A longtime Charlotte restaurateur is retiring and closing the doors to her beloved spot
Get your Honey Pecan Chicken while you can. After serving Charlotte since October 2012, Letty’s on Shamrock is closing up on New Year’s Eve to make way for owner Letty Ketner to shift into a more relaxed phase of life.
“We’re celebrating 12 years of business, and I’m planning my retirement,” Ketner told CharlotteFive.
“We opened with the idea of selling some Honey Pecan Chicken and a hamburger or two, and maybe a special — a daily special,” she said.
But that simple start turned into the restaurant becoming a neighborhood staple in Plaza-Shamrock that attracted customers from all over East Charlotte and beyond.
“I’ve been in Charlotte since 1985 and developed a lot of friendships, but this has given me the opportunity to make even more. I’m going to miss it, without a doubt, but I think it is time to change, perhaps what will be here. And it is my hope that whomever follows me will be as supportive of the neighborhoods, Country Club Heights, Plaza-Shamrock, Plaza Midwood and NoDa as I have tried to be.”
It’s easy to see that’s where Ketner’s heart lies, although she also notes on her website: “Heck, we’ll take real good care of you even if you don’t live around here.”
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Besides that best-selling Honey Pecan Chicken, she’s also been bringing in the crowds with fun dishes like Hummachoes — a hummus-based take on nachos — her vegetarian Neatloaf and classic Country Fried Chicken, paired with sides such as sweet potato fries and pimiento mac and cheese with bacon crumbles.
The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic meant the end of weekday lunch service for Letty’s, but that shift brought about a weekend brunch service that’s just as popular. Stop by and you’ll see guests diving in to plates of Fried Green Tomato Benedicts layered with creole sauce, Shrimp & Grits, Brunch Burgers and Mediterranean Salads.
In retirement, Ketner is planning on spending some time traveling — particularly to the beach and New York City — and catching up on hobbies.
“Restaurant owning takes up a great deal of your time and as much as I’ve enjoyed it, I’ve also put things on the shelf I’ve needed to do, and so this will give me time to do that. With two new hips and some work on my ticker, it’s also time to kind of assess what my health situation is and do a little something about that.”
But, first, the next two weeks will be spent saying goodbyes. The restaurant will keep regular hours: Closed Mondays, along with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But weekend brunch will be as usual.
“I’ve enjoyed immensely being on Shamrock Drive,” she said, ticking off a long list of neighbors and neighborhood institutions that include Jesse Pike, her landlord from the adjacent Pike’s Pharmacy.
She also predicts that Letty’s fans will likely see Honey Pecan Chicken once again — somewhere, somehow.
“Someone else will do Honey Pecan Chicken. I have not one bit of hesitation to share that,” Ketner said before inviting customers in for one more plate of it.
“If you have a favorite come on, we’ll be here for the next couple of weeks,” she said.
Letty’s on Shamrock
Location: 2121 Shamrock Dr, Charlotte, NC 28205
Cuisine: American
Instagram: @lettysonshamrock
