This popular vegan food truck is planning its first permanent Charlotte location.
It’s a mild night in Charlotte, the first without rain in the past few days. A line begins in an old Dairy Queen parking lot on Central Avenue, wrapping around and down Pecan Avenue in Plaza-Midwood. People wait patiently, either engaged in conversation or engaged in their phones. Engines rev as horns blow and the traffic confirms most people have some other place to be. But, on Friday, Feb.19, it is the end of a long week, which means the socially-distanced, mask-wearing customers are exactly where they want to be — in the queue and ready to get their vegan fix from Romeo’s Vegan Burgers.
The food truck, which has been open since mid-November, has grown quickly in popularity — so quickly that the restaurateurs are ready to take next steps.
“The first day we opened our doors, we had one client walk up,” co-owner Monty “Tigo B.” Faulkner said. “Then, another one. Then, a line started to form and ever since the first day, the lines have continuously gotten longer and longer. It’s definitely been somewhat overwhelming trying to meet the demand but all in all, it’s something we enjoy.”
Faulkner and co-owner Lamont Heath — who are both vegans — started Romeo’s out of necessity. Though the vegan food truck scene is starting to develop in Charlotte, the owners found that the amount of quality vegan food served in areas they used to travel to for business — pre COVID-19 — was lacking.
“It’s a vision we had. Anytime we are out of town, we look for tasty vegan spots,” Faulkner said. “Sometimes it hits, sometimes it doesn’t. When you go to a lot of cities, there are only a few spots and you seldom find places that fully cater to vegans. So we just want to be on the forefront of that in the city of Charlotte and make comfort food that anybody can enjoy, even if you’re aren’t a vegan.”
Today, Romeo’s following consists of both vegans and non-vegans who support the business rain or shine, even during a pandemic. Romeo’s is excited about helping people convert to a healthier lifestyle. Opening a restaurant business during a time when many restaurants are closing in Charlotte due to COVID-19, caused a bit of apprehension, but Faulker’s faith and perspective prevails.
‘We’ve really outgrown the food truck and we need to find a brick and mortar.’
“It’s certain places that have established themselves, making a name for themselves and the food is consistent so they have a clientele,” he said. “We just believe in ourselves and believe we can do the same thing. Now, it’s a situation where the demand is so high we’ve really outgrown the food truck and we need to find a brick and mortar.”
Romeo’s immediate plans for the future are to secure the first restaurant location. The hope is that the conversations they are having will result in signed leases and keys to the new home for Romeo’s.
The plan is for the menu in the future location to be similar to the food truck’s menu. There will be a few additions to keep things interesting for customers who have been supporting the truck since the beginning, Faulkner said. In other words, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
As for logistics, it depends on the location. While the ultimate vision is to have drive-thru locations everywhere — across the country and internationally — the look and feel of the first restaurant will depend largely on the real estate, Faulkner said. In fact, the owners recently asked Romeo’s fans to keep their eyes out for the perfect location. Some fans pitched the very building whose parking lot served as Romeo’s Friday night spot — the former Dairy Queen in Plaza Midwood.
One thing is for sure, Romeo’s priority is to stay with the image created by the food truck because many people enjoy its branding. The plan is to keep up the same standard the team has successfully created. Oh, and don’t worry, the truck itself isn’t going anywhere.
So, what’s the secret to Romeo’s fresh, tasty plant-based burgers?
“We just make sure it tastes good,” Faulkner said. “If it tastes good to us. It’ll taste good to everyone else. And the proof is in the pudding — pun intended.”
While the proof is in the plant-based pudding, Faulkner’s advice to others who are thinking about following their dreams is simple: go for it.
“Stop thinking about it and just do it,” he said. “Ultimately, you have to have faith and believe in yourself. The truth is, you might fail but you might win. If you don’t ever try, you’ve already failed. So, you might as well.”
This story was originally published February 20, 2021 at 1:04 PM.
