April 13, 2022
Why is Global closing, and what’s next for its owners
After 35 years of restaurant work, Chef Brunet is looking forward to the future.
Global Restaurant will close its doors this weekend after 16 years. Photo courtesy
Last week, loyal patrons of Global Restaurant & Bar in Pineville were shocked to learn it was closing after 16 years.
Unlike many other Charlotte area spots lately, Global isn’t closing due to the long-term business effects of Covid, nor staffing shortages, nor any of the sad reasons restaurants typically close. Simply put, owners Chef Bernard and Shannon Brunet got an offer they couldn’t refuse.
“One day, out of the blue, someone approached me asking if I’d be interested in selling,” Chef Brunet says. “I simply responded, ‘Well, for the right price, it could be.’ And here we are.”
Global opened in 2006 in Ballantyne with a focus on French cuisine using local ingredients. In 2016, the restaurant moved to its current location on Main Street in Pineville.
Known for formal, usually sold-out, wine dinners as well as informal events like “Sip & Paint,” Global was a focal point in the downtown Pineville community.
The restaurant’s last day of service will be this Saturday, April 16.
“To be honest, it was bittersweet (selling),” Brunet says. “We had a lot of mixed emotions about it. Shannon and I are happy, but letting it go is like a child going to college. You know deep inside this is what needs to happen in order to evolve and challenge yourself onto another chapter of your life.
“I have been cooking for 35 years,” Brunet continues. “I’ve had great experiences along the way, but I’m realizing I am not young anymore. Working in the kitchen, day in and day out on your feet, adding the ups and downs of owning a neighborhood restaurant, it simply gets old. It’s time for what’s next.”
So what is next for Bernard and Shannon Brunet?
“Sleeping for a month,” Brunet jokes.
“I’ll be taking a few months off, reassessing what’s out there in the food or nonfood industries,” Brunet says. “We have been thinking about offering some private wine dinners and events. Someone approached me for some consulting. As for Shannon, goodness, she already has job offers.”
There are also things to look forward to outside of a new career path.
“I’m realizing I am going to be home every night and be able to see and enjoy my son, Xavier,” Brunet says.“That is what it is all about.”
