New lounge offers reggae music, Caribbean nightlife just north of uptown Charlotte

A Caribbean nightclub with island-themed cocktails will debut by the end of the year north of uptown Charlotte.

The Reggae Lounge expects to open in early December at 2630 Statesville Ave. Co-owners and husband-and-wife Elvado and Lytondra Laing have been renovating the 1,300-square-foot space for over a year.

“It will have a real Caribbean theme,” said Elvado Laing, a native of the Bahamas. “When you walk in, you’re going to feel like you’re not even in Charlotte. One thing they are going to get is authenticity.”

The location, Laing said, is “an up and coming area” less than a mile north of Camp North End.

Another Caribbean-themed business recently opened in Mecklenburg County. In September, Panzu’ Brewery opened as the only bar in Mint Hill with an atmosphere “like a vacation to the Dominican.”

Elvado Laing said there’s been a “huge void” in the Caribbean community nightlife since Crystal on the Plaza closed during the pandemic after 18 years.

“Me being from the islands, I have to fix this,” Laing said.

What to expect at The Reggae Lounge

The Reggae Lounge will serve 10 cocktails created by Laing’s cousin in the Bahamas.

Expect drinks with coconut and white rum mixed with tropical juices, including Bahama Mamas, Jamaican Rum Punch and Bob Marley. Drinks will come served with fruit like pineapple and cherries and an umbrella, Laing said.

DJ music every night will include reggae, soca and afrobeats.

“That’s the point of putting the name as The Reggae Lounge, because I want it to be really specific on the type of music that’s going to be played there,” Laing said.

The bar and hookah lounge also plans to partner with Caribbean food trucks.

About six full- and part-time workers will be hired to start. The Reggae Lounge will be open from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday-Sunday. Laing eventually plans to extend hours throughout the week.

Promoter to bar owner

Laing, who works in the corporate banking world by day, has been promoting Caribbean artists and events for over 15 years in Charlotte through his company Paradise Entertainment.

Laing is a veteran not only to the music scene but previous bar ownership in the Bahamas and Doc’s Caribbean Bar and Grill in Rock Hill, which closed before the pandemic. He is a graduate of St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh.