Suárez Bakery & Barra Announces Grand Opening at Optimist Hall
The second location of the beloved Charlotte bakery features a Cuban-inspired menu of pressed sandwiches, rice bowls, baked goods, and beverages
White Point Partners and Atlanta-based Paces Properties and Confluence Real Estate are thrilled to announce that Charlotte-based Suárez Bakery will open their second location at Optimist Hall on Friday, June 19. Suarez is the 18th tenant to open in Optimist Hall, Charlotte’s newest and largest food hall, which first opened to the public on August 1, 2019. Additional tenants will continue to open on a rolling basis throughout 2020.
“We are excited to finally announce the opening of the much anticipated second location of Suárez Bakery. Adding this beloved local favorite, with its expanded menu, to Optimist Hall’s lineup will further broaden the culinary and cultural scope of options available in the food hall,” says Merritt Lancaster, Optimist Hall Partner.
“We’ve been baking breads at our Park Road bakery since we opened there in 1992, and we’ve built our new menu around them at our second location. We’re excited for guests to enjoy these breads in a new and exciting way. Optimist Hall has been a game-changer for the Charlotte food scene, and we feel fortunate to be a part of it,” says Carlos Suárez, Owner.
A longtime staple in the Charlotte community, Suárez Bakery opened their first location in 1992, serving cakes, pastries, and traditional Cuban breads. The Optimist Hall location builds on their bakery roots and will feature an expanded menu, utilizing their same acclaimed breads in updated Cuban classics and savory dishes inspired by the owner’s Cuban heritage and upbringing in Miami. Pressed sandwich favorites like Cubanos and Medianoches with marinated mojo pork layered with ham, cheese, pickles, and a signature mojo mustard will be served on Suárez’s authentic, house-made Cuban breads. Rice bowls topped with meats and vegetables like Ropa Vieja—made with tender, spiced beef—and snacks such as Yucca Fries, Croquetas, Black Beans & Rice, and Maduros round out the counter menu. Vegan sandwich, bowl, and snack options will also be available. The counter menu was developed in collaboration between owner Carlos Suárez and Chef Hector Gonzalez and will be executed by Chef Gonzalo Suárez II.
Expanding their bakery goods at Optimist Hall, Suárez offers all-new laminated pastries like croissants and morning buns alongside current favorites like doughnuts, cake slices, and cookies.
For drink offerings, Beverage Director Bryce Laguer is embracing the bold flavors of Cuban coffee and has developed a menu featuring new takes on traditional drinks like Cuban espresso and café con leche, honoring the tradition of Cuban coffee while adding a signature touch to traditional recipes. Beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages will also be on the menu.
The 1,007 SF market stall is located in the food hall area of Optimist Hall, next to Papi Queso, which opened last fall.
WEBSITE: suarezbakeryandbarra.com | SOCIAL: Instagram: @suarezbakerybarra l Facebook: @suarezbakeryandbarra
Optimist Hall
@optimisthallclt | #optimisthall | www.optimisthall.com
Opened in Charlotte, NC on August 1, 2019, Optimist Hall is a 147,000 SF redevelopment of a former gingham mill that features a food hall complemented by retail, restaurant, and creative office space. Located in the Optimist Park neighborhood between Uptown and NoDa, the development has transformed the turn-of-the-century textile mill into one of the most unique projects in the Charlotte metropolitan area. Optimist Hall retains many of the property’s original, 120+ year-old elements including hardwood floors, soaring 14+ foot ceilings, and brick and beam interiors with true industrial character. With heritage rooted in the industrialization of the South, and a space dedicated to innovation, sustainability, and urban renewal, Optimist Hall melds the legacy of Charlotte’s rich history with the opportunity of tomorrow. Open tenants include the following: Archer Paper, Ava Pizzeria, Bao & Broth, Billy Sunday, Duke Energy, Dumpling Lady, El Thrifty Social Club, Felix Empanadas, Honeysuckle Gelato, Papi Queso, Pet Wants, Spindle Bar, Undercurrent Coffee, Velvet Taco, Village Juice, Fonta Flora Brewery, Suárez Bakery & Barra, and Zukku Sushi. Additional tenants slated to open in the coming weeks and months include Botiwalla, Boxcar Betty’s, Mezeh, and Harriet’s Hamburgers.