New Black-Owned Food Stand Coming to Camp North End
A Black-owned restaurant concept is set to open soon in Camp North End.
Blasian Asian Way, a fusion of Korean and American cuisine named after the owner’s Asian and black heritage, will move into one of the food stands formerly occupied by Saru Ramen on Keswick Avenue, according to an emailed statement from Camp North End.
Blasian Asian Way founder Jeffrey McBride launched the food truck in 2020 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and moved to Charlotte in 2022. He told QCity Metro that he gave himself two years to settle into the Queen City before expanding his concept.
“I didn’t plan on running a catering trailer all this time, but it was easier for me to come here, find my way and develop a clientele,” McBride said.
Although his physical location is set to open in September, McBride said he also plans to continue operating the Blasian Asian Way food truck.
The concept offers Korean-style comfort food and features dishes like dumplings, wings and rice bowls on the menu.
The Camp North End restaurant will feature beef or chicken bulgogi, beef short ribs, a type of rice cake called tteokbokki and more. McBride said he also plans to experiment with new dishes like K-dogs, a Korean corn dog topped with various toppings like cheese, barbecue sauce and more.
He told QCity Metro that he hopes to obtain a license from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to also sell drinks like soju, a popular Korean-style beer, at the food stand.
Before finding the location at Camp North End, McBride said he initially considered a larger space but decided against it.
“I didn’t want to start too big and take my focus away from the food truck,” he said. “I’m also familiar with that type of setup, like the service window, the separate kitchen and always having a growing staff.”
Chasing a dream
McBride said his love of cooking began when he was a child, and he often helped his mother, who is Korean, prepare Korean dishes. Although he went to school with the intention of becoming a doctor, he changed his focus after having difficulty passing one of his clinical exams.
Soon after, he said, he started running a Waffle House and gaining experience to pursue a lifelong dream: a food truck.
“Even before I applied to medical school, I wanted to open a food truck,” McBride told QCity Metro in 2022. “After going through medical school and having trouble with that, I knew the food truck was something I could always fall back on.”
He and his brother, Anthony, initially worked together on a truck, but eventually decided to split up and pursue their own concepts. Anthony took full control of Blasian Asian Grill, which still operates in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Jeffrey opened Blasian Asian Way.
McBride said he and his brother have discussed collaborating again in the future, but for now he plans to focus on expanding Blasian Asian Way.
“I plan on listing us on Doordash,” McBride said. “I also plan on offering discounted samples at our grand opening so everyone can try to create some buzz.”
Customers can try Blasian Asian Way before they open in September at Camp North End by visiting the food truck.
For more information and the truck schedule, visit the Blasian Asian Way website.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that Blasian Asian Way is expected to open in August. McBride will move into the space in August, but plans to open in September.
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