Popular Charleston listening bar expanding to Charlotte
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Groovers Charlotte is about 3,400 square feet and will have a much larger dance floor than the Charleston location. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios
Groovers Listening Bar, a Charleston-based music venue featuring DJs who spin vinyl records, is expanding to Charlotte.
Why it matters: It's by the same owners as nightclub Trio and cocktail bar Blue Door in South End, Eric and Kate Gussin.
Driving the news: Groovers opens Feb. 5 at 8pm at 1510 S. Mint, next to Blue Door and across from Trio.
The vibe: Groovers has two DJ booths, one meant for vinyl-spinning DJs and another on a platform overlooking the light-up dance floor.
- You'll hear a mix of '70s, '80s and '90s music intended to make you dance and sing along.
- The Gussins hope to replicate Charleston's programming — disco DJs will spin live vinyls early in the evening, and later in the night, the party will ramp up.
- "Every now and again, we get an itch to go out 'til 1 or 2am but don't necessarily want to be at Trio, even though I love Trio," co-owner Eric Gussin tells Axios.
Between the lines: Trio is an EDM venue with state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems. Its demographic is mainly young, EDM fans.
- By contrast, Blue Door is known for its molecular gastronomy; music is not the centerpiece, and the demographic skews a little older.
- Groovers "has the high-level hospitality and production of Blue Door, with the entertainment and fun dancing vibes of Trio," co-owner Kate Gussin tells Axios.
Dig in: Its menu will feature hot dogs by Lizzy's Glizzys by Lissette Ocampo and craft cocktails by Ashleigh Bublinec, coming in from Groovers Charleston.
- The hot dogs are $6 and build-your-own, with a handful of toppings, including chili, sauerkraut, slaw and pimento cheese, plus rotating weekly specials like grilled cheeses with hot Cheeto dust chips.
The big picture: The Gussins are a key part of the transformation happening on South Mint Street, in an increasingly popular pocket of South End.
- On the same street, you've got Gamecock sports bar The Horseshoe, sushi restaurant YUME, and Tyber Creek pub's new location.
Flashback: The name "Groovers" is a nod to the building's history on Charleston's Calhoun Street.
- While researching the property, Kate says she learned that in the mid-90s, it housed a bar called "Groovers" that "was really the first place in Charleston that people were starting to DJ."
- They loved the name and its history, so Groovers was reborn into what it is today.
Zoom in: Every Thursday night at Groovers Charleston, they host a "flip through" party. Their DJ brings 800-1,000 records and people can flip through them, put one in the queue, and the DJ will mix and spin it live.
- The Gussins hope to bring the same kind of party to the Charlotte location if they can find the right DJ.
- Music fans can purchase the vinyls behind the bar, which they source from Hardy Boys.
If you go: Groovers is open Wednesday through Sunday, 5pm to close.
- Lizzy Glizzy's hours will be Wednesdays-Thursdays until 10pm, Fridays- Saturdays until 2am, and Sundays until 10pm.
Editor's note: This story was originally published in June 2025 and updated Jan. 28, 2026, with new photos and opening details.