Creole restaurant to replace Fox & Hound in south Charlotte. The new owner has big plans
A French Creole Southern cuisine restaurant featuring live jazz and neo soul is planned in south Charlotte.
The high-end restaurant will be called Loretta’s, and owner John Jenkins Jr. expects it to open by early September, he told The Charlotte Observer in an exclusive interview. Loretta’s will occupy the former Fox & Hound sports bar site at Countryside Shopping Center, 8500 Pineville-Matthews Road.
Fox & Hound closed within the past month when its lease ended, said Jane Shepherd with real estate company Bell Moore Group. It was originally known as Bailey’s, owned by the same California investment company, and Shepherd said it had been there for about 20 years.
Fox & Hound still has locations at 9325 Center Lake Drive in Charlotte and 8711 Lindholm Drive in Huntersville, as well as in Wilmington.
“It’s a good match-up with Nakato’s,” Shepherd said. Upscale Nakato’s Japanese Steakhouse has been at the shopping center for about 20 years, she said.
Loretta’s will pay homage to Jenkins’ French, Ethiopian and Southern family roots. The restaurant is named for Jenkins’ late mother, Goldie Loretta Jenkins, a Darlington, S.C., native.
“I said at some point in my career I was going to do something for her in her name,” Jenkins told the Observer Wednesday. “This is all about family and my upbringing, and some of the things I’ve learned over the years in terms of food and wine, and beverages and service.”
Loretta’s will be Jenkins’ first restaurant, having previously owned a gourmet market and lounge in Los Angeles.
A chef for about 10 years with a background in Marriott hotels and real estate investment trusts, Jenkins moved to Charlotte six months ago to open his own restaurant. He’s traveled the country and worked in cities with hot food scenes like New York City and Philadelphia.
“Charlotte has grown immensely over the past 10 years, and the food scene is just exploding,” Jenkins said. “I wanted to get out on the forefront of somewhere that’s really growing in the food scene.”
The approximately 7,500-square-foot space, plus patio seating, is located near Ballantyne and Quail Hollow Club. The location and timing “just feels right,” Jenkins said, coming out of the pandemic.
“This will be a nice getaway for people to just come in, relax for an evening and just enjoy a night out,” he added.
What to expect at Loretta’s
Loretta’s will be open six days a week Tuesday through Sunday for lunch, dinner and brunch with nightly live jazz and Neo soul music by national and local artists, Jenkins said. He hopes to have gospel music during Sunday brunch.
“It’s all about the restaurant first, and the music is just going to add to the ambiance and atmosphere,” he said. “You can still have a party and reception while live music is playing.”
The menu will include shrimp and grits, foie gras, jambalaya, duck poutine, bacon macaroni-and-cheese and fried green tomatoes.
The recipes are a mix of family recipes and Jenkins’ own. But he’s also looking for an executive chef to partner with to create their own “stamp on the Charlotte food scene.”
The space, undergoing mostly cosmetic change, is being designed by KK Interior Design Group in Charlotte. The full bar will be the focal point and there will be a wall of wines, plus an entertainment stage.
‘Something quite different’
Jenkins also expects a quarter of his business to come from private events and parties, with two rooms available that also can be opened to one larger room.
Loretta’s also will have memberships that will include advance music ticket purchases, specialty events and dinners, and private lockers for specialty alcohol orders.
“So it’ll be something quite different than what you see in Charlotte,” Jenkins said.
Loretta’s is hiring for a general manager and event manager. Jenkins expects to hire about 60 full- and part-time employees.
This story was originally published May 6, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Creole restaurant to replace Fox & Hound in south Charlotte. The new owner has big plans."