Goodwill Welcomes New Restaurant to Its Opportunity Campus

The locally owned business, Food Geeks, now operates a new restaurant inside the nonprofit’s Goodwill Opportunity Campus.

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is happy to announce that local restauranteur Food Geeks has opened a new restaurant venture inside the Goodwill Opportunity Campus, located at 5301 Wilkinson Boulevard in Charlotte.  

The restaurant, Good Food by Food Geeks, is a locally owned, family-run business offering “comfort food the Brooklyn way,” inspired by owner Terrence Burns’ upbringing in New York City. Good Food offers made-to-order, quality comfort food, in addition to grab-and-go offerings, quick snacks and treats, a coffee bar, and hot buffet lunch specials. Standout meu items include the Saratoga Salmon BLT Sandwich and Salad, Smothered Chicken and Grits, Smash Burgers, Smoked Jamaican Jerk Chicken, and Sweet Potato Chicken and Waffles.

Both Good Food and Goodwill share values of connecting and supporting community – with the Good Food team looking forward to not only offering delicious food, but also community events such as meet-ups, lunch and learns, open mic nights and more.  

“I’m excited for the new move and partnership with Goodwill,” says Terrence Burns, owner of Food Geeks. “It gives the Food Geeks brand a space to shine and provide some of the best comfort food this region has experienced, and most of all execute our vision of creating a space for food, family and fellowship.” 

“We were intentional about selecting a vibrant locally owned business in our community to operate in the restaurant space in this fantastic location,” said Jose Luis, Chief Operating Officer for Goodwill industries of the Southern Piedmont. “Food Geeks is a well-respected organization in the Charlotte community that aligns with the mission and values of Goodwill Industries of Southern Piedmont. The Goodwill Opportunity Campus was created as a place where people could see possibilities, seize opportunities, and prosper. With Good Food on campus, we are excited for Food Geeks to inspire possibilities and create opportunities for members of the community to come together in fellowship over some delicious offerings.”  

The restaurant space, which formerly housed Community Table Bistro, was established in 2016 to address the food desert along the Wilkinson Boulevard corridor, and to support the vision for the Goodwill Opportunity Campus. The state-of-the-art facility in west Charlotte provides the area’s most comprehensive collection of resources and opportunities for individuals seeking to advance their careers and improve their lives. The Goodwill Opportunity Campus houses Goodwill career services and training programs, as well as other nonprofit partners to support community members on their pathways to prosperity.  

The Goodwill Opportunity Campus offers several event, conference and meeting spaces available to rent, now with catering offerings provided by Good Food. 

This is the third locally owned restaurant or food business Goodwill has introduced in its facilities in recent years. The nonprofit added locally owned café’s, Salty Bean and Big Red’s, inside their concept stores in Rockingham and Shelby in 2022.   

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