In the new iteration of Counter-, guests will remain seated in a U shape, but will sit around the kitchen. Kristen Wile/UP

Counter-, an immersive tasting menu concept opened in 2020 by chef Sam Hart, will move to a new location in West Charlotte. The move will enable Hart to recreate Counter- with the experience he had initially envisioned, as well as add a wine-focused sister concept called Biblio. The restaurants will be among the first concepts to open in a new mixed-development project on Tuckaseegee Road around the corner from Counter-‘s current space in the front of City Kitch. Opening is currently targeted for fall of 2022.

Counter- and Biblio’s future space in West Charlotte. Photo courtesy

When he dreamed up Counter-, Hart pictured a U-shaped seating area built around a kitchen, allowing the kitchen to better interact with diners. In his initial iteration of Counter-, plating was done tableside for each course, but most prep was done out of site. Dishes will still be finished in front of guests, but the rest of the prep will also be done in sight. The meal will continue to be paired with music. (Read more about the Counter- experience.)

“We’re just going to be building it the exact way that we wanted to from the beginning and getting some really cool toys and tricks in there,” Hart says. Capacity will increase from Counter-‘s current 18 seats to 21 seats.

The move also introduces Biblio, Counter-‘s wine-focused sister concept. Similar to the way Counter- was an innovative dining experience in Charlotte, Biblio will bring a new way of enjoying wine. Guests will purchase a bottle of wine, and included in the price will be paired tapas. Reservations will be required, and there will be no menu — the kitchen will serve what they believe pairs best with the wine. 

“We are very aggressively trying to make Counter- and Biblio the spot that you want to go to if you want to have a really wonderful, unique wine,” Hart says. “We are not going to have many of your standard wines that you see in stores. We’re going to go mainly for very small vineyard production wines and unique labels, things like that. We’re not going to have a lot of your big-name, California wines.”

Hart also envisions Biblio being the place collectors can bring a rare or special wine from their own personal cellars and enjoy it with food that highlights the bottle. The cost of food will be included in the corkage fee. Hart is currently in talks to hire a sommelier to run the wine program at Biblio.

As the restaurant transitions to its new space next year, Hart expects to close only for the usual one-week pause in service the staff takes to launch a new menu. Reservations at the restaurant continue to be booked far in advance; Hart says they’ve been constantly filling all available seats — allowing the restaurant to take its next step so quickly.