South End’s newest cocktail bar to offer ‘elevated experience’

Blue Door brings an upscale — yet intimate — cocktail experience to South End. It opens at 5 p.m. on Oct. 4.

The venue is located at 1508 S. Mint St. — formerly home to Bardo restaurant.

Husband-and-wife team Eric and Kate Gussin had been looking for the perfect spot for the concept, which caters to young professionals and hospitality enthusiasts.

The goal was to create a space that’s intimate, memorable and refined. At the same time, they want a lively and approachable atmosphere.

“We’ve been a part of the Charlotte hospitality scene for a while now, and we saw a gap — places either felt too stiff or too chaotic,” Eric says.

Adds Kate: “We wanted an elevated experience, while still having a good time. It feels like it’s hard to get both.”

A visit to New York City helped inspire Blue Door. They began scouting locations, initially thinking it might land in Charleston, South Carolina.

Then, the 1,734-square-foot space became available in South End. It was a perfect fit — located across the street from sister venture Trio — a multimillion-dollar electronic dance music venue and lounge.

The goal is to fill a niche in the market. Blue Door provides a place for people to gather, socialize with friends and meet new people while lingering over high-quality craft cocktails. It’s the opposite of the high-energy vibes of Trio.

Eric says there’s a demand for this type of experience — people looking to go out and have a good time, just in a different setting.

“We’re trying to fill our Friday and Saturday night wants,” Eric says. “We wanted to create a place where we’d want to hang out — somewhere comfortable yet exciting, where you can relax and still have a great night out.”

Mike Guzmán is leading Blue Door’s cocktail program as the creative director and operator.

The menu features 75 classic cocktail options, from Negronis and gimlets to an old fashioned and martini. There’s also specialty options. The menu will rotate every six months, centered around a narrative or theme.

The first menu is based on the Michelin Guide, which recognizes excellence in restaurants across geographic regions by awarding stars.

Customers will come in and order a cocktail by city and find a menu filled with unique drinks, a bit of history about it and interesting facts about that place. Each boasts a signature item tying it to the location.

For example, the New Orleans utilizes a syrup infused with beignets from Café Monte. The Boston cocktail has beans in it — though Eric says you’d never know.

“Everything’s got some kind of connection. It tells a story,” he says.

There’s also a full mocktail selection. Every table will get truffle-salted popcorn and pickles, be it actual pickles or pickled veggies, to snack on.

The couple invested roughly $1 million to transform the space. It will open at 5 p.m. daily.

There is, of course, a blue door, to greet guests and welcome them into the space.

The main room has become a jewel box of a space, Kate says.

“We love to add depth,” she says. “It’s certainly surpassed our expectations.”

Guests will walk into a design filled with pops of midcentury-modern flair. Think a warm gold velvet and leather curved banquette running the length of the wall. There’s custom-designed wallpaper in deep cobalt, swirled with different shades of blue and veins of gold throughout. Walls have faux framing with gold leaf.

Cambria quartz with flecks of blue creates a striking bar top, waterfall and backsplash. It also repeats in the main room’s tables. The table layout creates intimate seating nooks, with jewel-toned blue velvet chains. Plush velvet curtains help separate areas. Intricate lighting also helps set the tone with square lights and larger pendant lighting.

There’s a private room that can be used for cocktail tastings or reserved for groups of 12 to 16 people. It is possible to bring in your own chef. There is a kitchen in the space.

Barringer Construction was the project’s general contractor. Carrie Frye’s CFID Studio was tapped for design work.

John Hadley with The Nichols Co. represented Blue Door on the lease. Josh Beaver, also with Nichols, repped the landlord.

Original Article