In 2015, Kastanas and two partners opened CLTCH, a thriving boutique in Plaza Midwood.
“I really wanted this little block, this little row of buildings [on Central Ave.] that we consider Plaza Midwood proper, to have a sense of walkability during the day as well as at night.” Seven years in, the funky
boutique has evolved to include an array of gifts. Te innovators just keep developing restaurant and retail concepts that have staying power. “Andy’s always enjoyed being a
canary in a coal mine,” she said. “Tat’s where he thrives—getting somewhere before everybody else gets there.”
COMING INTO HER OWN Lesa was a college student when women were becoming a force to be reckoned with in the workforce. “We were in a time when women
Te reboot, named Sister, is an open-all-day spot with some of the same Greek-inspired flavors that have made Soul such a standout. Tattoo, an intimate lounge inside Sister, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m.
PLACEMAKING IN PLAZA MIDWOOD
After helping turn their corner of Charlotte into a nighttime hot spot, Lesa set out to make it a daytime destination, too. She and two partners opened
CLTCH, an accessories and gift boutique, in 2015. “I had quit my last formal position at UNC Charlotte in student computing,” Lesa recalled. “My mother had recently passed away. She had breast cancer, and I had quit my job to take care of her. I found myself at loose ends. I’ve worked since I was 15.” She was looking for something she could be passionate about. “What I cared about was my neighborhood,” she said. “And what I thought Plaza Midwood needed was more retail.”
were coming to the forefront,” she said. “I learned to go to protests; I learned to organize protests. I learned to be somebody who could change things. And I think that translated into me being able to stand up for myself in the work I did, which was very male-dominated.” Although she has found success with Andy as a partner, Lesa has achieved plenty of her own accomplishments.
“I got to lead a corporation as they changed the [computer] applications across hundreds of thousands of workstations,” she said. “I got to be in that place, in part, because I learned to step up for myself and say: ‘I can do this.’ And I think a lot of that came from my experience at Queens, where we were taught, as women, that we could do whatever we wanted.” ■
Note: since the printing of this issue, owners Andy and Lesa Kastanas made the tough decision to close Soul Gastrolounge effective Aug. 14. Te goal is to relocate and reopen Soul Gastrolounge and Tattoo Lounge in spring 2023. Tose plans have not yet been finalized. Read more.
Summer 31
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