and Nosh is a sandwich/coffee spot with a quick-service breakfast and lunch menu. These two spaces are the brainchild of restaurateur Deedee Mills of The Mayobird and The Summit Room, another dual concept in Charlotte that shares a building.
Graham Street Pub & Patio
Opening Date: May 2017
Location: Center City
Concept: With coveted proximity to Bank of America Stadium and BB&T Ballpark, this 2,400-square-foot restaurant adds another rooftop hangout to Center City. The eatery will bring the laid-back neighborhood atmosphere found in many of Charlotte’s distinctive neighborhoods to Uptown and will feature a food-truck-like menu of sliders, skewers, grilled cheeses, tacos and more.
CRAFT BEER & COCKTAIL CREATIONS
The city’s craft beer scene is no stranger to fame. In 2016, Fortune called Charlotte one of the Best New Cities for Beer Lovers. Southern Living named NoDa Brewing Company one of the South’s Best Breweries in 2016, and Beer Advocate included Wooden Robot Brewery in its Class of 2015 – 33 of the Best New Breweries. This spring, four new breweries (with nearly a dozen more in the works) are slated to join the fleet of the current 35 breweries in the region. Many of these new hot spots will open just in time for North Carolina Beer Month in April. A few of the new libations destinations coming soon are listed below.
Bold Missy Brewery
Opening Date: Late February/Early March 2017
Location: NoDa
Concept: Carol Waggener, the second female brewer in Charlotte, is at the helm of this 15-barrell brewhouse coming to the NoDa neighborhood this spring. The brewery, titled after Carol’s nickname—Bold Missy—celebrates bold women throughout history, like the first female astronaut, Sally Ride, and abolitionist Harriett Tubman.
“…”/Dot Dot Dot
Opening Date: March 2017
Location: Montford Park
Concept: The brainchild of Charlotte’s popular Foxcroft Wine Co., this “hidden” and nameless 1920s/1930s-themed speakeasy will be located in the backlot of the popular Park Road Shopping Center. Seasoned mixologist Stefan Huebner will lead the development of the high-end craft cocktail menu.
Hyde Brewing
Opening Date: Spring 2017
Location: South End
Concept: A partnership between Dan Hyde and Lindsey Pitman, former owner of The Daily Press coffee shop, Hyde Brewing is a hybrid of brewery, fermentation lab, coffee shop and cafe coming to the South End neighborhood. Located near the New Bern Station along the LYNX Blue Line light rail route, Hyde Brewing will focus on the molecular science and artistry of its creations.
HOTEL DEVELOPMENT
On the heels of a major renovation at the Charlotte Marriott City Center, the brand’s m-beta hotel, the Queen City is experiencing a surge of hotel construction. More than 8,367 new hotel rooms currently in development in the region through 2020. In 2017, 22 hotels (combining for a total of 3,664 rooms) are projected to open in the Charlotte region, with seven of those located in Center City. USA Today recently included Charlotte in a roundup of the 10 most active markets in the U.S. hotel industry. Hotels projected to open soon in Center City include the following.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte Uptown
Opening Date: Projected March 2017
Location: Center City
Number of Rooms: 250 all suites
Concept: Located across the street from the Charlotte Convention Center and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Uptown, this 10-story all-suites hotel includes 10,000 square feet of event space, featuring a 6,500-square-foot Uptown Ballroom and Plaza Boardroom, and first floor QC Lounge and E’terie for dining, two outdoor spaces with firepits: QC Patio and The Meck Deck, retail space and more. It is located just one block away from a LYNX Blue Line light rail station.
The Ivey’s Hotel
Opening Date: Projected April 2017
Location: Center City
Number of Rooms: 42
Concept: Located in the Ivey’s building (former home of the historic Ivey’s department store) at the intersection of Trade and 5th streets in Uptown, this boutique hotel boasts 8,500 square feet of retail space. Potential retailers include a bakery and coffee shop, art shop and spa. The property will utilize reclaimed 17th-century wood from France for flooring in the rooms, feature meeting space on the ground floor and showcase a grand staircase from the first to second floor.
Springhill Suites Charlotte Uptown
Opening Date: Projected spring 2017
Location: Center City
Number of Rooms: 195
Concept: Located across from Spectrum Center (formerly Time Warner Cable Arena), the Springhill Suites by Marriott hotel is a 15-story all-suites project that will add pivotal hotel space along Charlotte’s light rail system. Architectural plans include a restaurant and retail space on the first floor.
NEW TO DO
As spring teases visitors with mild days in the midst of winter, upcoming attractions, like Discovery Place Nature’s digital planetarium and Carowinds County Fair attraction, offer new reasons to get out and explore the city’s warmth and charm. Look out for the opening of the much-anticipated Topgolf, where bites and libations add to the fun of golf-centered games. And don’t miss Queen Park Social, which promises to be LoSo’s latest and greatest newcomer, complete with a patio and plenty of room to drink, dine, lounge and play games.
Discovery Place Nature Planetarium
Opening Date: Now open
Location: Myers Park
Concept: The second planetarium experience offered by the Discovery Place museums, the retrofitted space projects two types of shows—video presentations and seasonal star shows—from a new Digitarium® Zeta Portable planetarium system.
Queen Park Social
Opening Date: March 2017
Location: LoSo (Lower South End)
Concept: A sprawling social house with a bar, dining, bowling, shuffleboard, lounge seating and a patio, Queen Park Social is a highly anticipated addition to the LoSo corridor. The area once occupied by long-time warehouse buildings has become the home to local favorites, like The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, and is quickly becoming a hot spot conveniently adjacent to the LYNX Blue Line light rail.
Topgolf
Opening Date: Spring 2017
Location: Sterling
Concept: Whether you’re playing 18 holes every weekend or have never held a 9 iron in your life, Charlotte’s Topgolf complex will be worth a visit. The massive recreational facility, which has enticed us with locations in Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington, D.C., boasts golf-centered games that are perfect for all ability levels.
Carowinds County Fair Attraction
Opening Date: Spring 2017
Location: Southwest Charlotte
Concept: This spring, Carowinds will pack patrons’ days with a hearty a dose of Carolina nostalgia. The park will unveil a new County Fair attraction that features classic fair fare, family-friendly fun and new carnival-style rides with a vintage feel.
MAJOR EVENTS
The CIAA Basketball Tournament returns to Charlotte Feb. 21-25. It is the third largest basketball event in the NCAA behind the ACC and Big East and is the largest NCAA Division II tournament nationwide. Other noteworthy events include Charlotte Ballet's 20th production of Innovative Works and the city's St. Patrick's Day celebrations. USA Today has recognized Rich & Bennett's St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl (attended by 20,000+ people), the St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival and the Green River Revival at the U.S. National Whitewater Center as top places to celebrate.
Charlotte Ballet’s Innovative Works
Date: Until Feb. 18
Location: Patricia McBride & Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux Center for Dance
Concept: In its 20th season, one of Charlotte Ballet’s most popular performances emerges again at the helm of internationally acclaimed President and Artistic Director Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux. The performance allows attendees to mingle with dancers and artistic staff following the show in an intimate 200-seat theater.
CIAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 21- 25
Location: Bojangles’ Coliseum—Feb. 21-22 and Spectrum Center (formerly Time Warner Cable Arena)—Feb. 23-25
Concept: Since hosting its first tournament in Charlotte in 2006, the CIAA Tournament has reeled in alumni and fans from all over each February. The multiday event brings together 12 historically black colleges and universities for a weekend-long basketball tournament. Dozens of supporting special events, like parties hosted by celebrities from near and far, and official CIAA celebrations—step shows, concerts, a fan fest and more—that are open to the public add to the excitement. The featured teams will take the court for a battle of hoops at both Bojangles’ Coliseum and Spectrum Center.
Rich & Bennett’s 17th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl
Date: Saturday, March 11
Location: Uptown Charlotte
Concept: Touted as the “World’s Largest Pub Crawl” and applauded by a 2015 USA Today roundup of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, Rich and Bennett’s event draws 20,000-plus patrons from cities as far as Dublin, Ireland.
Green River Revival
Date: Saturday, March 11
Location: U.S. National Whitewater Center
Concept: One of the most popular St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Charlotte, Green River Revival returns to the U.S. National Whitewater Center for its seventh year in 2017. Home to the largest man-made recirculating whitewater river in the world, the U.S. National Whitewater Center will turn the rapids green. The full-day festival kicks off with the Color Me Green 5K Trail Run and continues with live music, outdoor activities, a cornhole tournament and more.
21st Annual Charlotte St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Charlotte Goes Green Festival
Date: Saturday, March 18
Location: S. Tryon St. between 3rd St. & Stonewall St.
Concept: Charlotte’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Charlotte Goes Green Festival invites thousands of spectators each year to be Irish for a day by experiencing the sights, sounds and traditional cuisine of the Emerald Isle. Performers, vendors and visitors alike travel from all over the world to attend Charlotte’s celebration, including former grand marshals Anne Anderson, Ambassador of Ireland to the U.S., and Honorable Paul Gleeson, Irish Consul General.
New in Charlotte is a regular update on tourism-related developments across the Queen City including hotel and venue construction, culinary accolades and openings, the city's major events and upcoming attractions. Additional information about what's new in Charlotte can be found here and additional photos can be found here. Didn't find what you're looking for? Reach out to our team for more story ideas or visit charlottesgotalot.com/media-resources-photos-b-roll.
Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) works to deliver experiences that uniquely enrich the lives of our visitors and residents. Through leadership in destination development, marketing and venue management expertise, the CRVA leads efforts to maximize the region’s economic potential through visitor spending, creating jobs and opportunities for the community. Brands supported by the CRVA include the Charlotte Convention Center, Time Warner Cable Arena, Bojangles’ Coliseum, Ovens Auditorium, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte Regional Film Commission and Visit Charlotte in conjunction with the region’s destination marketing brand, ‘Charlotte’s got a lot.' For more information, visit charlottesgotalot.com.
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