The Grinning Mule in Plaza Midwood is now a honky tonk bar with live country music every night

The new honky tonk bar aims to bring Nashville to Charlotte with live country music nightly. “It’s a mix of local talent and some national,” says owner Beth Kofoed, who owns the bar with her husband, Bart Kofoed.

• They’re booked through the end of the year, Beth says. You can find the nightly line-up here.

Why it matters: Evolving from a cocktail-forward bar and restaurant into a music-focused honky tonk is one way Charlotte could be turning into more of a music city.

Zoom out: We’ve seen a growing number of live music venues opening recently in Charlotte, like Goldie’s in LoSo and Trio in South End. Both opened this year.

• Charlotte Center City Partners recently organized the city’s first-ever Confluence Music Conference with performances, networking, discussions and panels , Axios’ Katie Peralta Soloff reported. 

Flashback: Grinning Mule opened in 2020 —months later than originally planned due to the pandemic — with an array of small plates and a cocktail program by local mixologist Bob Peters.

• “Thankfully, Plaza is such a supportive community,” Beth says. “People really came out … and we’ve done well in the three and a half years that we’ve been open.”

What’s happening: The Kofoeds are rebranding Grinning Mule to be the community bar they always intended it to be — casual, affordable, laid-back and fun.

• They take frequent visits to Nashville to visit family and thought Charlotte could use something like the honky tonk bars they enjoy there.
• Moving forward, you can expect a bar-forward food menu with lunch on the weekends, wine and beer. The draft mules the bar is known for will remain.

Details: The Grinning Mule is located at 1109 Morningside Dr. in Plaza Midwood.

• It’s open Wednesday-Thursday 5-10pm, Fridays 5-11pm, Saturdays 12pm-11pm, Sundays 12pm-9pm. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.