When talks of an ultra-exclusive, New York styled lounge coming to Charlotte surfaced, promising to raise the sophistication bar on nightlife, some wondered how well it would do in a smaller city like Charlotte. Butter NC (its sister location is located in New York City and is a popular hangout for celebrities) has been open at the N.C. Music Factory for a few months now. We chatted with Scott Sartiano, owner, to find out how things are going.
Creative Loafing: Now that you’ve been open for a while, how’s business been?
Scott Sartiano: Business has been great — it’s actually better than I ever expected. Charlotte has been very receptive to Butter NC. You always have to adapt to a new environment, but at the end of the day, no matter where you go, people want the same basic things when they go out ,which are good music, ambiance, service and a fun party in a well-controlled atmosphere. The fact that I keep seeing the same faces there week after week, and they’re returning and staying all night really speaks to how well business is doing at the club.
For our readers who don’t know anything about Butter NC, can you describe the concept behind your place?
Butter NC was created to fill a gap in what I felt was missing from Charlotte nightlife. The space is an 8,300-square-foot nightclub that New York City-style nightlife to North Carolina, as an extension of its sister venue, Butter in NYC, which has been a celebrated restaurant and lounge since 2002. Butter NC has a sexy yet sophisticated atmosphere to dance, to lounge to great music by the best DJs in America — we actually fly them down every weekend to spin. It’s a bi-level club with three bars, an outdoor patio with a bar and lounge. We have bottle service and serve some of the rarest bottles in the world, like Ace of Spades Methuselah and an extensive cocktail list prepared by a world-renowned mixologist. We pulled out all of the stops trying to make Butter NC a nightclub that could have compared with the best nightclubs in the world like La Cave in St. Tropez and 1Oak in NYC.
To someone who has heard the rumors of Butter’s ultra-exclusivity, what can he or she do to ensure entry?
I have actually heard these rumors, and I think it’s a testament to our dedication to good service. It’s not very complicated — people should just dress well (If you come in wearing shorts or ripped up jeans and a baseball cap, you’re probably less likely to get in, whereas you have someone dressed in an Armani suit or something like that … sounds like a really cheesy thing but you know what I’m saying), arrive with an even guy-to-girl ratio and be courteous. They’re a few basic rules that help make for a fun night and a friendly atmosphere.
Do you have any big things coming up for us to look forward to?
We have a great line-up for the next few months, including a summer kick-off party hosted by Denny Hamlin. We are also starting our world famous Butter Tuesday Nights with a fantastic DJ line up, which will be spearheaded by Samantha Ronson. We also have a ton of amazing events coming up soon, but I can’t tell you about those just yet.
This article appears in Apr 13-19, 2010.
This sounds nice, …until you hear the owner spout comments like “arrive with an even guy-to-girl ratio” as a rule for entry! Wow.
What if you happen to be coming with friends of the same sex, or if you happen to be coming with gay friends of the same sex? I guess we are not welcome.
Yeah I heard it’s very “New York” and selective to who they let in…looks kind of cool and would like to go there but I don’t really agree with that concept. Oh well
People often forget that nightlife is not just about what you personaly get out of your evening. Its just as much about what you bring to the party. Groups of guys may fly in low level hip hop venues but not in just about any classy atmosphere. You have to meet the door people half way.
Butter nc is clearly a racist venue. I had a good friend book a bday party & they cancelled on him last minute when they realized many of his friends were African-American. They have been unwelcoming to the urban crowd in Charlotte from day 1. It’s cool though, LABEL is gonna put them out of business.