Fayetteville’s food truck scene is booming, surpassing major cities in trucks per capita like Los Angeles and Raleigh, according to DistiNCtly Fayetteville, the leadership organization tasked with marketing Cumberland County as a destination.
Devin Heath, CEO of DistiNCtly Fayetteville, said Fayetteville may not be the first city that comes to mind when thinking of a food truck hotspot, but the numbers tell a different story. He said that, based on available data, Cumberland County boasts 45 food trucks per 100,000 residents, compared to 17 per 100,000 in Raleigh — a city ranked by Roaming Hunger as among the top destinations for food trucks in the country.
“We have tracked 152 food trucks in Cumberland County, which may not be all-inclusive,” Heath said last week. “There may be others out there that we have yet to meet.”
A veteran food truck owner shares insight
Bruce Yeomans, 60, is the owner of Noth’n Fancy, a food truck that launched in 2018. Yeomans said he has witnessed firsthand the explosion of mobile eateries in Fayetteville. He said when he first started seven years ago, the industry was far smaller and less competitive. Yeomans dishes out “good soul food” on the Noth’n Fancy truck, as described on the truck’s Facebook page.
“There weren’t many trucks around back then,” Yeoman said recently. “Now, it’s a whole different scene. A lot of new guys are coming in, a lot of trucks moving through the area — you can really see the growth.”
With more trucks comes increased competition for the best locations, but Bruce, who operates primarily on Fort Bragg, said he has established a set location on the military installation over the years.
“There are a lot of new people fighting for spots,” he said. “But us old heads, we already have our locations set.”
A newcomer’s perspective on the ‘welcoming’ community
Josh Buracchio, 41, owner of The Yinzers Truck, said he launched his truck in July 2024. He said that despite expecting the food truck business to be tough, he was surprised by the support from fellow truck owners when he opened his Pittsburgh-style food truck serving sandwiches, pizza and salads.
“You would think, with all the trucks and all the competition, this would be a very, like, cutthroat business, where, you know, it’s a lot of competition. It’s, like, the total opposite,” Buracchio said last week. “It’s been just the most amazing community, all the food truck owners and all the workers. It’s kind of like their own little family, and probably a lot of our success is just the help we’ve gotten from other trucks.”
He said he credits Fayetteville’s diverse food truck community for fostering a culture of collaboration rather than competition. A testament to that support hangs in his Yinzers truck — the first dollar he ever made was from Zachary Substanley for his meal. Substanley owns Fry Papi, another food truck in Fayetteville.
Buracchio said when he first started, he received invaluable guidance from industry veterans like the owners of California Taco and Mike and Jen Adams of Dogslingers. What started as a hot dog stand for the Adamses has since grown into a restaurant that also serves as a commissary kitchen for approximately 15 food trucks to use as a storage and prep space. He said Yinzers is one of the trucks benefiting from the shared resources and camaraderie that defines Fayetteville’s food truck scene.
Where to find food trucks in Fayetteville
With the food truck culture thriving, several locations around the city have become destinations for the mobile restaurants.
Buracchio said some of Fayetteville’s top food truck hotspots include The Haymount Truck Stop and Dirtbag Ales Brewery & Taproom. He said the upcoming Hive of Hope Mills food truck park shows promise for vendors seeking new locations. For those willing to venture to Carthage, he recommended Quida’s Food Truck Park on Monroe Street.
“Everybody and their brother sees a food truck and thinks, ‘Oh, that’s something I’m going to do,’” Buracchio said. “But it’s got a lot to do with food events and scheduling and, you know, equipment, and there is a lot into it, but it’s fun, and it’s always, you know, we’ve always dreamed about working for ourselves instead of for somebody else, and this seemed like the best route to go for us.”
Bruce Yeomans of Noth’n Fancy shares Buracchio’s sentiments. He said he plans to run his food truck for another five years before setting his sights on retirement in Florida.
“I’m just a local guy, you know, homegrown guy from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Food trucks are really booming here in Fayetteville,” Yeomans said. “I wouldn’t say a lot of competitiveness or competition. I would say more of a family-style, brotherhood-type of event. But if you’re going to get in, you need to get in now.”
Reporter Lizmary Evans covers growth, development, dining, retail, entertainment and culture for The Fayetteville Observer. You can reach her at [email protected].
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