A new food truck court along Westinghouse in Charlotte is now open
Westinghouse Boulevard isn’t exactly known as a food mecca, but that could change thanks to the vision of one southwest Charlotte business owner.
Lee Bonacum, owner of the new Artisan Quartz shop at 801 Westinghouse Blvd., has convert a portion of his v-shaped parking lot into Artisan Food Truck Food Court.. So far, 11 businesses are contracted to be on site daily beginning Oct. 16, offering everything from pizza and tacos to rice bowls and egg rolls.
“This is definitely a different concept for Charlotte,” Bonacum said. “Normally, you’d have food truck Fridays or they’re part of a festival or brewery. But these trucks are renting a spot for every day service.”
The inaugural lineup for Artisan Food Truck Food Court includes Family Pizza, Donuts NV, Fusion Taco, Uptown Grill & Beatz, Noomyai Thai, Hubeed’s, 5th Sin, Egg Roll Company, Happy Treats, Philly King and Motor City Grille.
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Each truck will be on a month to month lease, and the businesses will set their own hours.
Bonacum got the idea shortly after signing the lease on the former Burger King, which has since been renovated for his wholesale quartz countertop shop.
“I quickly realized that it’s just industrial all around, and there are thousands of employees in the area who have to search out food for lunch breaks,” Bonacum said. “Other than a Waffle House, Jack in the Box and a meat and three, there’s really nothing around here.”
He put out feelers on a local food truck Facebook site and was astounded when he heard back from more than 80 food truck operators interested in participating.
“Every single person I talked with about the idea for a food truck food court thought it was such a great idea,” said Bonacum, who had nearly 30 years of experience in advertising before shifting careers to the granite industry. “The popularity of food trucks has just gone crazy. The excitement is here.”
While the old Burger King dining room now serves as Artisan Quartz’s showroom, much of the kitchen area is still intact, including the stainless steel prep area. This will eventually be updated to serve as a commissary for the food trucks.
The large parking lot has room for at least 12 food trucks, along with 10 picnic tables and lighting that will run through the tree line. The trucks will be lined along the west side of the lot, with plenty of room for parking behind the building.
Bonacum also plans to add a stage to host live music and other events.
“It’s going to be a very nice thing,” Bonacum said. “It’ll be fun and people will want to come over and over again.”
Artisan Food Truck Food Court
Location: 801 Westinghouse Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28273
This story was originally published September 12, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
