Soul Gastrolounge Set To Reopen In NoDa

Photo credit: Soul Gastrolounge

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (News Release) — Soul Gastrolounge, the longtime culinary and cultural anchor of Plaza Midwood, has found a new spot to call home after nine months of searching: The Pass, a mixed-use development in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood.

The space at 4100 Raleigh Ave., will be 6,400 square feet, more than three times the size of the original. It will also feature a large outdoor patio and a reimagined Tattoo Liquor Lounge (formerly housed inside Kiki/Sister in Plaza Midwood) with a separate entrance.

Soul Gastrolounge is the first tenant to sign on at The Pass, a sprawling project developed by Third & Urban, tucked under and around Sugar Creek Road, along the light rail at Sugar Creek Station, near the Independent Picture House, Charlotte Art League and Black Box Theater.

he journey to find a location has not been easy, a process that co-owner Lesa Kastanas recently likened to online dating in an essay for Unpretentious Palate – filled with ecstatic, hopeful highs and repeated, devastating lows. They found the right fit on their fifth round (over nine months) of commercial real estate courting.

When Soul departed in August 2022 from its second-story spot in Plaza Midwood, all the iconic pieces went out the door with the memories: the taxidermy peacock, the Duy Huynh artwork, the booths, the custom bar, the giant, rumored-to-be-haunted mirror from Tattoo and the DJ booth. “All those things will be worked into this new spot,” Andy says. “We’ll have a bit of room to spread out, but it’ll all be there.”

Plaza Midwood interior designer, artist and musician Scott Weaver is managing the design for the new space.

The Pass will feature more than 260,000 square feet of creative office, retail and upscale multifamily delivered in multiple phases. The anticipated first-phase opening is set for Fall 2023, including Soul.