by Kristen Wile

South End has a gained a reputation for being Charlotte’s most vibrant and youthful neighborhoods, with folks in their 20s filling local bars and restaurants. At Folia, an upcoming cocktail bar from Built On Hospitality and led by mixologist Bob Peters, the restaurant group looks to create a space that also welcomes a slightly older generation to South End when it opens as soon as next week.

“This is very rare when this happens, but I feel a little old down there,” Peters, who is in his mid-40s, says. “I thought that it might be a great time to interject something different in South End. I love everything that’s going on in South End right now, but sometimes it’s hard to hear — if I take my wife out on a date, it’s kind of hard to hear her. And I want a seat, I want to see, want somewhere to sit down and relax a little bit, have a nice cocktail, maybe a little snack or something while we’re out on date night. And I didn’t think that there was anything quite for my age down there.”

Folia, which will open next week at the intersection of South Tryon and West Summit Avenue, will welcome guests who are looking for those same things. The bar’s entrance is designed to look like a small plant shop, and greenery is also a large part of the interior decor. Taking inspiration from Miami, the cocktail menu will make use of tropical juices and be heavier on tequila and mezcal drinks. There are both classics — such as a Hemingway daiquiri, French 75, pisco sour, and old-fashioned — on a year-round menu, with a selection of seasonal drinks as well. Peters says they plan to open with their summer menu while the weather is still warm, then transition to fall in a few weeks. On the seasonal menu are cocktails such as Drink Ses-a-me, with tequila, sesame leaf syrup, yuzu, mango, and a salted orange liqueur foam, and Melon Smokeshow, made using mezcal, lime, watermelon, and mint. Peters says he expects the Folia & Flowers, made with Sutler’s gin, clarified lemon essence, and rose syrup, to become a guest favorite. There is also a zero-proof menu.

While Folia doesn’t have a full kitchen, they will have a small menu that uses Latin flavors. Built On Hospitality executive chef and partner Chris Coleman oversees the restaurant group’s menu development, though Goodyear House chef Tyler Long helped lead the food menu for Folia. Dishes include peanuts spiced with chile de arbol, striped bass crudo, and a mango sorbet, as well as Verdant Bread baguette with warm cheese or seaweed butter.

Peters will be on hand as the bar gets through opening and checking in regularly, but day-to-day operations will be led by Jaime Alicea, who will manage the front-of-house and comes to Folia from Counter-. Ashleigh Parella, formerly of Flourshop and Kindred, will oversee the bar. The bar will open at noon Friday through Sunday for those who want to stop in for an afternoon cocktail or mocktail, and at 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Folia can fit 10 seated at the bar, with a total capacity of around 70 people. To be able to serve guests craft cocktails at such volume, Peters says the drink stations have been designed with his years of experience in Charlotte’s bar scene to make them as efficient as possible, and the drinks themselves were created with fast execution in mind. Folia will take both reservations and walk-ins.

Though an exact opening date has not yet been set, the bar is awaiting final ABC permitting and is otherwise ready to welcome guests. They hope to open next week.