New 2-story restaurant opening in downtown Pineville with extensive cocktail menu
Margaux’s Owner Kevin Devanney plans to open The Garrison: A Cocktail Bar & Restaurant this September in Pineville.
The two-story restaurant will be housed in an endearing building that’s more than 100 years old. Along with dining room options on two levels, there’ll be a full-service classic cocktail bar and indoor and outdoor seating. Upstairs will also feature a small bar and space for private events, comedy nights, live music and more.
The space was previously occupied by Global Restaurant & Bar, which moved from its original Ballantyne location of almost a decade to downtown Pineville in 2016. After 16 years in business, the restaurant closed in April.
“When [the previous owner] decided to move on, we had the vision to move next door and create another concept for Pineville,” Devanney said. “Margaux’s is fantastic. It has wine, beer and pizza. We feel like Pineville needed a little bit more, so really knowing that Pineville needed more of a full-service restaurant drove me to purchase the building next door and establish a restaurant.”
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Devanney opened Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market in Pineville in March 2021 to rave reviews from the community. Since inception, Marguax’s has offered an extensive collection of old world wines, St. Louis-style pizza and unique market items. While these three aspects have become synonymous with Margaux’s, it’s the experience, the homey feel and overall atmosphere that keeps people coming back.
Devanney’s hope is that the same vibe will carry over next door to The Garrison, which has a name with a meaning that’s twofold. The garrison and a garrison is a fortress for an army, a military base for a gathering of a military, so it’s a strong name, Devanney said. It’s also the name of the pub in Birmingham, England that the Netflix show “Peaky Blinders” takes after.
Not an Irish pub
The Garrison is not an Irish pub or an Irish bar, however. It is, very distinctly, a restaurant owned by an Irish man.
Instead of an Irish pub experience, guests will dine in a casual atmosphere — with a little bling from the chandeliers — and enjoy handcrafted food, live music and more.
“I want people to be able to come in three days a week,” he said. “They come in and sit at the bar one evening to have some chicken wings. The next day, they come in with their kids to have sandwiches. Then, Friday night they come back and have a ribeye.”
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On the menu
The Garrison plans to bring a diversified menu of items that will highlight the state’s purveyors and farmers and utilize local ingredients. Guests can expect innovative and specialty dishes from the mind of chef Logan Wright — former executive chef at The Club at Longview.
“We really are going to try to be a little bit of everything because Pineville and the surrounding communities need a really comfortable place to go, that they can get a burger and fries, chicken wings or a filet,” Devanney said. “We want to be able to do that here.”
Signature dinner items:
Cheerwine short ribs
Braised lamb shank
Pan seared scallops with a butternut squash risotto, compressed apples and cider gastrique
Other menu items:
Gourmet burgers
Steaks
Chops
Fresh, local seafood
Fried chicken sandwiches
Ribeye
Chicken wings
Fish and chips
“We’re not going to put a big twist on anything,” he said. “We’re not going to try to go over the top with seasonings and recipes. We want basic good food, but at the same time we want to create an atmosphere where people feel like they’re welcomed.”
The space will also be home to Pineville’s first cocktail bar. It will feature a 20-drink cocktail menu that draws inspiration from around the world.
Growth in Pineville
The historic downtown Pineville that visitors experience today differs from what it was 15 years ago when Devanney decided to bring his travel business to town. As a travel industry veteran, he specializes in hospitality and is a visionary when it comes to transforming old buildings, renovating them — while keeping some of the historic charm — and making them new.
Devanney owns five buildings in the area and has renovated those five buildings. “Pineville is one of the most up-and-coming communities really in all of Charlotte,” Devanney said.
As Pineville experiences growth, garnering more residents has the potential to subsequently further the growth of local small businesses.
“We’re growing — There’s a lot of residences coming down here, a lot of building taking place in Pineville,” he said, citing upcoming construction on an apartment complex behind the building. “What we see now and the growth that we’ve seen so far has been great, but what’s about to take place is even greater. We’re really excited about that.”
With the addition of Margaux’s and now The Garrison, downtown Pineville has a different vibe these days. “I think people look to me and look to this side of the street and really are kind of in awe of what it’s become from 15 years ago to what it is now and not only because of what I’ve created because of what’s going on down here. Other businesses have come in and now other businesses are becoming successful,” Devanney said.
The Garrison: A Cocktail Bar & Restaurant
Location: 314 Main St., Pineville, NC 28134 (will open in September)
Hours: Open Tuesday and Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 12 a.m., Sunday for brunch from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and closed on Monday.
Instagram: @thegarrisonnc
Pro Tip: Check back here for updates on The Garrison’s soft opening details.
