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  Coyote Ugly is brushing elbows with Fourth Ward April 29th, 2008 Posted by Hunter Wilson

  Apparently Coyote Ugly Saloon is trying to relocate to the old Twist/Daddy’s location at the bottom of the Ivey’s Building on the corner of Church and 5th St. This however does not sit well with the Friends of Fourth Ward neighborhood association. In a letter from CCCP (Charlotte Center City Partners) they say this new tenant would create “nuisance issues for residents of the Fourth Ward especially Avenue residents”. CCCP is trying to work with Stefan Latorre (owner of the retail space at the street level of the Ivey’s Building) to mutually agree on a more suitable use for this space. Here is my take on this issue… First off, that location has not seen the best of luck with past concepts. However, I do think Coyote Ugly would do better there than it has been doing at its current location near the end of College St. Furthermore the CCCP and Friends of the Fourth Ward’s concerns of Coyote Ugly being a nuisance is just crazy. If you moved to Uptown, especially in an expensive high-rise condo complex like the Avenue, you should have been aware that there are bars and nightclubs around you! If you dont want any noise or people around you, move to the country. The CCCP suggested that the College St entertainment district might be a better suit for Coyote Ugly. I guess they mean EpiCentre because Coyote Ugly is already on College St…" Also, to bad the EpiCentre already has Whiskey River and a slew of other bars/clubs coming that would be in conflict with Coyote Ugly. I just do not see that working… However, I am in agreement with the CCCP that the space at the bottom of the Ivey’s Building would be great for soft goods retail, etc. I can imagine the Friends of the Fourth Ward and CCCP will have a hard time talking the owner of that space out of a good tenant like Coyote Ugly, nuisance or not. Stefan Latorre wanted to add some statements to this story (I am in his defense on this as well): “Our vision for the first floor of the Ivey"s has always been to create a unique dining destination. Our plan was to widen the sidewalks by removing the metered parking spaces and open the restaurants onto Fifth Street, creating a distinct row of restaurants with outdoor dining on Fifth and Tryon Streets. Unfortunately, since our purchase, we have faced numerous obstacles including the installation of the huge ATM billboard on the exterior of the building that severely impedes the marketability of the entire floor. My partners and I have spent hundreds of hours working on the many issues facing the Ivey"s Building, but we have finally realized we will not be able to develop the first floor as planned. During this time, we have incurred significant losses by not leasing our spaces to their full potential. The space on the corner of Fifth and Church Street has been especially difficult to lease. This space was used exclusively as a nightclub for years. As a result, the only interest we have ever received for this location is from other nightclub operators. For over two years we searched diligently for a tenant for this space. We even created our own concept in Daddy’s, an upscale sports bar, but it was not successful. Moreover, the residents did not support this business. We have lost a considerable amount of money without a tenant, and we finally found a tenant willing to operate a restaurant and bar, not a nightclub, in this space. Coyote Ugly is a national company and will operate a restaurant and bar. They have purchased the assets of Daddy’s restaurant and have signed a lease agreement, so we are legally bound to lease this space to them. Nevertheless, we believe they will be good neighbors. They have an excellent record in 15 sites throughout the country, and we expect them to abide by all our laws. We also believe it is unfair to oppose or criticize this business so harshly before they even open for business.” Stefan Latorre Ivey"s Retail Condominiums, LLC Your Thoughts"

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  Hunter Wilson

  Owner, CarolinaNightlife.com1 Posts

  Charles is the Executive Director of Carolina Nightlife and very involved in the nightlife industry in NC and SC. He has been working with venues of all sizes, different brands and products, and countless events across NC and SC for over 8 years.

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