Constructing New Culinary Concepts in the Carolinas
Swinerton’s Charlotte-based team has delivered two innovative restaurant concepts—Antagonist Coffee & Cocktail Bar and Market on Morehead—leveraging self-perform capabilities and careful scheduling to deliver quality on a fast-track schedule.
As one of the nation’s top hospitality builders, Swinerton specializes in creating memorable spaces for people to connect, unwind, and enjoy. Every project is built with one goal in mind: deliver an exceptional client experience for the owner, so they in turn can deliver outstanding experiences to their guests.
Swinerton’s Charlotte team has recently delivered two cornerstone restaurant concepts that required careful coordination to bring the owners’ visions to life: Antagonist Coffee & Cocktail Bar and Market on Morehead.
As one of the nation’s top hospitality builders, Swinerton specializes in creating memorable spaces for people to connect, unwind, and enjoy. Every project is built with one goal in mind: deliver an exceptional client experience for the owner, so they in turn can deliver outstanding experiences to their guests.
Swinerton’s Charlotte team has recently delivered two cornerstone restaurant concepts that required careful coordination to bring the owners’ visions to life: Antagonist Coffee & Cocktail Bar and Market on Morehead.
Antagonist Coffee & Cocktail Bar
Antagonist, as it’s also known, is a dual-concept space designed to evolve throughout the day. In the morning and afternoon, it functions as a specialty coffee shop. In the evening, the space transforms into an intimate, phone-free cocktail bar encouraging guests to be fully present without digital distractions.
Developed by Protagonist Beer founders Mike and Kristin Salzarulo, the concept emphasizes intentional service and meaningful guest interaction.
“Every detail, from seating layouts to service style, is designed to foster connection, conversation, and a sense of shared experience among guests,” explains Mike.
Antagonist’s design incorporates portraits of iconic pop culture “bad guys” to reinforce the venue’s distinctive identity—directly contrasting with Protagonist Beer. The space blends warmth and sophistication through cozy banquette seating, an illuminated glass bar, custom hanging planters, beamed wooden ceilings, and extensive millwork. Key elements of the project included acoustic ceiling tiles and specialty finishes—which Swinerton leveraged its self-perform concrete, drywall, framing, and installation capabilities to complete.
This venue marks the second collaboration with the founders, after Tipsy Pickle, an adaptive reuse “eater-tainment” pickleball facility.
Swinerton also recently completed Market on Morehead, the newest culinary and entertainment anchor along Charlotte’s distinctive Rail Trail. The expansive, adaptable dining concept accommodates up to 400 guests and features a sunken dining area with custom banquettes, a double-sided bar, and a patio complete with a pergola and 25-foot LED display.
“Market on Morehead is Charlotte’s complete destination for unique twists on classic American fare, creative concoctions, and laid-back entertainment,” explains co-owner and restauranteur Josh Willoughby.
Upon entry, guests encounter a central water feature that leads into a vibrant interior defined by coffered ceilings, bold tilework, and mirrored and folding glass walls that allow flexible configurations for private dining. The dog-friendly patio includes a closeable louvered roof, built in heaters, misters, and retractable side screens that shield against wind and rain, creating a semi–climate-controlled space guests can enjoy comfortably year-round.
“For Market on Morehead, thoughtful scheduling and communication were essential to keeping the surrounding businesses running smoothly while maintaining our stringent construction pace,” says Thomas Ivy, Project Executive for Swinerton’s Carolinas division.
To achieve the signature sunken dining room, Swinerton excavated three feet into the existing slab across a 1,100-square-foot footprint—an effort that worked with the building’s existing low ceiling to create an open, bistro-style environment. Our in-house trade crews constructed performance stages for live music and community programming and completed door installations, concrete trench pour backs, and several specialty finish elements, demonstrating the flexibility and scalability of Swinerton’s trade experience.
Top-Ranked Hospitality Builder
Through a steadfast commitment to quality and a community-focused approach, Swinerton continues to deliver spaces that bring people together and elevate the dining experience across its markets. Ranked among the nation’s top five restaurant construction firms by Building Design + Construction, Swinerton continues to expand its hospitality footprint across the Carolinas.
Market on Morehead and Antagonist join other successful Swinerton hospitality projects in the Southeast including Tipsy Pickle, North Carolina’s first STK Steakhouse, the Triangle’s first Emmy Squared in Durham, and multiple Rare Roots Hospitality concepts—including Chapter 6, Fin + Fino, and Joan’s Bakery.
