This familiar vegan food truck is opening a Charlotte restaurant with a drive-thru
When CharlotteFive first spoke with Romeo’s Vegan Burgers co-owner Monty “Tigo B.” Faulkner earlier this year, plans for a brick-and-mortar location were already in the works. The food truck quickly developed a significant following of devoted vegan and non-vegan fans willing to travel across Charlotte to get a taste of the burger that was the talk of the town.
A little over a year after Faulkner and co-owner Lamont Heath opened the food truck, Romeo’s is putting the final touches on its first brick-and-mortar location in the Charlotte area. Construction is still underway, and an opening date has not been set. Axios Charlotte was first to report the news.
The vegan drive-thru will be among the first of its kind in Charlotte and will open soon on the street where it all started — South Boulevard. Now, they’re back in the same area that gave the plant-based concept such a warm welcome to start.
“We feel like it’s meant to be to find this location on the same road where we started — and on top of that, the fact that it has a drive-thru is the extra,” Heath said.
Drive-thrus are convenient, and the owners wanted to bring the experience — which will include a late-night option on weekends — to Charlotte’s vegan community.
“If you have something going on, you can just swing through right quick so you can get something,” Faulkner said. “In terms of healthier options, it has never existed. I think it’s important that we are the first because we’re filling the void we saw in it. It’s not just what we want, it’s what the community wants.”
The owners attribute Romeo’s growth to the community that supported them during the past year in a way they couldn’t have ever imagined, Heath said.
The food truck first opened in November 2020. Faulkner and Heath — who are both vegans — wanted to be on the forefront of bringing the Queen City delicious vegan food that anyone could enjoy.
Romeo’s quickly gained popularity as vegans and non-vegans stood in line for hours, waiting for plant-based burgers, chili cheese fries and vegan shakes.
“For us to be able to grow with them and them to be able to go with us is the most exciting part about the whole process,” he said. “It’s the most exciting part because we’re given them something they asked for, and it’s also something we wanted.”
Plans for the menu call for only a few additions like the “Barbecue Bacon Burger” and “Mexico Romeo Burger.” While fans of Romeo’s can soon enjoy the 100 percent vegan menu from the comfort of their own cars or dining in, others will still be able to get the food truck experience at breweries, events and apartments.
Being able to provide vegan drive-thru options for the community is one thing the pair doesn’t take lightly.
“I feel that it’s important because, you know, it’s revolutionary. You know, because at the end of the day, most people wait to see things work and then jump in, versus leading the way in something,” Faulkner said.
Romeo’s Vegan Burgers
Location: 5518 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28217
Neighborhood: Closeburn-Glenkirk/South Charlotte
Cuisine: Vegan burgers
Instagram: @romeosveganburgers
