By Jennifer Thomas – Senior Staff Writer, Charlotte Business Journal
Oct 5, 2023
SupperClub SouthEnd wants to deliver a new take on the social house experience.
The concept by Charlotte restaurant veterans Brad Byrd and Andrea Nivens is set to open Oct. 13 — roughly 30 months after its lease was signed. The 15,000-square-foot, indooroutdoor entertainment complex is at 3521 Dewitt Lane. It’s part of LoSo Village in lower South End.
Byrd says the $3 million project had to power through supply-chain issues, construction delays and more.
SupperClub is all about elevating its cuisine with chef-driven dining, while providing a lively setting where duckpin bowling, board games and live music collide.
“I think there’s a market for it,” Byrd says. “We wanted something where you could get that level of service but not the stuffiness.”
Byrd says he’s 100% committed to doing another SupperClub — even as the final touches are being put on the South End location.
“We are looking for space,” he says. “We will do something similar to this. This is a little bit of a testing ground.”
The duo’s vision was to create a space that is fun and approachable with an upscale twist.
They first met while opening Mez at the EpiCentre in 2008. Talk of opening their own restaurant soon followed.
Byrd gained experience opening numerous restaurants, with leadership positions at Mimosa Grill and Baku. Niven’s career focused on marketing, sales and catering experience.
1/26/24, 9:56 AM SupperClub puts finishing touches on Charlotte social house – Charlotte Business Journal
https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2023/10/05/supperclub-lower-south-end-restaurant-social-house.html 3/4
SupperClub’s chef-driven menu and focus on quality will help set it apart, Byrd says.
“It’s what I like,” he says. “I know you can have a chef-driven menu and it not be pretentious.”
Executive Chef Blake Nolen, a Charlotte native, worked with local and regional food purveyors and farms to build a shareable menu. Seasonal ingredients provide Southern flair, with touches of rustic French and Italian influences. A wood-fired oven and woodburning grill add flavor. A la carte options will include Cheerwine Pork Belly with Popcorn Grits with corn crumble; lobster shooters with watermelon citrus and crema; and grilled flounder with aqua pizza and hearts of palm.
“For me the chef driven part was to make sure we have fresh ingredients and local as much as possible,” Byrd says. “We’re in the South so the ingredients we can get locally and fresh lend themselves to Southern cooking.”
There will be an extensive craft cocktail, beer and curated wine program. Frank Caceres leads the bar, which highlights specialty, classic, and boilermaker cocktails. There’s signature drinks such as the Que Sera Sera with Southern Star bourbon, yellow chartreuse, amaro Montenegro and orange bitters, and the Watermelon Sugar High with Vida mezcal, green chartreuse, watermelon and lime.
Byrd was behind the former warehouse’s design, which takes advantage of its history but brings in some upscale elements. Picture a marble-topped bar, mirrored tile behind the bar, thick glass shelves with gold accents, colorful LondonArt murals and a giant framed canvas of the Sistine Chapel on the ceiling. Garage doors open onto the front patio, creating an indoor-outdoor vibe.
“We wanted it to combine nice things and fun,” Byrd says. “There’s an intentional randomness to it.”
He looked to capture some 1980s and ’90s nightclub vibes, with a little French bistro feel around the bar.
“In the space it all kind of fits together. I think it is supposed to be a bit chaotic,” Byrd says.
1/26/24, 9:56 AM SupperClub puts finishing touches on Charlotte social house – Charlotte Business Journal
https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2023/10/05/supperclub-lower-south-end-restaurant-social-house.html 4/4
The space has an open layout, with capacity of up to 500 people. There is a 100-seat restaurant, 60-seat lounge and 30-seat bar. Outdoor dining and lounge space can accommodate 60. The space can be broken into different areas for private events.
The gaming area includes eight QubicaAMF Fly’n Ducks duckpin lanes, two 8-foot pool tables, shuffleboard, air hockey and a selection of board games. Musical artists from around the region will perform live nightly.
Gais Construction was the general contractor. Jay Mitchener with Thrift Commercial Real Estate represented the landlord on the lease transaction.
SupperClub SouthEnd will be open Monday through Saturday, 4 p.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 4p.m. to 10 p.m. Lunch service will be added later in the fall.
