SouthPark is getting a new spot that really wants you to kick your shoes off and stay awhile. The Craic, an Irish-inspired bar and restaurant, is set to open April 15 at 4810 Ashley Park Lane in the former Rusty Bucket space. The roughly 4,622-square-foot hangout seats about 177 people across multiple dining rooms and will run from brunch through last call, with the kitchen serving until 1 a.m. and the bar staying open until 2 a.m. The owners say the whole idea is to create a neighborhood place where you can slide in for brunch, bring the kids for dinner or grab a late-night drink.
Local hospitality operators Chris Healy, Parker Starre and Delano Little are behind the project, with Danny O’Connell tapped as executive chef and Sarah Pinto running the bar, according to a company release covered by What Now Charlotte. Healy and Little previously teamed up at The Public House, while Starre helped run the Rusty Bucket before joining the ownership group. They are pitching The Craic as a midpoint between SouthPark’s white-tablecloth spots and its casual chains, an all-day concept meant to work just as well for a stroller brigade as it does for a nightcap crowd.
“We want to be SouthPark's living room,” co-owner Chris Healy told reporters during a preview of the space, as reported by Charlotte Observer's CharlotteFive. That preview also highlighted a lineup of about 10 signature cocktails and a menu of approachable bar food geared to both families and late-night regulars. Executive chef Daniel (Danny) O'Connell said the kitchen is focused on “simple food done right,” promising staple dishes that lean on consistency more than flash.
Menu and drinks
The Craic’s menu leans into Irish comfort food and familiar bar favorites. Expect fish and chips, Irish stew, smash burgers, oven-fired pizzas and a Dubliner smash cheeseburger, plus a weekend prime-rib special and a kids menu that includes scaled-down steak and beer-battered fish. Bar manager Sarah Pinto has built a beverage program around 31 beer taps and eight temperature-controlled wine dispensers, along with a curated bottle list and nonalcoholic picks, according to What Now Charlotte. Brunch is scheduled daily from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and the team says the kitchen will stay busy late to catch pre-game groups and after-show crowds.
Space and late-night vibe
Inside, The Craic is broken up into a series of rooms and bars meant to feel like different corners of a well-worn house. There is a four-person Irish snug with a pass-through window, a billiards room with a table that converts to ping-pong, and two vintage phone booths near the entrance, plus plenty of TVs for sports and big events. Owners say they used antiques and architectural salvage they have collected over the years to give the space a lived-in, neighborhood feel, and the spot includes free parking in the Ashley Park Lane lot. With seating for more than 175 people, the plan is for the room to feel relaxed and family-friendly by day, then gradually shift into a livelier late-night bar scene as the evening rolls in, according to Charlotte Observer's CharlotteFive.
Where The Craic fits in SouthPark
The Craic is opening into a busy spring for SouthPark dining, as new concepts roll in and a few long-timers change addresses or shut their doors. SouthPark Magazine recently noted a run of openings and the closure of the area’s Fontana di Vino location. The owners say they are carving out a more approachable, all-day option that sits between fast-casual counters and special-occasion dining rooms, a niche called out in local coverage. The team is in a soft-open phase now and has a formal grand opening set for April 15; after that, The Craic plans to operate daily from 11 a.m.-2 a.m., with the kitchen open until 1 a.m., per Axios Charlotte.
Co-owner Parker Starre told Axios Charlotte that he hopes The Craic feels like “an extension of their living room” and a casual spot where guests can relax without overthinking it. For now, the restaurant at 4810 Ashley Park Lane is welcoming guests during its soft opening ahead of the April 15 launch. Expect walk-in seating, patio options and a beer-heavy bar program that leans on local pours, alongside a lineup of family-friendly daytime dishes.
