CHARLOTTE — In the heart of Dilworth, a Charlotte culinary power couple is working on their latest restaurant.
Restaurateurs Jamie Brown and Jeff Tonidandel, the pair behind Supperland and Haberdish, are transforming a former historic church into a new restaurant.
[ ALSO READ: Dine out on a deal during Charlotte Restaurant Week winter edition ]
In a sea of shiny new buildings all around Charlotte, Brown is taking the time to learn the history of the building and share its story.
“We just want to show the beautiful architecture because the way people built buildings back in 1915 is just stunning,” Brown said.
According to Brown, in 1861 a man by the name of John Butt moved here from Virginia. Butt operated a small grocery store during the week, but on Sunday he would come to the spot at 1829 Cleveland Avenue and preach.
“He wasn’t actually a pastor, but he would preach, and he had about a dozen people in this congregation,” Brown said.
Brown says Butt eventually saved enough money to buy the property for $10. He built a church there in 1896, which was replaced in 1915 with the brick structure that now sits on the property.
The church would eventually house other businesses including a plant nursery, Christmas shop, and the much-loved Charlotte staple Bonterra, which served guests for 22 years in the building before relocating to South Park.
“This has been a precious place to a lot of people. … To be able to carry that forward, it’s an incredible honor,” Brown said.
Brown describes the new restaurant, Leluia Hall, as a family-style steak and surf concept. It’s set to open this summer.
She says the restaurant journey began for the couple on a European adventure when they were newlyweds.
“It was just very dreamy and we’d talk about it for hours on end, but then you come back and reality hits,” Brown said.
However, when Tonidandel reminded her about their idea, they decided to take the risk and dove in head first.
“He was so impassioned by this idea that I just felt like as his partner in life, I just need to let go and see if he could do something with this,” she said.
It appears the husband-and-wife team has found their niche. Leluia Hall will be their sixth restaurant. Currently, they employ 200 workers.
To stay up to date on the restaurant’s progress, follow Leluia Hall on Instagram here.
VIDEO: Rock Hill restaurant preserves legacy of ‘Friendship 9′
This browser does not support the video element.