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5 restaurants opening in Charlotte, including a brewery expansion

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Charlotte’s food scene is always evolving, and locals have a slate to new options to choose from.

This week, I reported five restaurant openings — and learned The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s plans to open a third taproom are back on track.

Plus, a popular breakfast and lunch chain just added another spot to enjoy its famous waffles, and there’s a new neighborhood pub coming to South End.

Catch up on this week’s openings in and around the city.

Suffolk Punch Brewing – Birkdale

Suffolk Punch Brewing invited guests to its new Birkdale Village taproom near Lake Norman for a soft opening Saturday, Dec. 13, an employee told CharlotteFive.

It marks the brewery’s third Charlotte-area location, joining existing taprooms in South End and SouthPark.

The building and “Coming Soon” signs are up for Charlotte based Suffolk Punch Brewing’s third location, in Huntersville’s Birkdale Village near Lake Norman.
The building and “Coming Soon” signs are up for Charlotte based Suffolk Punch Brewing’s third location, in Huntersville’s Birkdale Village near Lake Norman. Suffolk Punch Brewing

“Our upstairs rooftop bar is an amazing place to enjoy a drink or meal while you overlook the ice skating rink and Birkdale’s bustling streets,” co-owner Seth Stidham told CharlotteFive.

The menu features SPB’s flagship beers, Bavarian-style pretzels, Italian flatbread sandwiches and more.

Ginny’s Whiskey Bar

Ginny’s Whiskey Bar is is opening soon, and it will replace the former Broken Promises cocktail lounge at 214 West Tremont Ave in South End.

A street-level view of a modern, multi-story building with a red brick facade and large dark-framed windows. A dark-colored SUV is parked on the street in the foreground, with a grassy sidewalk strip separating it from the building. The ground level features a restaurant with large glass panels and a small fenced-in patio area with potted plants.
A new neighborhood Irish pub is moving into the former Broken Promises space in South End Charlotte. Google Street View image from September 2022 | © 2025 Google

The latter closed in May and was featured on the Netflix reality dating series “The Ultimatum,” which filmed its second season in Charlotte, CharlotteFive previously reported.

Customers can look forward to an Irish-style pub serving “bourbons, Irish whiskeys and six Irish and English beers on tap,” WhatNow Charlotte reported. There will also be a dedicated space for shuffleboard and video games.

An official opening date hasn’t been announced.

The Wafflery

The Wafflery, known for its waffles, biscuits and grits, has opened a second location at 2817 Rozzelles Ferry Road in West Charlotte.

The restaurant hosted customers at its grand opening Saturday, Dec. 13, according to a recent Instagram post.

An overhead view of three black takeout containers on a granite countertop. The container on the left holds a vibrant red velvet waffle drizzled with white cream cheese icing. The container on the right contains a golden-brown Belgian waffle topped with a folded cheesy omelet in the center. At the top, a small white cup is filled with creamy grits topped with melted cheddar cheese.
A red velvet waffle, cheese grits and Mark’s Womlette (waffle with egg and cheese in the middle) from The Wafflery in Charlotte. Melissa Oyler CharlotteFive

The brunch chain is the sister concept to Mattie’s Dinner, which closed in August, CharlotteFive previously reported.

“We have decided to sell to focus on growing our other concept,” owner Matt King wrote at the time. “We will never forget the memories and the wonderful people and connections we have made.”

The Wafflery will also open a third restaurant on Docia Crossing Road, though a grand opening date hasn’t been announced.

Naked Farmer

Naked Farmer, a Florida-based chain known for its locally-sourced, seasonal offerings, will open at 2725 South Boulevard in South End, online documents show.

Founder and CEO Jordan Johnson is listed as the registered agent for Naked Farmer 2725 South LLC, and a signage request for the restaurant was submitted Dec. 16, city records show.

A high-angle shot of a table spread featuring four vibrant, seasonal harvest bowls from “Naked Farmer”. The bowls contain various fresh ingredients, including roasted sweet potatoes, leafy greens, grains, grilled chicken, sliced steak, and charred Brussels sprouts. White text overlaid on the image reads “NOW SERVING FALL: Serving locally-sourced, seasonal cooking from farms close to home,” with a light-colored “ORDER NOW” button at the bottom center. The restaurant’s logo, “NAKED FARMER,” is displayed in white at the top against a black header bar.
Naked Farmer, a Florida farm-to-table restaurant, is expanding to Charlotte in 2026. Screengrab from the Naked Farmer Facebook page.

It will be the Naked Farmer’s first North Carolina location and take over the old Maple Street Biscuit Company space at the Sedgefield Shopping Center.

Customers can expect chef curated pairings ”highlighted by seasonal, produce”— including sweet potatoes sourced from North Carolina farms.

“It’s pretty simple, really; we feel like eating food that’s grown closer to you is better for you, the environment, farmers and the economy,” the restaurant’s website says.

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Charlotte’s largest local brewer, has started construction on its forthcoming location in Mount Holly, it said in a message shared on Instagram.

The award-winning Mecktoberfest beer is now available at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and at bottle shops around Charlotte.
The award-winning Mecktoberfest beer is now available at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and at bottle shops around Charlotte. Courtesy of OMB

“Overlooking the Catawba River and steps from downtown and the greenway, our third biergarten will be the perfect place to unwind with a cold one,” the brewery said.

The new location, OMB Riverview at Mt. Holly, is slated to open in September 2026.

OMB Riverview will join the brewery’s existing taprooms in Ballantyne and Lower South End, which opened in 2024 and 2014, respectively.

Related Stories from Charlotte Observer

Tanasia Kenney

Sun Herald

Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.

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Tanasia Kenney

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