Church and Union Charlotte

What Church and Union Charlotte does

Church and Union Charlotte is a single-location upscale restaurant operating in Charlotte, North Carolina, founded in 2012 under the original name 5 Church and rebranded in 2021. The venue occupies 127 N Tryon Street, Suite 8 in the uptown core and operates under the 5th Street Group hospitality umbrella, which also owns sister concepts La Belle Helene, Ophelia's, and Tempest across additional markets including Charleston, SC and Nashville, TN. The kitchen is led by Chef Partner Jamie Lynch, a Top Chef alum, alongside Executive Chef Aaron Dearing, with a staff of approximately 27 employees at the Charlotte unit.

The business runs a traditional full-service modern-American restaurant model. Revenue is generated primarily through à la carte dining (lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch), with menu items priced from $14 to $116, steak entrees at $47–$71, and cocktails at $16–$29. A prix fixe tier is offered at $55 standard and $45 during Charlotte Restaurant Week. Secondary revenue streams include private dining bookings, gift card sales, and beverage program optimization. The customer base is composed of individual diners and private dining groups, with no disclosed enterprise or corporate contract structure.

While the Charlotte unit itself is a single physical site, its strategic and operational context is set by its parent group. 5th Street Group has invested in multi-market geographic expansion and concept diversification, creating shared operational infrastructure (procurement, marketing, back-office) across the portfolio. Church and Union Charlotte functions as the flagship brand asset — leveraging chef-led brand equity, prime uptown real estate, and a multi-decade local operating history to anchor the group's positioning in upscale-casual modern-American cuisine.

Name

Church and Union Charlotte

Legal name

Church and Union Charlotte

Website

https://churchandunioncharlotte.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Church and Union Charlotte is an upscale modern-American restaurant in uptown Charlotte, founded 2012, operating under the 5th Street Group portfolio and serving à la carte and prix fixe menus to individual diners and private dining groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Revenue from food and beverage sales at the Charlotte location, including brunch, dinner, and bar service. Menu items include appetizers, mains, steaks, sides, desserts, specialty cocktails, wine, beer, and brunch-specific items. Premium items include the CU Tower seafood platter at $116 and various steak options.
2. Private Dining Events: Revenue from hosting private dining events for groups. The restaurant has dedicated private dining space available for reservations.
3. Gift Card Sales: Revenue from selling gift cards, which drive future customer visits.
4. Prix Fixe Menus and Restaurant Week: Special multi-course prix fixe menu offerings at set price points ($55 per person regular; $45 during restaurant week) that generate incremental revenue during specific promotional periods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Church and Union Charlotte is a modern-American restaurant located at 127 N Tryon Street in uptown Charlotte, NC, offering dine-in service, weekend brunch, and a private dining room accommodating up to 40 guests. Originally founded in 2012 as 5 Church, the restaurant was rebranded to Church and Union in 2021 and operates as part of the 5th Street Group hospitality conglomerate. The restaurant also sells gift cards online and features menus developed by Chef Partner Jamie Lynch and Executive Chef Aaron Dearing.

Product overview

Church and Union Charlotte is a single-location restaurant offering Modern-American dining with two core service offerings: dinner service (daily from 5PM) and weekend brunch (Friday through Sunday). The restaurant provides additional experiences including private dining for events and gift cards for gifting. Special menu programs include Economy Gastronomy (3-course prix fixe at $55) and Queen's Feast Restaurant Week (3-course prix fixe at $45). The establishment is operated by Top Chef Alum Chef Partner Jamie Lynch and Executive Chef Aaron Dearing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dine-in Restaurant Service
• Weekend Brunch Service
• Private Dining Events
• Restaurant Gift Cards

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• La Belle HeleneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister restaurant located a few blocks away from Church and Union Charlotte. Both restaurants are part of the 5th Street Group hospitality collection. The proximity allows for cross-referrals and shared customer base in the uptown Charlotte dining market.
• 5th Street GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent hospitality company that owns and operates Church and Union (Charlotte, Charleston, Nashville), La Belle Helene, Ophelia's, and Tempest restaurants. Provides centralized brand management, operational support, and shared marketing across the restaurant portfolio.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Capital Grille: National upscale steakhouse chain with a Charlotte uptown location. Overlaps on corporate clientele, steak program, and private dining, though operates as a broad portfolio brand rather than chef-driven concept.
• Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse: Established premium steakhouse group expanding into Southeast markets. Competes for high-end steak and special-occasion diners in similar price bands with broader geographic reach and marketing budgets.

Direct peers

• Halls Chophouse: Upscale steakhouse in Charleston, SC — the same secondary market where Church and Union operates. Similar premium steak-and-cocktail positioning, special occasion dining, and private event business in the Southeast.
• Kindred Restaurant: Chef-driven Modern-American restaurant in Davidson, NC serving the greater Charlotte market. Comparable a la carte fine-dining model with celebrity/founder chef reputation and similar check averages.
• Steak 48: Upscale steakhouse concept with a Charlotte location serving premium steaks, seafood towers, and craft cocktails in a comparable price band and dining occasion set.
• The Continental (via Tom Sawyer): Special-occasion Modern-American restaurant in Charlotte's uptown/loud districts with similar premium check averages, cocktail program, and private event capabilities.
• The Fig Tree Restaurant: Long-standing upscale Charlotte restaurant offering seasonal New American cuisine and steaks with private dining, directly competing for uptown occasion and corporate diners.

Emerging players

• Heritage Food & Drink: Charlotte Modern-American farm-to-table restaurant in South End with similar chef-driven positioning, weekend brunch, and comparable check averages to Church and Union Charlotte.
• Barcelona Wine Bar: Upscale-casual Charlotte restaurant/bar with extensive wine and cocktail program and weekend brunch — overlapping with Church and Union's brunch and bar-driven dayparts, though a different cuisine focus.

Regional players

• Tupelo Honey Cafe: Southeast-based brunch-and-dinner concept with a Charlotte presence. Competes specifically for Church and Union's weekend brunch traffic and occasion dining occasions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChurchandUnionCharlotte
• Instagraminstagram.com/churchandunioncharlotte
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/church-and-union-charlotte

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Church and Union Charlotte