Bryan Danielson
Jmare007 x Bryan Danielson x JLova = King Ghidorah
fukking Charlotte and Walmart’s
The Official Charlotte, NC Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Towlie
- Start date
fukking Charlotte and Walmart’s
fukking Charlotte and Walmart’s
Talked all that shyt just to get her face tap danced on...
You hate to see it
Henry Orbit
Wave Gods
Tribal Outkast
Veteran
Providence Day School is all I had to see lol. Let me read though
Tryna Makit
High plains drifter
Of course that shyt was in Charlotte....probably the one on N.Tryon lmao
Damien Lemon talked about this incident on his podcast this Morning. And the question him and his co-host raised was, what was exactly said in that moms email that got lil man expelled? And what did the teacher that she was talking about say prior to make her respond that way?
I sense some slick talk and fukkery.
Tribal Outkast
Veteran
Bruh! I literally was going to post this lol!
Tryna Makit
High plains drifter
If you know you know
I used to work loss prevention in that shyt....most Rachet Walmart in the city easily
What The Fries food truck owners plan big changes in 2021 - Q City Metro
What The Fries food truck owners plan big changes in 2021
The partners announced plans to open a south Charlotte restaurant and put their truck on hiatus.
What the Fries team Jamie Barnes and Greg Williams and an assortment of their food! Photographed in Charlotte, NC on September 14th, 2020. Photo by Peter Taylor
By Glenn Burkins
December 12, 2020
At a time when the coronavirus pandemic is threatening the very existence of some Charlotte-area restaurants, food truck entrepreneurs Jamie Barnes and Greg Williams are making plans to expand their business, What The Fries LLC, to include a brick-and-mortar location.
The restaurant will open early next year at 10707 Park Road (Suite R). The 3,420-square-feet space will seat about 100 people at full capacity.
What The Fries has seen steady growth since March, with sales up 33% over 2019, the company announced.
“This is a long time coming,” Barnes, in a press release, said of the new restaurant. “Being in one spot — and not on the truck — will give us a chance to spread our wings from a culinary perspective.”
Why it matters: Not only is this good news for one of Charlotte’s Black-owned businesses, it also bucks national trends.
Earlier this month, the National Restaurant Association announced that 17% of all U.S. restaurants – about 110,000 establishments – had closed permanently.
The association used that figure in a plea to Congress for financial assistance.
Looking Forward
What The Fries specializes in “loaded fries,” with menu items that include cheesy fries, truffle fries, lobster mac & cheese fries and flaming hot fries.
Photo by Peter Taylor
Once the restaurant opens, the truck will be put on hiatus, the partners said.
In an email exchange, Alicia Barnes, administrative director and wife of Jamie Barnes, talked about the venture and hopes of a new year:
What defines WTF?
What The Fries is a business that centers around creating unique – original toppings for loaded fries. We take pride in providing creative and upscale toppings on hand-cut fries and tots.
How did the concept for the truck originate?
We were finalists on The Great Food Truck Race and our idea that was submitted to the show was loaded fries. After not making it past the final selection of groups to participate, Jamie pushed forward to make that dream a reality by leaving his job and starting a catering business to save money for a truck, and Greg joined him on this journey as partners shortly after.
At a time when many restaurants are struggling, how are you able to expand?
We owe a lot of this to our local support! Without the greatest customers, we would not be where we are today. In addition to having community support, we have had the honor of being recipients of the Innovation Fund Grant and Small Business Recovery Grant. At the start of the Covid pandemic, we were able to shift our model of working lunches at business parks, to moving into neighborhoods for lunch/dinner and that caused our sales to steadily increase, thankfully. With a combination of grants and SBA loan funds available as well as increased revenue through sales, it put us in a prime position to open.
What’s been your biggest challenge?
Our biggest challenge has been the unpredictability of knowing what will happen with the truck. It can be physical like a flat tire on the way to an event, or it can be a literal scenario or driving a vehicle being stuck in traffic unexpectedly — that causes a delay of getting to an event. Working on an automobile has its ups and downs, but the downfalls are extremely significant when they happen.
Your most pleasant surprise?
Learning that the landlord of the restaurant we are leasing believed in us enough to let us rent. After so many rejections to various shopping centers and food halls, it had us feeling a bit discouraged, but we knew we would find a place when the opportunity was right for us. So we kept trying and came in contact with a landlord that believes we will be a successful brick and mortar restaurant. Being honest, the location we landed is better than any other opportunity that we sought out before, so this is a blessing and we could not be more thankful.
How will a brick-and-mortar restaurant change how you operate?
We will operate as a typical restaurant that you walk up to order, we will have hands-free ordering available, and pick up when your order is ready. We have roughly 100 capacity seating, so customers can sit where they’d like to (based on what the government mandate is at that time). We are excited to have the ability to provide a menu that offers more of a variety and expand to a few Vegan options for example, with the ample space we will have. Whether a shut down makes its way back, we have a plan in place to remain successful with focusing back on the food truck in communities as well as providing pick-up and perhaps delivery options at the restaurant. The main change will be that the food truck will only operate in the Spring and Summer months and we will primarily work out the brick and mortar restaurant.
Aside from the new location, what excites you about 2021?
A new start. We hope to see the world move into the direction of being back to normal so we can really provide an atmosphere of community and gathering together again. Limitations have hurt the food industry tremendously and affected many people in the world within their overall lifestyle. Having the ability to unite with a large group of loved ones over a meal without having to worry about compromising anyone’s health will be wonderful.
What advice do you have for other Black entrepreneurs with dreams of opening a restaurant or launching a food truck?
Don’t give up. You may feel you have to do more to prove you are good…you do. You may feel you have to work harder than others to gain recognition…you do. But not giving up on your dream and giving 200% of your time and energy is absolutely necessary to be successful. Don’t look at what the person next to you is doing, be unique and innovative in your own way. Lastly, social media is an outlet that captures the attention of people locally and internationally. Post your food often and use hashtags. Wishing much success to all!
[Read more articles about Black-owned businesses in Charlotte]
What The Fries food truck owners plan big changes in 2021
The partners announced plans to open a south Charlotte restaurant and put their truck on hiatus.
What the Fries team Jamie Barnes and Greg Williams and an assortment of their food! Photographed in Charlotte, NC on September 14th, 2020. Photo by Peter Taylor
By Glenn Burkins
December 12, 2020
At a time when the coronavirus pandemic is threatening the very existence of some Charlotte-area restaurants, food truck entrepreneurs Jamie Barnes and Greg Williams are making plans to expand their business, What The Fries LLC, to include a brick-and-mortar location.
The restaurant will open early next year at 10707 Park Road (Suite R). The 3,420-square-feet space will seat about 100 people at full capacity.
What The Fries has seen steady growth since March, with sales up 33% over 2019, the company announced.
“This is a long time coming,” Barnes, in a press release, said of the new restaurant. “Being in one spot — and not on the truck — will give us a chance to spread our wings from a culinary perspective.”
Why it matters: Not only is this good news for one of Charlotte’s Black-owned businesses, it also bucks national trends.
Earlier this month, the National Restaurant Association announced that 17% of all U.S. restaurants – about 110,000 establishments – had closed permanently.
The association used that figure in a plea to Congress for financial assistance.
Looking Forward
What The Fries specializes in “loaded fries,” with menu items that include cheesy fries, truffle fries, lobster mac & cheese fries and flaming hot fries.
Photo by Peter Taylor
Once the restaurant opens, the truck will be put on hiatus, the partners said.
In an email exchange, Alicia Barnes, administrative director and wife of Jamie Barnes, talked about the venture and hopes of a new year:
What defines WTF?
What The Fries is a business that centers around creating unique – original toppings for loaded fries. We take pride in providing creative and upscale toppings on hand-cut fries and tots.
How did the concept for the truck originate?
We were finalists on The Great Food Truck Race and our idea that was submitted to the show was loaded fries. After not making it past the final selection of groups to participate, Jamie pushed forward to make that dream a reality by leaving his job and starting a catering business to save money for a truck, and Greg joined him on this journey as partners shortly after.
At a time when many restaurants are struggling, how are you able to expand?
We owe a lot of this to our local support! Without the greatest customers, we would not be where we are today. In addition to having community support, we have had the honor of being recipients of the Innovation Fund Grant and Small Business Recovery Grant. At the start of the Covid pandemic, we were able to shift our model of working lunches at business parks, to moving into neighborhoods for lunch/dinner and that caused our sales to steadily increase, thankfully. With a combination of grants and SBA loan funds available as well as increased revenue through sales, it put us in a prime position to open.
What’s been your biggest challenge?
Our biggest challenge has been the unpredictability of knowing what will happen with the truck. It can be physical like a flat tire on the way to an event, or it can be a literal scenario or driving a vehicle being stuck in traffic unexpectedly — that causes a delay of getting to an event. Working on an automobile has its ups and downs, but the downfalls are extremely significant when they happen.
Your most pleasant surprise?
Learning that the landlord of the restaurant we are leasing believed in us enough to let us rent. After so many rejections to various shopping centers and food halls, it had us feeling a bit discouraged, but we knew we would find a place when the opportunity was right for us. So we kept trying and came in contact with a landlord that believes we will be a successful brick and mortar restaurant. Being honest, the location we landed is better than any other opportunity that we sought out before, so this is a blessing and we could not be more thankful.
How will a brick-and-mortar restaurant change how you operate?
We will operate as a typical restaurant that you walk up to order, we will have hands-free ordering available, and pick up when your order is ready. We have roughly 100 capacity seating, so customers can sit where they’d like to (based on what the government mandate is at that time). We are excited to have the ability to provide a menu that offers more of a variety and expand to a few Vegan options for example, with the ample space we will have. Whether a shut down makes its way back, we have a plan in place to remain successful with focusing back on the food truck in communities as well as providing pick-up and perhaps delivery options at the restaurant. The main change will be that the food truck will only operate in the Spring and Summer months and we will primarily work out the brick and mortar restaurant.
Aside from the new location, what excites you about 2021?
A new start. We hope to see the world move into the direction of being back to normal so we can really provide an atmosphere of community and gathering together again. Limitations have hurt the food industry tremendously and affected many people in the world within their overall lifestyle. Having the ability to unite with a large group of loved ones over a meal without having to worry about compromising anyone’s health will be wonderful.
What advice do you have for other Black entrepreneurs with dreams of opening a restaurant or launching a food truck?
Don’t give up. You may feel you have to do more to prove you are good…you do. You may feel you have to work harder than others to gain recognition…you do. But not giving up on your dream and giving 200% of your time and energy is absolutely necessary to be successful. Don’t look at what the person next to you is doing, be unique and innovative in your own way. Lastly, social media is an outlet that captures the attention of people locally and internationally. Post your food often and use hashtags. Wishing much success to all!
[Read more articles about Black-owned businesses in Charlotte]
A love story, a Black-owned deli, and a green space perfect for an autumn stroll - Q City Metro
Meet Andrew and Lisa Drayton, owners of the Bedder Bedder & Moore Delicatessen
By GlennOaks Media
November 25, 2020
Ask Andrew and Lisa Drayton what distinguishes the Bedder Bedder & Moore delicatessen they own, and they speak of their commitment to customer service.
“I think it’s the willingness to go above and beyond to take care of the people that walk through that door,” says Andrew Drayton, co-owner with his wife, Lisa. “We take pride in the product that we present to people.”
Since buying the restaurant two years ago, the couple have worked side-by-side, five days a week, doing what it takes to keep a food business growing, even during a pandemic that has cut deeply into their lunchtime sales.
The Draytons describe themselves as partners in the truest sense of the word — hands-on owners who discuss business challenges before moving ahead as a team. They also are deeply involved in the daily food preparation.
“It’s important for us to know exactly what’s going out the door,” Andrew said. “In order for us to know that, we have to inspect, check, cook, reheat, whatever it is necessary, to do the job right. If it comes through the door and goes out the door, we know exactly what it looks like.”
Top Sellers:
Bedder Bedder & Moore is known for its sandwiches — burgers, New York Ruebens and Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks. It’s also known for giving away a free cup of soup with each takeout order, a practice the couple started before the pandemic to reward dine-in customers.
Another top seller is the Montfort Special – a sandwich named after the south Charlotte neighborhood of Montfort Park, where they once owned a second location. (They closed the Montfort Park location to focus on the busier Tryon Street restaurant.)
“The Montfort Special is simple, but it’s good,” Lisa said. “It’s a grilled hoagie. You have turkey, Thousand Island dressing, bacon and Swiss cheese.”
Editor’s Pick: the banana pudding is among the best in the city.
Take Out & Delivery
With indoor seating at 50% capacity because of the pandemic, take-out and delivery have grown rapidly.
“We don’t use third-party delivery services,” Lisa Drayton said. “We take pride in that. We’re not passing the food off to just anybody.”
The restaurant delivers within a 10-mile radius ($4.50 delivery fee), or 15 miles for catered meals (7.5% catering fee).
Pandemic Effects
In the early days of Covid-19, the couple saw catering clients cancel en masse. Much of that business had come from the Uptown office towers, which were shut down quickly to slow community spread.
“That affected us deeply,” Linda said, “and so our people just started learning to cross-train. Our drivers learned how to answer the phone and take orders on the phone, and we just started rotating people’s hours to keep as many as we could actively on the schedule.”
The couple also scrapped their breakfast menu, which they’d launched months earlier.
Their Story
Andrew and Lisa met at the Charlotte airport, where they once managed separate restaurants that were owned by the same company. (It was Andrew who asked for that first date.) They eventually got married and bought Bedder Bedder & Moore from John and Debbie Thalmann, who were looking to retire. (John Thalmann died in 2019.)
The couple knew early on in their relationship that they wanted their own business. Lisa, who holds the title of general manager, is in charge of daily operations; Andrew is president.
“You got to a point where, if you’re going to be held accountable for things, I’d rather it be for something we own,” he said. At the end of the day, we’re both the ones making decisions. It’s just a good feeling to be your own boss.”
About:
Address: 3501 S Tryon St., Suite A
Menu: Bedder Bedder & Moore – Delicatessen & Catering
Hours: Monday – Friday 10am to 3pm
Phone: (704) 527-0107
Photos: Facebook
Meet Andrew and Lisa Drayton, owners of the Bedder Bedder & Moore Delicatessen
By GlennOaks Media
November 25, 2020
Ask Andrew and Lisa Drayton what distinguishes the Bedder Bedder & Moore delicatessen they own, and they speak of their commitment to customer service.
“I think it’s the willingness to go above and beyond to take care of the people that walk through that door,” says Andrew Drayton, co-owner with his wife, Lisa. “We take pride in the product that we present to people.”
Since buying the restaurant two years ago, the couple have worked side-by-side, five days a week, doing what it takes to keep a food business growing, even during a pandemic that has cut deeply into their lunchtime sales.
The Draytons describe themselves as partners in the truest sense of the word — hands-on owners who discuss business challenges before moving ahead as a team. They also are deeply involved in the daily food preparation.
“It’s important for us to know exactly what’s going out the door,” Andrew said. “In order for us to know that, we have to inspect, check, cook, reheat, whatever it is necessary, to do the job right. If it comes through the door and goes out the door, we know exactly what it looks like.”
Top Sellers:
Bedder Bedder & Moore is known for its sandwiches — burgers, New York Ruebens and Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks. It’s also known for giving away a free cup of soup with each takeout order, a practice the couple started before the pandemic to reward dine-in customers.
Another top seller is the Montfort Special – a sandwich named after the south Charlotte neighborhood of Montfort Park, where they once owned a second location. (They closed the Montfort Park location to focus on the busier Tryon Street restaurant.)
“The Montfort Special is simple, but it’s good,” Lisa said. “It’s a grilled hoagie. You have turkey, Thousand Island dressing, bacon and Swiss cheese.”
Editor’s Pick: the banana pudding is among the best in the city.
Take Out & Delivery
With indoor seating at 50% capacity because of the pandemic, take-out and delivery have grown rapidly.
“We don’t use third-party delivery services,” Lisa Drayton said. “We take pride in that. We’re not passing the food off to just anybody.”
The restaurant delivers within a 10-mile radius ($4.50 delivery fee), or 15 miles for catered meals (7.5% catering fee).
Pandemic Effects
In the early days of Covid-19, the couple saw catering clients cancel en masse. Much of that business had come from the Uptown office towers, which were shut down quickly to slow community spread.
“That affected us deeply,” Linda said, “and so our people just started learning to cross-train. Our drivers learned how to answer the phone and take orders on the phone, and we just started rotating people’s hours to keep as many as we could actively on the schedule.”
The couple also scrapped their breakfast menu, which they’d launched months earlier.
Their Story
Andrew and Lisa met at the Charlotte airport, where they once managed separate restaurants that were owned by the same company. (It was Andrew who asked for that first date.) They eventually got married and bought Bedder Bedder & Moore from John and Debbie Thalmann, who were looking to retire. (John Thalmann died in 2019.)
The couple knew early on in their relationship that they wanted their own business. Lisa, who holds the title of general manager, is in charge of daily operations; Andrew is president.
“You got to a point where, if you’re going to be held accountable for things, I’d rather it be for something we own,” he said. At the end of the day, we’re both the ones making decisions. It’s just a good feeling to be your own boss.”
About:
Address: 3501 S Tryon St., Suite A
Menu: Bedder Bedder & Moore – Delicatessen & Catering
Hours: Monday – Friday 10am to 3pm
Phone: (704) 527-0107
Photos: Facebook
Tribal Outkast
Veteran
I love wtfries bro. Thank youWhat The Fries food truck owners plan big changes in 2021 - Q City Metro
What The Fries food truck owners plan big changes in 2021
The partners announced plans to open a south Charlotte restaurant and put their truck on hiatus.
What the Fries team Jamie Barnes and Greg Williams and an assortment of their food! Photographed in Charlotte, NC on September 14th, 2020. Photo by Peter Taylor
By Glenn Burkins
December 12, 2020
At a time when the coronavirus pandemic is threatening the very existence of some Charlotte-area restaurants, food truck entrepreneurs Jamie Barnes and Greg Williams are making plans to expand their business, What The Fries LLC, to include a brick-and-mortar location.
The restaurant will open early next year at 10707 Park Road (Suite R). The 3,420-square-feet space will seat about 100 people at full capacity.
What The Fries has seen steady growth since March, with sales up 33% over 2019, the company announced.
“This is a long time coming,” Barnes, in a press release, said of the new restaurant. “Being in one spot — and not on the truck — will give us a chance to spread our wings from a culinary perspective.”
Why it matters: Not only is this good news for one of Charlotte’s Black-owned businesses, it also bucks national trends.
Earlier this month, the National Restaurant Association announced that 17% of all U.S. restaurants – about 110,000 establishments – had closed permanently.
The association used that figure in a plea to Congress for financial assistance.
Looking Forward
What The Fries specializes in “loaded fries,” with menu items that include cheesy fries, truffle fries, lobster mac & cheese fries and flaming hot fries.
Photo by Peter Taylor
Once the restaurant opens, the truck will be put on hiatus, the partners said.
In an email exchange, Alicia Barnes, administrative director and wife of Jamie Barnes, talked about the venture and hopes of a new year:
What defines WTF?
What The Fries is a business that centers around creating unique – original toppings for loaded fries. We take pride in providing creative and upscale toppings on hand-cut fries and tots.
How did the concept for the truck originate?
We were finalists on The Great Food Truck Race and our idea that was submitted to the show was loaded fries. After not making it past the final selection of groups to participate, Jamie pushed forward to make that dream a reality by leaving his job and starting a catering business to save money for a truck, and Greg joined him on this journey as partners shortly after.
At a time when many restaurants are struggling, how are you able to expand?
We owe a lot of this to our local support! Without the greatest customers, we would not be where we are today. In addition to having community support, we have had the honor of being recipients of the Innovation Fund Grant and Small Business Recovery Grant. At the start of the Covid pandemic, we were able to shift our model of working lunches at business parks, to moving into neighborhoods for lunch/dinner and that caused our sales to steadily increase, thankfully. With a combination of grants and SBA loan funds available as well as increased revenue through sales, it put us in a prime position to open.
What’s been your biggest challenge?
Our biggest challenge has been the unpredictability of knowing what will happen with the truck. It can be physical like a flat tire on the way to an event, or it can be a literal scenario or driving a vehicle being stuck in traffic unexpectedly — that causes a delay of getting to an event. Working on an automobile has its ups and downs, but the downfalls are extremely significant when they happen.
Your most pleasant surprise?
Learning that the landlord of the restaurant we are leasing believed in us enough to let us rent. After so many rejections to various shopping centers and food halls, it had us feeling a bit discouraged, but we knew we would find a place when the opportunity was right for us. So we kept trying and came in contact with a landlord that believes we will be a successful brick and mortar restaurant. Being honest, the location we landed is better than any other opportunity that we sought out before, so this is a blessing and we could not be more thankful.
How will a brick-and-mortar restaurant change how you operate?
We will operate as a typical restaurant that you walk up to order, we will have hands-free ordering available, and pick up when your order is ready. We have roughly 100 capacity seating, so customers can sit where they’d like to (based on what the government mandate is at that time). We are excited to have the ability to provide a menu that offers more of a variety and expand to a few Vegan options for example, with the ample space we will have. Whether a shut down makes its way back, we have a plan in place to remain successful with focusing back on the food truck in communities as well as providing pick-up and perhaps delivery options at the restaurant. The main change will be that the food truck will only operate in the Spring and Summer months and we will primarily work out the brick and mortar restaurant.
Aside from the new location, what excites you about 2021?
A new start. We hope to see the world move into the direction of being back to normal so we can really provide an atmosphere of community and gathering together again. Limitations have hurt the food industry tremendously and affected many people in the world within their overall lifestyle. Having the ability to unite with a large group of loved ones over a meal without having to worry about compromising anyone’s health will be wonderful.
What advice do you have for other Black entrepreneurs with dreams of opening a restaurant or launching a food truck?
Don’t give up. You may feel you have to do more to prove you are good…you do. You may feel you have to work harder than others to gain recognition…you do. But not giving up on your dream and giving 200% of your time and energy is absolutely necessary to be successful. Don’t look at what the person next to you is doing, be unique and innovative in your own way. Lastly, social media is an outlet that captures the attention of people locally and internationally. Post your food often and use hashtags. Wishing much success to all!
[Read more articles about Black-owned businesses in Charlotte]
im in there day one!
BornStar
Marathon Continues
What The Fries food truck owners plan big changes in 2021 - Q City Metro
What The Fries food truck owners plan big changes in 2021
The partners announced plans to open a south Charlotte restaurant and put their truck on hiatus.
What the Fries team Jamie Barnes and Greg Williams and an assortment of their food! Photographed in Charlotte, NC on September 14th, 2020. Photo by Peter Taylor
By Glenn Burkins
December 12, 2020
At a time when the coronavirus pandemic is threatening the very existence of some Charlotte-area restaurants, food truck entrepreneurs Jamie Barnes and Greg Williams are making plans to expand their business, What The Fries LLC, to include a brick-and-mortar location.
The restaurant will open early next year at 10707 Park Road (Suite R). The 3,420-square-feet space will seat about 100 people at full capacity.
What The Fries has seen steady growth since March, with sales up 33% over 2019, the company announced.
“This is a long time coming,” Barnes, in a press release, said of the new restaurant. “Being in one spot — and not on the truck — will give us a chance to spread our wings from a culinary perspective.”
Why it matters: Not only is this good news for one of Charlotte’s Black-owned businesses, it also bucks national trends.
Earlier this month, the National Restaurant Association announced that 17% of all U.S. restaurants – about 110,000 establishments – had closed permanently.
The association used that figure in a plea to Congress for financial assistance.
Looking Forward
What The Fries specializes in “loaded fries,” with menu items that include cheesy fries, truffle fries, lobster mac & cheese fries and flaming hot fries.
Photo by Peter Taylor
Once the restaurant opens, the truck will be put on hiatus, the partners said.
In an email exchange, Alicia Barnes, administrative director and wife of Jamie Barnes, talked about the venture and hopes of a new year:
What defines WTF?
What The Fries is a business that centers around creating unique – original toppings for loaded fries. We take pride in providing creative and upscale toppings on hand-cut fries and tots.
How did the concept for the truck originate?
We were finalists on The Great Food Truck Race and our idea that was submitted to the show was loaded fries. After not making it past the final selection of groups to participate, Jamie pushed forward to make that dream a reality by leaving his job and starting a catering business to save money for a truck, and Greg joined him on this journey as partners shortly after.
At a time when many restaurants are struggling, how are you able to expand?
We owe a lot of this to our local support! Without the greatest customers, we would not be where we are today. In addition to having community support, we have had the honor of being recipients of the Innovation Fund Grant and Small Business Recovery Grant. At the start of the Covid pandemic, we were able to shift our model of working lunches at business parks, to moving into neighborhoods for lunch/dinner and that caused our sales to steadily increase, thankfully. With a combination of grants and SBA loan funds available as well as increased revenue through sales, it put us in a prime position to open.
What’s been your biggest challenge?
Our biggest challenge has been the unpredictability of knowing what will happen with the truck. It can be physical like a flat tire on the way to an event, or it can be a literal scenario or driving a vehicle being stuck in traffic unexpectedly — that causes a delay of getting to an event. Working on an automobile has its ups and downs, but the downfalls are extremely significant when they happen.
Your most pleasant surprise?
Learning that the landlord of the restaurant we are leasing believed in us enough to let us rent. After so many rejections to various shopping centers and food halls, it had us feeling a bit discouraged, but we knew we would find a place when the opportunity was right for us. So we kept trying and came in contact with a landlord that believes we will be a successful brick and mortar restaurant. Being honest, the location we landed is better than any other opportunity that we sought out before, so this is a blessing and we could not be more thankful.
How will a brick-and-mortar restaurant change how you operate?
We will operate as a typical restaurant that you walk up to order, we will have hands-free ordering available, and pick up when your order is ready. We have roughly 100 capacity seating, so customers can sit where they’d like to (based on what the government mandate is at that time). We are excited to have the ability to provide a menu that offers more of a variety and expand to a few Vegan options for example, with the ample space we will have. Whether a shut down makes its way back, we have a plan in place to remain successful with focusing back on the food truck in communities as well as providing pick-up and perhaps delivery options at the restaurant. The main change will be that the food truck will only operate in the Spring and Summer months and we will primarily work out the brick and mortar restaurant.
Aside from the new location, what excites you about 2021?
A new start. We hope to see the world move into the direction of being back to normal so we can really provide an atmosphere of community and gathering together again. Limitations have hurt the food industry tremendously and affected many people in the world within their overall lifestyle. Having the ability to unite with a large group of loved ones over a meal without having to worry about compromising anyone’s health will be wonderful.
What advice do you have for other Black entrepreneurs with dreams of opening a restaurant or launching a food truck?
Don’t give up. You may feel you have to do more to prove you are good…you do. You may feel you have to work harder than others to gain recognition…you do. But not giving up on your dream and giving 200% of your time and energy is absolutely necessary to be successful. Don’t look at what the person next to you is doing, be unique and innovative in your own way. Lastly, social media is an outlet that captures the attention of people locally and internationally. Post your food often and use hashtags. Wishing much success to all!
[Read more articles about Black-owned businesses in Charlotte]
Everyone in Charlotte has to try this at least one time
Tribal Outkast
Veteran
Y’all tried Romeo’s Vegan burgers yet? I heard they’re good. They’re black owned so you know I’m supporting.
Food truck.they don’t have an address