Beloved Charlotte soul food restaurant picks Lake Norman area for next location

Nana Morrison’s, a neighborhood go-to for classic soul food, is growing its footprint in metro Charlotte with the opening of its fifth restaurant.

The new spot will debut at 9810 Gilead Road in Huntersville later this year, with plans to open by December, according to a post on the restaurant’s social media.

It will join existing locations in North Charlotte, Eagle Lake, Indian Land and Cary.

CharlotteFive reached out to Nana Morrison’s Soul Food for more information on Friday, Sept. 18, and was awaiting a response.

The local favorite has long wowed fans with its fried chicken, yams, collard greens and more — all inspired by time-honored family recipes. It recently earned bragging rights as the city’s best soul food, as voted by CharlotteFive readers in a May poll.

Shawn and Kiana Morrison founded the restaurant after relocating to Charlotte from New York, CharlotteFive previously reported. After struggling to find the kind of soul food Kiana grew up eating, the family swung open the doors on Nana Morrison’s first restaurant in 2011.

“So you know we have the basics: fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens, all a family recipe,” said Hank Morrison, 21, co-owner of Nana Morrison’s. “Nana, the company is named after all her recipes.”

Family remains at the heart of the eatery; today, the Morrison’s children help run the day-to-day operations.

This is a developing story and will be updated. Heidi Finley and Evan Moore contributed reporting.

Location: 9810 Gilead Rd, Huntersville, NC 28078 (opening December 2026)

Location: 3824 Corning Pl A, Charlotte, NC 28216

Location: 2908 Oak Lake Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28208

Location: 9725 Red Stone Dr, Indian Land, SC 29707

Location: 2052 Renaissance Park Pl, Cary, NC 27513

Cuisine: Soul food

Instagram: @nanamorrisonssoulfood