Restaurant Bites: What’s new and coming soon to a menu near you

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte-area restaurant owners in July operated for another month in a challenging environment caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

That led several local establishments to close their doors last month.

But despite the current challenges for operators of restaurants, bars and breweries, a number of establishments debuted here in July and others disclosed plans of opening in the coming months.

That includes a couple of new eateries that opened in South End, such as Stir Charlotte and Ruby Sunshine. Nearby in uptown, award-winning celebrity chef David Burke is bringing a new restaurant as well as a rooftop bar to the Le Méridien Charlotte, replacing the City Lights and Evoke establishments there. And north of the city, Shake Shack and two other restaurants are headed to the Birkdale Landing development underway in Huntersville.

This latest installment of Restaurant Bites provides a full roundup of restaurant news that was reported on by CBJ staffers in July. Check it out here.