CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sierra Jackson lives by the saying: You've got to crawl before you walk. She was there when Romeo’s Vegan Burgers started as a food truck. Now, she helps run the restaurant that sits on South Boulevard.
Romeo's Vegan Burgers first opened the food truck during the pandemic to immediate success and support from the community. Co-owners Tigo Faulkner and Lamont Heath said they knew the business was something real on the very first day they opened the truck.
Now, years later, Romeo's Vegan Burgers has a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Charlotte and one in Greensboro in addition to the food truck -- and the owners are hoping to open a third brick-and-mortar location in north Charlotte.
"North Charlotte showed us so much love when we used to take out the food truck," Heath said. "I mean, [those were] our busiest days when we took the food truck out to the north Charlotte area so it's only right we put a Romeo's there."
Even as Romeo's Vegan Burgers grows, the community remains a crucial part of their business.
"These people, they invited us in and they treated us like family," Heath said. "We literally got to know people from our food truck to our brick and mortar, and we got to know them like family. So it's amazing. "
The all-vegan fast food joint is currently participating in Black Restaurant Week. This year, the week runs from April 28 through May 7 and is aimed not only at increasing foot traffic to local Black businesses and African cuisine but also at raising awareness on disparities and history impacting the Black community.
When WCNC Charlotte asked Jackson why the week of recognition is necessary, she pointed to both history and systemic prejudice that can create obstacles.
"It was hard for us coming up and not being able to own a business and be Black," Jackson said.
The stats back Jackson up.
The Pew Research Center found that in 2020, just 3% of U.S. businesses were Black-owned or African American-owned, 86% were white-owned, 11% were Asian-owned and 7% were Hispanic-owned.
"When we do stories that really hone in on specific communities the question that we often get is, what does race have to do with it? How would you answer that question?" WCNC Charlotte's Kia Murray asked Falayn Ferrell. Ferrell is one of Black Restaurant Week’s managing partners.
"This is really a cultural celebration -- it’s no different than, say, an Italian food festival," Ferrell responded. "Food is a unifier and it's one way to bring communities together."
After founding the week in Houston back in 2016, the group tracks the boost in sales brought to local businesses.
"We’ll typically see anywhere [between] 15% and 20%," Ferrell said. "We’re not taking anything out of the community, instead we’re pumping dollars into the community."
Faulkner said Black Restaurant Week has helped spread the word about Romeo's Vegan Burgers.
"Black Restaurant Week's trying to bring more awareness to Black restaurants," Faulkner said. "To be a part of that is a special thing because, first of all, we brought more awareness to our restaurant, just to be a part of it also helps create more awareness for all Black restaurants."
As for Jackson and why she participates, she said it’s to share this message: Together, "we can build."
While Black Restaurant Week will wrap up Sunday, Ferrel adds the work continues from there. Feed the Soul Foundation, a nonprofit extension of Black Restaurant Week, is aimed at helping culinary businesses thrive in marginalized communities.
Contact Kia Murray at kmurray@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Contact Emma Korynta at ekorynta@wcnc.com and follow her on Twitter.