Opening a restaurant can be a high-risk venture. While Mobile-Cuisine.com reports that there’s only a 40% chance of success in the first year, vendors are trading in their trucks for brick-and-mortar restaurants, relying on their mobile kitchen experience to drive their success.

Austin Belt, chef and owner of Banh Sai in the Cargo District, recently made the leap. Belt and his wife, Lucy, gauged their compatibility with the Wilmington community by starting small with the hopes of eventually opening a restaurant. In December 2020, their food truck serving Asian fusion fare called on Wilmington breweries, bottle shops and markets.

“We knew when we started the food truck that we wanted it to be a steppingstone. After three-and-a-half years, we decided it was time. We were eager to expand our capacity, extend our hours and integrate into a community that would allow for continued growth and evolution. After thoroughly exploring the Cargo District, we identified the ideal space,” Austin Belt said.

The brick-and-mortar restaurant opened July 20 in partnership with the sandwich shop, The Half, on the east side of the Cargo District.

“The partnership was a natural fit for us, wonderful people who we have known since our time in Charleston, South Carolina, and whose passion for quality ingredients and customer service is top-notch,” Austin Belt said.

The restaurant is 1,200 square feet with an outdoor space in the works. Austin Belt described walking into Banh Sai as stepping into a time capsule from the ’80s and ’90s. “It’s nostalgia, complete with nods to movies, music and video games,” he said.

The open kitchen concept offers a glimpse into the crew’s passion for food and customer service. The menu will continue its theme of unique flavors and a diverse range of spices. “Egg rolls, Cobra fries, burritos, a rotating Katsu sandwich and The Banh Sai Bowl, a staple on our truck, are on the menu, plus specials and seasonals,” Austin Belt said.

“We have been met with a warm reception and so many familiar faces. We don’t believe it would be that way without our time on the truck,” he said.

Molly Curnyn opened her second CheeseSmith in the Landfall shopping center this past April after successfully transitioning the food truck she ran with her husband, Brendan, since 2018 to her first brick-and-mortar in 2020. “The truck was a low-risk entry point into the food business. We were able to use our savings without taking out loans,” Molly Curnyn said.

The food truck served four different grilled cheese sandwiches and fries. Now, half of the sandwiches on the menu at both restaurants are grilled cheese, including the signature sandwiches that were served from the truck. The other half are cold sandwiches featuring cheese.

“The Landfall location is a great spot where it feels good to hang out, have a sandwich and beer,” she said of the 50 inside and 20 outdoor seats.

The crew of 32 bounces between the two restaurants while Molly Curnyn and her husband work behind the scenes. “We’ve hit the point where we are mostly removed from day-to-day operations. Our employees have everything under control, and we are working from home managing social media and advertising. We believe a restaurant can’t grow until it can run efficiently and consistently without being there,” she said.

Molly Curnyn said there were a lot of reasons to retire the truck. “It was brutally hot, often 120 degrees. We were definitely doing all the hard work because we were not able to fit a lot of crew in the truck,” she said.

In July 2021, Matthew Grimm and his wife, Sammie Jo, launched Grimmburger Food Truck, serving smashburgers around Wilmington. “I knew the owners of CheeseSmith, and I bought their food truck. It allowed me to become acquainted with the food truck scene in Wilmington. I knew it would be a good steppingstone to a full restaurant. And it was an opportunity to build a customer base before making the jump to a restaurant,” Matthew Grimm.

The Grimms outgrew the truck last year. “We got busier than we could handle in the truck,” Matthew Grimm said. “It’s small, and we were ready to serve more people. Opening our restaurant was the only option.” Grimmburger will open on Military Cutoff Road in the Forum Shopping Center in mid-September. The restaurant vibe will be a play on the name Grimm. “We are designing the space we want, making it as cool as we can, with tombstones and graveyard art,” he said.

The restaurant will seat 35 inside and 35 outside and be served by 20 employees, a big jump from the four on the truck.

Matthew Grimm said running the truck gave him time to fine-tune his menu. “The truck allowed us to work out the kinks on a smaller scale. At the restaurant, we will be doing everything we did on Truck Plus,” he said.

He does all his own menu innovation and development on burgers such as the ones named the Gravedigger and the Tombstone. “We are adding some new menu items, a surprise for opening,” he said.

Matthew Grimm said he is leaving behind the disadvantages of the mobile food business, such as inclement weather that can ruin the day, and is looking forward to advantages like more space. “And doing our own thing with beer and wine,” he said.

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