Ayesha Curry’s Sweet July Cafe is now open inside The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte

For Ayesha Curry, bringing Sweet July Cafe to Charlotte is more than opening another restaurant — it’s a homecoming.

“This is such a surreal, full-circle moment,” Curry said during a Friday preview of the new cafe that’s now open inside The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte. “I’m sure as many of you know, both Stephen and I grew up here in Charlotte. To have Sweet July Cafe here … it’s just so cool.”

The cafe right off the hotel’s lobby features warm wood finishes, soft lighting and a neutral color palette, along with a terracotta-and-white patterned tile floor that leads to an open kitchen where customers can watch their orders being prepared.

The intimate space buzzed with conversation, offering what Curry hopes will become a gathering place for locals and visitors alike.

“We still have so much family and friends here in town, so to have a safe space, and a fun space for everybody to come and enjoy some damn good food … is super exciting,” she said.

Curry is partnering with chef Michael Mina on the project, and she credited their longtime relationship with helping bring the concept to life.

“Chef has been my family, my friend, my mentor for over 10 years now, and I’m just so grateful to him for believing in this concept, believing in the menu and believing in me,” Curry said. “This truly could have never happened without you.”

Sweet July Cafe is the first of three restaurant concepts the trio are bringing to The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, with the other two — Bourbon Steak and The Eighth Rule — set to open later this year, CharlotteFive reported.

The menu at Sweet July Cafe blends coffee shop favorites with Caribbean-inspired flavors and health-conscious options, reflecting Curry’s approach to food: nourishing, flavorful and never boring.

“I don’t like dry food,” Curry said with a laugh. “Everything has to have a sauce.”

Sauces and spreads are a key part of the menu, adding flavor to sandwiches, salads and breakfast dishes. Guests can choose from garlic aioli, green goddess aioli, Caesar aioli, avocado purée, tahina, jalapeño-cucumber relish, horseradish cream, Scotch bonnet hot sauce and a house secret sauce.

Savory offerings include breakfast pitas filled with prosciutto and pesto or spinach and mushrooms; and pita foldies stuffed with wagyu beef, ahi tuna, Caribbean chicken or falafel; along with a smash burger, Jamaican beef patties and seasonal salads featuring fresh vegetables like roasted beets, asparagus and summer squash.

As for beverages, Curry said one of her favorites is the Island Love smoothie.

“It features a little bit of coconut milk, the milk of your choice and then some ginger in there, and so we really tried to do something special and unique,” she said.

The Queen City smoothie is another standout, Curry said, blending ceremonial-grade matcha with apple juice, kale, spinach, banana, pineapple and flax seed.

“For people that don’t like matcha, still try it, because I don’t think the matcha is super forward there,” Curry said.

Alongside drip coffee, espresso drinks and specialty beverages like Strawberry Lavender Tea and the Matcha-Pineapple Soul Warmer, guests can also order vegan soft serve and signature sundaes topped with fresh fruit, shaved ice and house-made juices.

Breakfast and lunch entrees range from $16 to $21, while most drinks cost between $6 and $16.

Location: The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, 201 E. Trade St., Charlotte, NC 28202

Cuisine: American

Instagram: @cafesweetjuly

This story was originally published July 20, 2026 at 11:32 AM with the headline “Ayesha Curry’s Sweet July Cafe is now open inside The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte.”