Greg and Subrina Collier debut at 3rd and Fernwood in Midtown

When Greg and Subrina Collier came to Charlotte in 2012 with dreams of breaking into the local restaurant scene, they were inspired by spots like Delta’s Restaurant in Uptown and Jackson’s Cafeteria in Uptown—venues that doubled as community centers and catered to a diverse group of people.

“What we liked about these places was that everyone was there,” chef Greg Collier recently told Queen City Nerve. “The mayor and the city council were there, along with the general contractors, along with the lawyers, along with the people who worked on the buildings. It was a place for everyone.”

Both of these beloved dining spots would close within a year of the Colliers’ arrival in town. But Charlotte foodies had no way of knowing the impact these two new spots would have on the local dining scene over the next dozen years as they pursued their own vision of how community intersects with food.

When I last spoke with two-time James Beard Award-nominated chef Greg Collier and his wife, Subrina—the entrepreneurial and design mind behind the couple’s acclaimed venues and events—in fall 2022, they were in the midst of planning the second annual BayHaven Food and Wine Festival, an annual event that primarily brings Black culinary artists from around the world to Charlotte.

Two years later, as they continue planning for Bayhaven’s fourth iteration, they also open a third restaurant in Charlotte, 3rd & Fernwood, a tribute to the African diaspora, its ties to the American South, and Greg and Subrina’s experiences growing up in Memphis, Tennessee.

The founders of BayHaven Restaurant Group, who have opened two locations in Charlotte so far, hope 3rd & Fernwood will become their most community-focused restaurant yet, a “place for everyone” in the mold of Jackson’s, Delta’s and other beloved eateries the Queen City has lost over the years.

A new chapter in Charlotte’s culinary scene

Greg and Subrina Collier’s first foray into the local restaurant scene was The Yolk, which they opened in Rock Hill in 2012. While they felt the diner-style space reflected their goal of creating a community-focused restaurant, the offerings were limited to breakfast options.

In 2018, they moved The Yolk to Uptown, changing the name to Uptown Yolk at 7th Street Public Market, and then in 2023, they moved to the South End.

Their second restaurant, Leah & Louise, opened in March 2020, just after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the restaurant industry. Inspired by the juke joints built and frequented by black people in the American South during Prohibition, the restaurant was born out of the couple’s interest in culinary exploration of the African diaspora in the context of the American South.

“The goal of Leah & Louise is always to show people what Afro-Southern cuisine can look like,” Greg said. “We like to call Leah & Louise Afro-Southern because we want to look at it from a why and what perspective for the diaspora.”

Leah & Louise has built a loyal following while achieving success and accolades, including multiple James Beard Award nominations and being named one of the best new restaurants in the country by Esquire magazine in 2020.

Colliers closed its Camp North End location in April 2024, with plans to eventually reopen in Charlotte’s Historic West End. In the meantime, they’re pushing ahead with their latest venture: 3rd & Fernwood.

The new restaurant, which had its grand opening on Aug. 30, features a three-meat, three-course menu, which allows you to order a protein and three sides, giving the restaurant more freedom to customize than Leah & Louise.

Like Leah and Louise, Greg and Subrina want to pay homage to the African diaspora, its connections to the American South, and the experiences of both parents growing up in Memphis with 3rd & Fernwood.

As with their other venues and the BayHaven Food & Wine Festival, the pair have split duties at 3rd & Fernwood. While Greg handles the kitchen and culinary experience, Subrina spearheads the aesthetic and design aspects of the venue.

“Greg is a culinary artist,” Subrina told Queen City Nerve. “I think that’s kind of my artistic contribution to our business — the design side.”

When designing the restaurant, Subrina wanted to create an atmosphere that was neither too casual nor too formal, and she was inspired by her childhood home, which was located at the intersection of 3rd Street and Fernwood Avenue in South Memphis.

From the muted color palette to the ornate mural that covers one wall of the 477-square-foot space, Subrina’s interior design was inspired by her mother’s interior design style.

“It’s not formal, but a little bougie-casual,” she said. “We wanted to create a familiar space where people feel comfortable celebrating an anniversary, sharing stories over drinks with old friends and everything in between.”

A space where you will feel at home

Continuing the Prohibition-era vibe the pair cultivated at their juke joint-inspired Leah & Louise, they’re introducing a new concept with their latest venture: an illegal speakeasy.

Of course, the point of a secret spot is to keep it a secret, but Subrina gave Queen City Nerve permission to write a story about it (we’re not claiming exclusivity here, as the idea was included in the couple’s original announcement for the new restaurant, which is set to drop in August 2023).

“We’re not allowed to reveal the secret bar because it’s supposed to be private and secret, but no one will know about it (if we don’t tell),” she said.

The name of the restaurant is a tribute to Subrina’s family home, especially her father. It has a dual meaning: “3rd” refers to the illegal bar, and “Fernwood” is the name of the restaurant.

Opening in the fall, the speakeasy will have a different feel than the restaurant, with a different entrance. It will seat about 20 and will be open three nights a week to serve cocktails paired with small plates on a rotating menu.

“It’s going to be higher quality cocktails, craft cocktails, just really where mixologists and chefs can do small dishes — just rock their craft,” Subrina said. “We wanted to make sure that we still do that, because as creative people, you still have to be able to get your creativity out there. It can get really repetitive if you’re doing the same thing every day and you’re not able to go and actually show your creativity.”

Colliers wanted to bring a speakeasy concept to Leah & Louise in Camp North End, but it didn’t work out in the space. The new location gives Subrina a chance to get creative with the interior design. Right now, what will become the entrance is just another door in the restaurant, but when it’s ready to open, it will be more unassuming.

3rd & Fernwood will do many of the same things its sister locations do — seasonal menu items, Southern cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients, and a concept that nods to the Colliers’ past (Leah & Louise is named after Greg’s late sister and grandmother, while 3rd & Fernwood is a nod to Subrina’s father’s home in Tennessee).

Greg said that above all else, as with his other ventures, he is interested in promoting the image of Southern cuisine done differently.

“We want it to be a little different than traditional, right?” he said. “We have fried okra on the menu, but we serve it with shrimp remoulade and hot chili — so it’s definitely fried okra, but a little different.

“If people want to call it Southern food, whatever they want to call it, I’m totally fine with that,” he continued. “It’s not exactly what you’re going to get at every soul food place.”

Other dishes guests can expect include sweet potatoes with a brown butter and brown sugar glaze; macaroni and cheese with smoked Gouda, cheddar, mozzarella, mild cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese; and oxtail paté, which Greg said has already become a fan favorite during the restaurant’s initial opening.

Ultimately, the duo wanted to create something that would allow Greg to be more creative with his food.

“With Leah & Louise, I was just thinking about dispelling the myth of what black chefs are supposed to do or what black food is,” he said. “With this restaurant, I don’t care what people think I should cook or what black food is supposed to be. Now I can just cook the food that I cook for my family, the food that I cook at home for holidays or celebrations or whatever. It’s really, from top to bottom, a family restaurant. That’s the goal.”

Like everything Greg and Subrina do, 3rd & Fernwood is a passion project where their talents come together to create more than just a restaurant, but rather a culinary experience—one that brings together a community like the establishments they once loved.

“I think the easy expectation is that you’re going to walk into a beautiful space, and I think that sets the expectation of what the meal is going to be like,” Greg said. “We want to give people the space to eat the way they want to eat.”

3rd & Fernwood is located at 1100 Metropolitan Ave., St. 170, in Charlotte’s Midtown neighborhood and is open from noon to 9 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through Saturdays, then from 1 to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Learn more at 3rdandfernwood.com.

This year’s Bayhaven Food & Wine Festival will take place October 3-6 at the Savona Mill, located at 500 S. Turner Ave. in the Historic West End. Learn more at bayhavenfoodandwine.com

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