Like the killer in a bad horror movie, the Coffee Cup restaurant is never quite dead, or so it seems.
Less than two months after owner Gardine Wilson said the historic eatery was closed for good, it apparently has found new life — this time in NoDa.
Wilson told Qcitymetro.com today that a revised version of the Coffee Cup would open April 1 at 2909 North Davidson St., inside the building that houses Alive. He sent out online invitations Saturday offering a sneak peek to a select group he characterized as “community leaders.”
“I want the community’s input,” he said today in an interview.
Wilson said the new location will offer its own coffee blend (developed in Puerto Rico) and feature a “classic organic menu.” It also will have wireless Internet access.
But much of the down-home cooking that made the Coffee Cup famous, he said, will still be available.
“Our main thing is concentrating on getting the people back and getting the food back,” he said.
The Coffee Cup opened in 1946 and was among the first Charlotte restaurants where blacks and whites could eat together. It closed after an Atlanta developer in 2005 bought its landmark building near Bank of America Stadium. Two subsequent locations — one uptown and another in the University City area — closed after failing to draw enough customers.
Wilson said he decided to try again after he was approached by one of the main tenants in the NoDa building. He said the University City location failed, in large part, because he was competing “on a shoestring” against some well-funded national chains in the area.
The new location will have a cozier feel, he said, seating 40 on the main level and 10 on an upper level. He will concentrate mainly on breakfast and lunch.
“We’re going back to the basics of what the Coffee Cup was and what the Coffee Cup is,” Wilson said. “I know God actually put me on this journey for a purpose.”
