
Charlotte, N.C., will have a brand new sports bar this Thursday, when Blinders opens on the South End with a massive TV, state-of-the-art sound system, and somewhat elevated bar menu.
The centerpiece of the venue is a 60-foot-by-15-foot TV screen on which guests can enjoy major and minor sporting events — the opening date was clearly tied to the “March Madness” college basketball championships. The television has capabilities to show multiple programs at once, which is particularly helpful during tournaments, but Blinders also plans to host special events for major television series finales as well as movies and other streaming occasions.
The venue is owned and operated by Charlotte-based OmShera Holdings, a newcomer to the restaurant space, although it has been refurbishing hotels for the past 25 years and has since diversified into commercial real estate.
OmShera operates the Hyatt House Rea Farms and Home2 Suites by Hilton in Charlotte, the Sun N Sand Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and the Wingate by Wyndham in Durham, N.C. Blinders is part of a larger development OmShera is undertaking in the South End.
The 5,500-square-foot interior features plush banquettes as well as multiple stadium-like rows of padded bar chairs facing the TV. It also has an outdoor patio, and “box seating” simulating VIP venues at stadiums that are available for groups and come with food-and-beverage minimums. It seats 160 people inside, and the heated 1,500-square-foot patio seats 50.
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