Purpose and culinary innovation are found at 1800 Brewton Drive in Charlotte. You’ll also find cars overflowing the street late into the night, full of hungry locals excited to get a meal from Brewton’s Café.
Chefs Brandon Brewton and Jasmine Delva created Brewton’s Cafe to be a primarily to-go eatery serving American, sea and soul food. It’s located between the Genesis Park and Double Oaks communities.
The café opened in June 2020 with a mission to offer great food and also pay homage to a woman who positively impacted the community, Pastor Barbara Brewton-Cameron.
To their community, she was a hero. To Brandon, she was his grandmother and the inspiration for his cafe that now exists on a street bearing the family name.
“[My grandmother] was pure love in the kitchen,” said Brewton. “I always dreamed of owning a restaurant, and she helped me understand that cooking starts with love. People will always taste it, and I stand on that to this day.”
Brewton’s beginnings
Brewton graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta, Ga. and was clear about his future in food. He credits a Le Cordon Bleu instructor, Chef Lofti, with encouraging him to work for himself.
Delva, however, took a little longer to decide. Before meeting Brewton, Jasmine was in pursuit of a nursing degree. Once the two met, they became best friends, and Jasmine’s culinary journey as Brewton’s pastry chef followed.
“I was so amazed at how [driven] he was,” said Delva. “I always thought, ‘it must be nice to live free and do what you want to do on your own terms.’ It taught me that there’s no reason to work for someone else when you can be your own boss.”
After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu, Brewton worked in the kitchens of a few more restaurants, then offered catering and meal preparation services before opening the café.
“It wasn’t easy to start fresh,” said Brewton. “No one knew me for cooking here, so I had to start from the bottom.”
Brewton’s Today
Today, Brewton’s Café is thriving as one of Charlotte’s late-night food options.
The menu is inspired by Brandon and Jasmine’s favorite foods, and caters to foodies seeking high-quality home-cooked meals.
The no-fuss environment doesn’t have a dining room but does offer limited outdoor seating for those who want to enjoy their food while it’s fresh.
The most popular items on the menu are the alfredo dishes. Brewton and Delva’s favorites include the Ultimate Surf & Turf, fried lobster, chicken, shrimp, and crab; crab-stuffed salmon, and the honey hot chicken sandwich.
“The community showed support throughout [the pandemic] and it encourages me to keep pushing forward,” said Brewton. “I love my customers!”
It’s Brewton’s greatest hope that customers feel love through good food and customer service. He wants everyone to leave with a smile.
Plans for the future
Brewton is also looking toward expansion.
“Think a very upscale and Black ‘Harlem Nights’ vibe,” he said about he and Delva’s next venture.
Until then, you can keep up with the duo online at brewtonscafe.com, and on Instagram at @chefbrewton and @brewtonscafe. Currently, Brewton’s Café is open Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Also read:
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- Q&A with Lisa Brooks, a Charlotte native who’s helping shape the city’s food scene
- Meet the chefs bringing Louisiana flavor to the Queen City
