Fayetteville brothers are moving their food trucks to Charlotte

Fayetteville natives Anthony and Jeffrey McBride got their love of cooking from their Korean mother. The two initially worked one truck together, but they eventually parted ways. Anthony took full control of Blasian Asian Grill, and Jeffrey opened up a second truck, Blasian Asian Way. Now the brothers are preparing to make their way to Charlotte.

Although they operate separately, each serves American food with a Korean twist.

Jeffrey said he plans to make his Charlotte debut later this month at Black Food Truck Friday. Anthony said he’s likely to arrive in early fall.

After announcing his plans to move via Facebook, Anthony told The Fayetteville Observer that some of his customers cried when they heard the news.

“I’ve been back and forth like 1,000 times about leaving because I thought about my customers. I’m like, this is not going to be easy for me,” he told the newspaper.

The brothers’ plans for influencing Charlotte’s food scene, however, go far beyond their respective food trucks.

Find out more in my Q&A below. 

What sparked your love for cooking? 

Anthony: I’ve been cooking since I was seven years old. I learned by cooking with my mother who is Korean so I just kind of grew up into it. 

Jeffrey: I got into cooking when I was a kid. My mom is Korean and she cooked different styles of Korean foods and I used to help her make Kimchi, the traditional way. 

Where are you from? 

Anthony: Born and raised in Fayetteville. We moved to Kannapolis for a little while and then we moved back to Fayetteville.

Jeffrey: I’m from Fayetteville but I was born on Fort Bragg. The only time I left was during undergrad and grad school.

Did you go to school for cooking? 

Anthony: I grew up cooking with my mother. It’s funny, because I still hear her voice right now. “Bring this, bring that.” And I’ve always loved Korean food. 

Jeffrey: No, I didn’t. For undergrad, I actually studied biology. but cooking has always been something like I said, I’ve always enjoyed doing. 

How did you get into the food truck business? 

Anthony: Fayetteville doesn’t have many good food options or that I would eat from at least. So it was like a spur of the moment type of thing. I started the food truck with no business plan and I went into it blindly but it worked out pretty well. 

Jeffrey: Before I even applied to medical school, I wanted to open up a food truck. I couldn’t get the financing from my dad so I went to medical school out in the Caribbeans but had issues with that. The food truck was always something I could always fall back on. 

What prompted you to move to Charlotte away from Fayetteville?

Anthony: It’s sad to say but the school systems here are not up to par for what I want for my daughters. Of course, our kids are the future so I want them to have the best possible education.

Has living in different places influenced your cooking? (Jeffrey has completed medical training in Chicago, Louisiana and a few other places). 

Jeffrey: Cooking wise, I wouldn’t say that it influenced me. It did give me another set of skills such as perseverance. 

When did you open your food truck? 

Jeffrey: The food truck was originally my brother’s but in 2020, I ended up buying the food truck from him. I set the truck up at different fairs along the east coast before officially registering the food truck in 2021. That is how I got money to fully pay off the truck. 

Do you have help on your truck? 

Jeffrey: Right now, it’s just me but I have had help along the way. I would temporarily hire people based on what city I was in and teach them how to do basic things to help with production. I have three children who help sometimes but just with small tasks. 

Anthony: I have mostly worked by myself but I’ve had a few people who came and went. Now, I’m  ending this in Fayetteville with a friend of mine.

What kind of things do you serve since you and your brother have similar business names? 

Jeffrey: I name items differently on my truck and I sell certain items that he doesn’t. But we both take American food and add Korean flavors. 

How is the food truck life? 

Jeffrey: It’s very hot but I’m used to it. If it’s 100 degrees outside, it’s definitely well over 100 degrees inside the trailer with the fryers and the grills. Whenever I do have help, I have an air conditioning unit on the side to make sure that they’re comfortable. And during the colder months, I don’t work as much because business is usually slower. 

Are you going to be stationed in one location or will you travel? 

Jeffrey: I’m going to be traveling all over Charlotte. 

Anthony: A little bit of both.

When will you make the move to Charlotte? 

Jeffrey: My scheduled move is July 24 and my first event will be July 29 at the Black food Truck Fridays. 

Anthony: It was supposed to be in August but I promised a buddy of mine a job. So I probably won’t be coming until September or the beginning of October. 

What is your goal in coming here?

Jeffrey: I want to reach as many people as I can. And hopefully, we can expand and open a sit-down restaurant. In the meantime, I’m working on getting another trailer right now so I can reach two places at once. 

Anthony: I wanted to try and find a manufacturer to bottle my sauce and marinades. I also want to get my food pre-made so people can get my food without having to come to the truck. 

What can we expect when you come to the Queen City?

Jeffrey: I’ve heard there’s a large vegan community so I’m going to be working on some vegan dishes. 

Anthony: They can expect great customer service and great food. I have over 30 more items to drop. Fayetteville has only seen three of my sauces but I have many more and we have Korean burritos that are gonna be dropping.