Charlotte chef opening healthy breakfast, lunch spot with Latin flair in Uptown
Since re-entering Charlotte’s culinary scene as a pop-up chef in 2017, Edwin Cruz has stayed busy. Whether creating menus for special events at Poplar, launching award-winning charcuterie company Brewster & Co., filming cooking segments for Compare Foods or serving coffee from his mobile Drip Joint Espresso Bar, he’s found new ways to share his love of food and drink with Charlotteans.
Cruz shows no signs of slowing down, and his next culinary venture will soon provide Uptown diners another option for breakfast or lunch. Cruz and business partner Chris Johnson plan to open new restaurant Arbol on June 1. Arbol will be in the Carillon building at 227 W. Trade St.
For breakfast, expect croissant sandwiches, breakfast burritos and acai breakfast bowls. Initially, baked goods will be from Manolo’s Bakery, however Cruz plans to begin baking in-house soon.
“Everything will have a Latin flair,” Cruz told CharlotteFive. “We’ll have lots of healthy and organic options, including aguas frescas and smoothies.”
Not everything will be healthy, though — take the choco flan cake and tres leches cake, for example. Lunch options include salads and sandwiches like the el cubano and the el italiano. “All of our menu items will have fun names. We’ll play off of the Spanish language,” Cruz said. Arbol’s menu is designed to serve busy people in need of a healthy meal Uptown.
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Cruz’s other Charlotte spot: Edwin’s Organix
Cruz moved to Charlotte in 2003 and enrolled in Eastway Middle School. After graduating from Garinger High School, he went to Mexico for college, but quickly returned to further his career in the kitchen. “I grew up cooking all my life because my parents are both cooks,” Cruz said. “It’s in my blood.”
By age 18, Cruz was managing a Burger King. At 18, he was running a Five Guys. His next step led him to Winston-Salem, where he opened — and served as head chef — of two Famous Toastery locations. When he returned to Charlotte, he knew it was time to open his first independent venture, Edwin’s Organix.
Through Edwin’s Organix, Cruz partners with restaurants as a guest chef, caters events and offers private cooking classes. Arbol is the chef’s first venture into a brick and mortar restaurant of his own. “The owner of the building has been very flexible as we’ve built out the space,” Cruz said. “We all want to get people back Uptown.”
Cruz incorporates many vegan recipes into his cooking and gravitates towards healthy options. “I’m going to be very selective about my ingredients and get local when possible,” Cruz said. As for his personal favorite menu on Arbol’s item? The el cubano — a traditional Cuban sandwich complete with mustard, pickles and pressed to perfection.
Arbol
Location: 227 W Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Neighborhood: Uptown
Cuisine: Latin, salads, sandwiches
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Instagram: @arbol_eatery
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