Velvet Taco, the trendsetting, adventurous taco restaurant serving unique, globally inspired recipes, will open its third location in North Carolina in Charlotte’s popular South End community on May 30, 2022. The restaurant is located at 2170 Hawkins St, Charlotte, NC.
The South End neighborhood is a great fit for Velvet Taco, with its lively and vibrant nightlife scene and buzzy restaurants serving elevated American and global cuisines.
The South End restaurant is one of the largest Velvet Taco prototypes to date, with the impressive interior measuring 3,527 sq. feet (kitchen and dining room) and the patio at 689 sq. feet.
“We are thrilled to bring our third Velvet Taco to Charlotte!” says Velvet Taco CEO, President and Taco Maker, Clay Dover. “It’s exciting for us to continue our growth trajectory in Charlotte where the demand for our tacos is high and the market has proven to be an excellent addition to our growing brand. My vision is to make Velvet Taco as accessible as possible and the South End neighborhood is perfect for guests to come, stay, eat, spend time with us, but also walk to the Historic South End arts district before or after they get their tacos and margs.”
Velvet Taco serves over twenty different varieties of tacos inspired by global cuisine; and one of the brand’s key differentiators is their Weekly Taco Feature (or WTF) program, where they create a new taco every week (that’s 52 tacos a year!). Prepared in-house by chefs who do everything they can to break the rules, they use unique-to-the-taco ingredients like basil leaves, grilled salmon, Kobe beef, fried paneer, and crispy pepper jack corn grits – to name a few. While their all-star cast of tacos are definitely the heroes, they also have an impressive array of show-stopping sidekicks; like Kick Ass Margaritas, elote corn, and their signature Red Velvet Cake–all scratch made. Catering for any occasion – game nights, birthday parties, graduation – is also available.
The new restaurant will feature a custom, hand-painted taco garden mural on the patio, giving guests a relaxing yet edgy vibe. Inside the restaurant, the dining room will feature their staple Marie Antoinette painting commissioned by Laura Shull and three custom canvas paintings commissioned by Charlotte-based artist Pam Singh of Pam Singh Studio. Velvet Taco partnered with non-profit SouthEnd ARTS to hire Ms. Singh, a local, underinvested artist, to bring local art into the design while bringing opportunities to the local art scene.
Velvet Taco Charlotte South End General Manager Henny Kablan says, “We take pride in the vibe we create for our guests, and we could not be more excited to bring this energy to the South End neighborhood.”
“From our around-the-globe menu options, to our diverse team members, to the music we play, we encourage diversity and expression, which is why Velvet Taco is so well known for welcoming anyone in and will fit so well in the South End neighborhood,” continues Kablan.
Fans can earn reward incentives by signing up for The Velvet Room, the Velvet Taco loyalty program that is best experienced through the brand’s mobile app. The more guests visit, the more rewards they earn including invites to tastings, swag, and free tacos. With each purchase, guests earn points towards distinctly “Velvet Taco” status tiers ranging from “Kick Ass,” with perks like special invites; to “Bad Ass,” offering free chips & queso and tacos. Guests who spend $400 or more reach the elite “Hard Ass” tier, featuring personalized “surprise & delight” rewards.
