Pinky’s Westside Grill confirms efforts to buy former Grinning Mule site for a third Charlotte location

Expansion plans emerge for Plaza Midwood-area property on Morningside Drive

Pinky’s Westside Grill is pursuing a third Charlotte-area location and has confirmed active efforts to acquire the building at 1109 Morningside Drive, the former home of The Grinning Mule. The property sits in the Morningside neighborhood near Plaza Midwood, several blocks from Central Avenue, in a corridor that has seen steady restaurant and nightlife turnover in recent years.

Chef and co-owner Greg Auten confirmed that he and business partner Andy Cauble are working on purchasing the site. No opening date has been set, but Auten has said the team is aiming for a summer launch if the deal and subsequent build-out proceed on schedule.

A third Pinky’s would add to a long-running local brand

Pinky’s began with its original west Charlotte restaurant in 2010, later adding a Huntersville location in 2013. The business has also drawn national attention in the past through a 2015 visit from the Food Network program “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

The prospective Morningside Drive operation would be positioned as a close relative of the existing restaurants rather than a separate concept, with Auten describing it as a smaller, distinct offshoot within the Pinky’s family.

The site’s recent history: from nonprofit cocktail bar to honky-tonk, then closure

The building Pinky’s is seeking to buy has operated in multiple formats. The Grinning Mule opened during 2020 as a restaurant and cocktail-forward bar with a nonprofit model. By late 2023, it rebranded toward a live-music, country-focused “saloon and kitchen” with nightly performances.

In August 2024, The Grinning Mule closed as a sale of the property loomed, setting the stage for redevelopment or a successor tenant.

Why Plaza Midwood-area restaurant moves draw attention

The surrounding area has become one of Charlotte’s most active dining and nightlife markets, with a steady flow of new openings, concept changes and expansions. It is also part of a broader environment shaped by Charlotte’s first social district in Plaza Midwood, which allows customers to carry permitted alcoholic beverages within a defined zone—an initiative that city officials have said is intended to support local activity and foot traffic.

Key verified details about the proposed Pinky’s move

• Target property: 1109 Morningside Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Status: owners have confirmed they are working to buy the building.
• Timing: no announced opening date; a summer opening has been discussed as a goal.
• Context: the site previously housed The Grinning Mule, which closed in 2024.

With the purchase still in progress, the project’s timeline will likely depend on real estate closing, permitting and construction requirements typical for restaurant conversions.

For now, the proposed expansion remains a developing business move: a confirmed pursuit of a specific property, with operational details expected to follow if the acquisition is completed.