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- Jason's Deli is expected to open this week.
- Flemings Steakhouse is slated to open at the end of the month.
- PJ's Coffee and Wine Bar is scheduled to open sometime within the next month.
- Strike City, an upscale bowling alley, will open in late November.
- Italian restaurant Bella Vita has begun construction and is expected to open by the end of the year.
Rebrand SOCIAL Centerfold Party at MEZ from Rebrand Lifestyle Group on Vimeo.
Luxury theater in EpiCentre will allow moviegoers to drink alcohol and reserve specific seats in advance.
By Nichole Monroe Bell
nbell@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Friday, Sep. 12, 2008
Uptown's first modern movie theater complex will open Nov. 14 at the EpiCentre, featuring five screens, a luxury environment and adults-only atmosphere in the evenings.
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based IPic Entertainment will run the theater, which will open with the release of the upcoming James Bond film "Quantum of Solace," said EpiCentre developer Afshin Ghazi of Ghazi Co.
IPic theaters feature VIP sections that allow moviegoers to buy their tickets online as much as a week ahead of time and reserve a specific seat – similar to purchasing a concert ticket, company spokesman Jim Lee said.
Seat availability is updated in real time online, so moviegoers can tell right away if the movie they want to see is sold out. It also helps the theater because it can make a more educated decision whether to make additional reens available.
"People love it because they don't have to rush and battle everybody to see the best movie of the year," Lee said. "This summer, when other theaters were dealing with lines and waits for ‘Dark Knight,' our theaters were calm. People appreciate that."
In other cities, IPic theater VIP seats cost $14 in the evenings, compared to $9 for general seating. Lee said the Charlotte theater's pricing will be different, but he didn't have details.
Charlotte's IPic theater will also only allow moviegoers age 21 and up into the theater after 7 p.m. Visitors will be allowed to drink alcoholic beverages in the theater and bring in food from the attached restaurant to be named "Mez."
The theater also touts that it does not show any pre-show advertising. The featured movie begins promptly following the previews of coming attractions.
As the residential population uptown has boomed, many residents have wanted to see a movie theater come to the area. The nearest theaters showing popular blockbusters are on Park Road, at Phillips Place near SouthPark or at Northlake Mall.
IPic comes as the EpiCentre is adding other entertainment venues and eateries, said Bob Durkin, president of Bar Management Group, which runs many of the venues.
Among them:
EpiCentre is a three-story, 267,000-square-foot entertainment-retail center at College and Trade streets.
Most venues are under construction. In addition to entertainment, restaurants and bars, the project calls for a 48-story condo tower and 175-room hotel. The condo tower has been halted because of a dispute between developers and the Ghazi Co.
EpiCentre Theaters, an alternative to the many suburban multiplexes, aims to boost center city as a hot spot.
By Sarah Aarthun
saarthun@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008
In the past 30 years, uptown Charlotte has transformed from a city with bankers' hours into a thriving hub with a bustling night life.
But since the latest surge of uptown growth started, its residents have clamored for a big-city staple – a movie theater.
Next month, they're getting their wish. The EpiCentre Theaters are set to open Dec. 12.
The theater's opening is the latest sign of uptown's growth. Twenty years ago, uptown had fewer than 3,000 residents and only 10 restaurants. And nightlife? There was none. By 1998, only five bars were ahead of the entertainment boom that started in the early 2000s.
More than 11,000 people live uptown now. Entertainment is abundant, with busy clubs and more than 50 places to eat or drink.
The theater's arrival comes at a moment when Charlotte's uptown residential market has cooled a bit. Some high-rise projects have stalled because of low sales. The EpiCentre itself – a 267,000-square-foot retail, office and entertainment complex – was originally envisioned to include a 48-story luxury condo tower, but work stopped in February after the condo's builder and the EpiCentre's developer became embroiled in a legal battle.
Despite the cloud over the housing market, those involved with the EpiCentre complex at 210 E. Trade St. have touted its ability to attract visitors from outside center city thanks to its half-dozen bars and clubs. The complex has become a destination for residents and tourists alike since its first nightclub, Whisky River, opened in April. A hotel is expected to open this fall, too.
The movie theater, uptown's first in 30 years, is expected to increase business.
Glamour makes a comeback
In recent decades, movie houses have abandoned downtown locations for suburban multiplexes. Landing one uptown is a welcome reversal of the trend, officials say.
"This theater is another huge accomplishment for strengthening center city as a neighborhood and a destination," says Michael Smith, president of Charlotte Center City Partners.
EpiCentre developer Afshin Ghazi is bringing back the glamour of the silver screen in a way no one has done since the opulent Carolina Theatre at North Tryon and Sixth streets closed in 1978. The building, across from the Dunhill Hotel, still stands vacant.
Walking into the EpiCentre theater's main entrance is like entering the lobby of a high-end hotel. Instead of a glassed-in ticket window, moviegoers buy their tickets at a sleek walnut reception desk. The floors are made from the same type of wood and are warmly lit by a large chandelier.
An escalator – framed by horse-hair walls – takes moviegoers to the main level, a space with soaring ceilings and skyline views.
A nightclub setting
The five-screen theater shares the multilevel space with its partner restaurant, Mez. Its motto? Eat, Stay, Play. And that's what Ghazi is hoping visitors do, especially after 7 p.m., when only patrons 21 and over are permitted and alcohol is served.
It's not so much a theater with a restaurant attached, but an upscale nightclub with four bars, a lounge area with banquet seating and two dining rooms directly off the hall of theaters.
Mez chef Klime Kovaceski plans a menu that includes such small plates as grilled calamari and charcuterie and heftier entrees like roasted duck, oxtail and osso buco. Most entrees range from $12 to $18.
Moviegoers can carry their dinner into the theater, which features wide, plush seats with individual trays and cupholders.
Cool, neutral colors are a theme throughout the space, largely lighted by chandeliers of all shapes and sizes, including a small, luxurious black velvet piece and a grand, modern-looking metal one.
"It's all about the ambiance, the luxury, the pampering of the theater," he says.
Conveniences are welcomed
The theater – operated by Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based IPic – features VIP sections that allow moviegoers to buy their tickets online as much as a week ahead of time and reserve a specific seat.
The amenity has uptown resident Scott Dam, 30, especially excited. "Even if you show up late or decide to hang out and get a drink, you can still get in and have a good seat."
Dam, a Bank of America employee who lives in the nearby Avenue condo complex on Church Street, says he normally would drive to Phillips Place in SouthPark to see a movie.
Clay Johanson, a self-described movie buff who has lived uptown for eight years, echoes Dam's dilemma.
"No matter where I've lived, I've always had to drive a considerable distance to get to (a theater), especially living uptown," says Johanson, 40. "The closest theater is the Manor (on Providence Road) and it's not where you go for big blockbuster movies. You're not going to get ‘Quantum of Solace' there."
Uptown restaurant owners are also looking forward to the theater's opening; they expect it to attract more traffic for their businesses.
"The movie theater … restaurants, shops and (nightclubs) all help to generate critical mass," says Alex Myrick, whose Blue Restaurant and Bar on College Street has already benefited from its proximity to the EpiCentre.
Myrick is one of the people who remembers when uptown was called downtown and virtually shut down at 5 o'clock. But the addition of the theater is by no means the final piece of the puzzle, he says.
"This is booming Charlotte, and we just now have a movie theater? That means there is still a lot of territory to conquer."
Dinner and movie at EpiCentre.
By Torell Taylor
Posted: Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008
The EpiCentre Theaters and Mez Restaurant in uptown Charlotte is now open and ready for moviegoers who enjoy an avant-garde movie experience and plush ambiance.
On Dec. 10 Epicentre Theaters and Mez Restaurant had a gala to celebrate their grand opening.
Guests entered the theater by gliding up neon lit escalators that led to the second floor where they mingled and conversed about the trendy atmosphere.
EpiCentre Theaters is combined with Mez to create an exclusive and upscale environment. Mez’s earmark décor features high ceilings, a tawny intimate lounge and an alluring view of uptown. Mez also includes three bars and swanky sitting areas in its design. Mez’s cuisine is prepared by award winning Miami chef Klime Kovaceski.
The state-of-the-art theater features multiple movie screens, oversized loveseats, and adult admittance after 7 p.m. The theater also has VIP seating which can be purchased online up to a week before movie showtimes.
The theater is unique, allowing moviegoers to take food and alcoholic beverages from Mez into the theater during the movie.
For more information visit epicentretheaters.com and mezcharlotte.com
