Mike Ditka is not done with Charlotte yet. The former NFL coach’s restaurant group is actively scouting a second location in the Queen City, signaling that national hospitality operators still see runway in Charlotte’s crowded dining scene. The potential move would build on the success of Catalina Kitchen + Bar in Elizabeth and could bring another full-service dining room and bar to the market. Sources say the team is hunting for a space sized for a midscale neighborhood restaurant, not a tiny corner nook or a splashy, oversized steakhouse.
According to Charlotte Business Journal, Ditka’s Restaurant Group is targeting a 4,000- to 6,000-square-foot footprint for the second Charlotte outpost. The report, published Wednesday, notes that the group is reviewing potential sites but has not announced a signed lease or even picked a neighborhood. That size range lines up with the kind of indoor-outdoor, bar-forward layout the group already favors in other markets.
What Ditka Has Built Here
Ditka’s first Charlotte venture, Catalina Kitchen + Bar, opened at Elizabeth on Seventh in 2023 and fills a prominent corner space with indoor seating and a patio. The restaurant’s official site lists its address as Catalina Kitchen + Bar at 1942 E. 7th St., and the menu mixes coastal flavors with Southern accents. Catalina also drew national attention after landing a spot on Yelp’s “Best New Restaurants of 2024” list, as reported by WCCB Charlotte.
Why Charlotte Keeps Drawing Names
Charlotte’s steady rollout of mixed-use projects and neighborhood redevelopment has stoked demand for restaurant operators who can deliver reliable traffic on weekdays and weekends alike. Coverage of the city’s restaurant boom has pointed out how destinations such as Elizabeth on Seventh and similar corridors have attracted a blend of homegrown chefs and out-of-town brands. Axios Charlotte highlighted that pattern when Ditka first pushed into the market with Catalina.
What Is Next for a Second Ditka Spot
The Charlotte Business Journal report notes that no lease has surfaced publicly and the group has offered no timeline or neighborhood for the follow-up location. If talks progress, the usual gauntlet of leasing, permitting and buildout would come next before any official announcement. Local real estate listings and city records are likely to provide the first concrete hints that narrow down exactly where Ditka’s next Charlotte address will land.
A second Ditka restaurant would add another midscale, full-service option to an already busy Charlotte dining map and could help anchor lunch and dinner traffic in whichever commercial corridor lands the deal. For now, all eyes are on the leasing wires and permit filings for the first hard evidence that the expansion is moving from scouting to signed.
