North Carolina Eatery Expands to Asheville with Plant-Based Fast Food Menu

North Carolina Eatery Expands to Asheville with Plant-Based Fast Food Menu

ASHEVILLE – A North Carolina-based restaurant brand flipping the idea of comfort food has made its Asheville debut with plant-based burgers, fries, and shakes on the menu.

On June 20, Romeo’s Vegan Burgers opened at 640 Merrimon Ave, Unit 203 in the retail plaza neighboring businesses like The Hop and Mother Ocean Seafood Market.

Romeo’s Arrival in Asheville

“We want to make sure we have a Romeo’s in places where people are drawn to. In North Carolina, Asheville is a big draw – you have Biltmore, mountains, the scenic areas, and a conscious vibration in the city,” said co-owner Tigo Faulkner. “Veganism is something that’s invited here so we wanted to bring our spin on veganism to Asheville.”

The Journey of Romeo’s

Faulkner found spirituality nearly a decade ago and adopted a vegan lifestyle. In 2020, Faulkner, a hip-hop artist, and his music manager and business partner, Lamont Heath, intended to open a restaurant, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they decided to pivot to a food truck. Romeo’s Vegan Burgers food truck, which continues to operate in Charlotte, quickly gained popularity.

Expanding Success

The success led to the business partners opening brick-and-mortar restaurants in Charlotte and Greensboro and now Asheville with more on the horizon.

Behind the Name

Customers often think the restaurant is named after Faulkner, but “Romeo” is the name of the business’s mascot – a cartoon rabbit eating a burger with a carrot inside.

Romeo’s Vegan Menu

Romeo’s menu features scratch-made ingredients and products from brands like Beyond Meats, Impossible Foods, and Follow Your Heart.

Popular Menu Items

The Where Art Thou Romeo Burger, the bestseller, is made with a plant-based patty topped with lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, cheese, pickles, and a signature house-made “sweet, tangy, and smoky” sauce and costs $12.99. The Romeo BBQ Bacon Burger topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onions, pickles, bacon, mayo, and barbecue sauce, which costs $13.99, is Faulkner’s favorite.

Additional Offerings

The menu continues with chili cheese fries, a kale wrap, kale salads, and shakes blended with soy ice cream. Beverages include freshly made iced tea, lemonade, strawberry lemonade, and Maine Root sugar cane sodas.

Dining Options

Dine-in, carry-out, online ordering, and delivery via Uber Eats and DoorDash are available.

Join the Team

Romeo’s Vegan Burgers is hiring for manager and staff positions; wages begin at $14/hour. Apply via job boards like Indeed.

Location and Hours

Where: 640 Merrimon Ave, Unit 203, Asheville.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Stay Connected

For more, visit romeosveganburgers.com and follow @romeosveganburgers on Instagram.