by Kristen Wile

Jonny Cox, longtime Rare Roots Hospitality chef who most recently helped open South End restaurant Chapter 6, is leaving the restaurant group to open his own concept. He plans to open Seaboy, a seasonal and chef-driven restaurant, on North Main Street in Cornelius this fall. The restaurant will seat about 50 guests, and focus on a select menu of small plates as well as tasting menus.

The restaurant takes inspiration in part from Dogwood Southern Table’s “Dinner with Jonny.” Cox says he always enjoyed the interactions that took place while cooking for guests at the SouthPark restaurant’s chef’s counter, and that interaction is something he will bring to Seaboy.

“I wanted a place that when guests walk in, I’m directly communicating with them,” he says. 

Seaboy will have a chef’s table with seating for six, with multiple seatings per night. The experience will include five courses. The restaurant’s menu will change seasonally — perhaps even daily — and source from local farms, particularly with its seafood. Cox says to expect fish sourced from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, with a focus on freshness even though that may mean serving fish that guests are less familiar with. While the seafood will remain local, the inspiration spans the globe for seafood dishes from lobster rolls to shrimp larb and paella.

There will be a rotating variety of oysters available as part of Seaboy’s raw bar, and all guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a three-course, fixed price menu that will change throughout the week. The shifting menus will give diners a more personal connection to the chefs cooking for them, and give the chefs a chance to be more face-to-face with diners instead of hidden in the kitchen.

“It’s super great to feed people and watch them enjoy it,” Cox says.

Cox will stay on with Rare Roots hospitality until October, when Seaboy nears opening. Working at Fin & Fino in Birkdale led the chef to appreciate the areas north of Charlotte, and when he got the call about a former sushi restaurant available in Cornelius, he knew he’d found his space. 

“In the last like three years, I’ve been dreaming about my own spot,” he says. “So just kind of pounced.”

The restaurant is in a small, historic house, and has the feel of a beach house. Cox says diners should expect a lot of blues and whites that evoke the waters of New England.

Cox has spent nine years working with Rare Roots Hospitality, including as executive chef of Dogwood Southern Table, Fin & Fino, and Chapter Six. 

“We are sad to see him go, but we’re excited for what the future holds for him,” says Jon Dressler, co-owner of Rare Roots Hospitality. “Jonny has always shown top shelf creativity, work ethic, and drive and he will be missed.”

The following chefs will lead day-to-day operations for Rare Roots’ restaurants: chef Tom Hite at Fin & Fino Uptown, Bernard Crate and Enrique Lopez at Chapter 6, Gabino Velasquez at Fin & Fino Birkdale, Scott Brooks at The Porter’s House, Nick Stewart at Dressler’s, and Rob Clement at Joan’s Bakery & Deli. Chef Scott Hollingsworth remains corporate executive chef for the restaurant group, in charge of the menus company-wide. 

“I have a major love for Jon [Dressler], for chef Scott [Hollingsworth], and Tim [Buchanan] big time,” Cox says. “I’m super grateful, but I feel like this is a natural evolution for my career.”

Keep up to date with Seaboy’s opening on social media or through the restaurant’s website, as well as the Unpretentious Palate newsletter.