Soul Gastrolounge Sets Opening Date at The Pass in NoDa
Relaunch comes three years after closure in Plaza Midwood
We finally have a date for the long-anticipated relaunch of Soul Gastrolounge, once a mainstay in Plaza Midwood and now ready for its second life at The Pass in NoDa with an opening date set for Monday, Aug. 25.
The reopening comes three years after rising rents pushed Soul out of its second-story spot on the corner of Central and Pecan avenues in August 2022. Owners Lesa and Andy Kastanas announced that they had found a new location at The Pass in May 2023 after nine months of commercial real estate courting, but that was just the beginning.
More than twice the size of the original restaurant, the new space at 4100 Raleigh St. spans more than 4,700 square feet, with seating for up to 221 people inside, a semi-private dining room for intimate celebrations, and an additional 30 seats in the large outdoor patio, according to the release.
“Walking into the new Soul should feel like seeing an old friend you haven’t seen in years but instantly pick back up with,” stated managing partner Andy Kastanas in the release. “We loved being the place where our guests celebrate milestones big and small, and that legacy matters to us. From the food to the design, every detail was to make sure those memories, and the chance to create new ones, are still part of the Soul experience.”
Soul’s original Plaza Midwood location opened in 2009 and quickly became a neighborhood staple thanks to its globally inspired small plates, sushi, craft cocktails and a magnetic atmosphere helped along by Andy’s experience as one of Charlotte’s nightlife pioneers, known as DJ Andy K in the 1990s.
Read more: ESSAY: A Farewell to Plaza Midwood (2022)
The restaurant’s name “reflects the collective ‘soul’ of the nationalities, immigrants and cultures who brought their flavors to Charlotte and helped shape the city into the diverse city it is today,” according to Thursday’s release.
Working with longtime collaborator Scott Weaver, the Kastanases have reimagined many of Soul’s most iconic design elements for the new space, keeping the taxidermy peacock and the infamous haunted mirror from Tattoo. The DJ booth and bar — each repurposed and rebuilt by Reaching Quiet Design using materials from the original Soul Gastrolounge, are also back.
Andy and Lesa have assured longtime Soul fans that the restaurant’s iconic menu will remain largely untouched, with returning fan favorites that include the Asian glazed pork belly tacos, lamb lollipops, and Korean barbecue wings.
Leading the kitchen is Chef de Cuisine Shiki Brewer, formerly executive chef at The Crunkleton and a finalist on Guy’s Grocery Games. She’s joined by executive sous chef Wanda Orick, who returns after serving as Soul’s original sous chef, and sushi chef Joe Thu, who created Soul’s original sushi menu.
Music will also continue to play a large role in the Soul experience. DJs That Guy Smitty, Shanti Love and Scott Weaver with return as residents alongside newcomers Suadade, See Bird Go and others.
Named one of Diageo’s World Class Top 50 Bartenders in the United States for 2022, Stevie Laws will lead the cocktail program, joined by assistant beverage director Jacob Taylor. General manager Yuri Oliviera, formerly of Napa on Providence, and director of operations Jeff Jennings (Mythos, Cosmos, Salamandra) round out the leadership team.
“The magic is in our special mix of Mediterranean-inspired small plates, sushi, and cocktails shaken with our brand of old-world charm and poured over our signature blend of house music,” Andy says. “Breathing life back into Soul now gives us the opportunity to honor our 15-year history while embracing a new future in a growing and changing city … It may be a new chapter, but it’s still the same Soul.”
Soul Gastrolounge will be open Sunday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m.; and Friday-Saturday, 5 p.m.-midnight. For more information or to make a reservation, visit the website and follow on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
