New restaurant spot Panko is set to come to NoDa by the end of 2024. The restaurant, which will serve Peruvian cuisine, will be at 730 E 36th St.
Owners Luis Soleno and Efraín Aguirre aim to bring a high-end fusion concept to the NoDa neighborhood. They are both immigrants — Soleno is originally from Colombia and Aguirre is from Mexico. Using their own backgrounds, they hope to bring a unique international experience to customers that is different from what is currently available on the food scene in Charlotte.
“What we really want is that when people come into the restaurant, they’ll feel like they traveled to another country,” Soleno said.
Soleno said that everything from the atmosphere to the food and drinks will contribute to this concept.
The preliminary menu features Peruvian favorites like the Lomo saltado as well as seafood dishes like ceviche and grilled octopus.
Soleno said that they are about to begin construction on the spot. They aim to open during the first week of December and look forward to sharing their vision with the NoDa community.
“We want to work with the community of NoDa,” Soleno said. “We are not just going to be ‘Panko’ — we are going to be ‘Panko in the NoDa community.’ You’re going to see that on our reels and our videos. We want to integrate the whole neighborhood with the restaurant.”
