ASHEVILLE – A reader asks about the revival of a popular food truck at a cherished brewery in the River Arts District. Curious about something? Email the newsroom at [email protected]. Your question and answer could appear in an upcoming issue.
Question: Is Chop Shop’s food truck coming back to the Wedge in the River Arts District?
Answer: In October, we rejoiced that Wedge Brewing Company reopened its Foundy Street taproom, as it marked a significant milestone in the River Arts District’s recovery after Tropical Storm Helene.
It’s one of the many tragedy-to-triumph stories we’ve followed for our local businesses. The Wedge Foundation, one of three taprooms from Wedge Brewing, at 5 Foundy St., was submerged up to its rafters when the French Broad River crested at 24.67 feet in last year’s fall season.
Dec 18, 2024; Asheville, North Carolina, USA; The Wedge’s location in the River Arts District. The brewery was flooded like many other businesses.
Founder Tim Schaller said that things have been going well following the renovation and reopening, particularly thanks to recent events like the Knuckle Deep BBQ Fest. He said RADfest, a two-day communitywide event, was good for both Wedge Foundation and Wedge Studios, also in the district at 129 Roberts St.
“It gives us money to get through the rest of the winter,” Schaller said.
On selected days, Wedge Foundation, like Wedge Studios, has hosted food trucks.
“We’ve had a good track record, but it’s harder to get them all the time,” Schaller said.
Unfortunately, the rotation does not include Chop Shop Food Truck, which was Wedge Foundation’s resident food truck partner until Helene.
Owner and General Manager P.J. Jackson assured there’s no “beef” with Wedge Brewing or other Foundy Street neighbors. They’re still all friends, and the decision is “purely financial” to pause Chop Shop Food Truck’s operations.
Chop Shop Butchery’s food truck was designed by local muralist, Gus Cutty.
“We would love to figure out how to do it when the season opens back up after these cold months,” Jackson said.
Schaller predicts that Wedge Foundation guests may have more food options by spring 2026.
Wedge Foundation was condensed during the post-Helene renovation, eliminating its Cloud Room event space and brewing production room. Brewing will continue solely at Wedge Studios.
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The property has been sectioned off, making room for two attached suites that are being outfitted for restaurants. Schaller said that the former 12 Bones restaurant building will be renovated for a third food concept.
On Nov. 13, the Wedge Foundation will launch its free indoor weekly music series, which will take place every Thursday.
Where to find Chop Shop
The Chop Shop Food Truck had been Wedge Foundation’s resident food partner since spring 2021, owned and operated by the local company, The Chop Shop Butchery.
Jackson said that the food truck’s menu was developed by a former employee, now Executive Chef of Luminosa restaurant at the Flat Iron Hotel, Graham House. The food truck menu featured signature burgers and hot dogs, all made with the butcher’s ground Apple Brandy beef and in-house all-beef hot dogs.
An all-beef cheeseburger from Chop Shop Food Truck.
They also offered made-in-house plant-based options, such as the falafel.
“We’re in Asheville. We were pretty good about feeding the vegetarians for a meat truck,” Jackson said.
However, the O.G. cheeseburger, a dry-aged ground beef burger made with cheddar wings ― cheese cooked on the flattop grill to make it crispy ― and the hot dogs were naturally the bestsellers.
The good news is that Chop Shop managed to save its food truck as the floodwaters rose. Helene arrived on Sept. 27; however, a preceding storm system blanketed the city with heavy rain beginning Sept. 25. On Sept. 26, Jackson said that there was about 1 1/2 feet of water on the ground when Chop Shop’s food truck was rolled down out of RAD to safety.
Jackson said it was parked at Chop Shop’s meat processing facility near their Charlotte Street retail store, where the team prepared and distributed an estimated 2,000 meals to the community following the storm.
Then, it was leased out to an undisclosed restaurant for several months to serve as a commissary kitchen while they rebuilt after Helene.
Now, it sits in storage, with no immediate plans to resume operations. Jackson said that in the spring, after the slower-traffic winter months, the team may revisit the idea for what to do next.
Jackson said the fall and winter holiday season is the most lucrative time of the year for the butchery, located at 100 Charlotte Street, as they sell items like turkey, ham, housemade lox and oysters for retail and wholesale clients.
All-beef hot dogs were a hit at Chop Shop Food Truck when it was the resident food partner at Wedge Brewing’s Foundy Street taproom.
Chop Shop also has a retail store and services restaurants in Charlotte.
Chop Shop meats can also be found on the menus of wholesale clients, including Luminosa, Cúrate Bar de Tapas, Tall John’s, Gan Shan West, All Day Darling, Table, Soprana, The Rhu, White Labs Brewing Co. and Mother.
Jackson recommends Chop Shop Food Truck fans visit Daddy Mac’s Down Home Dive and follow the Smasheville food truck if they are looking for a delicious burger made with Chop Shop’s meat.
“Their cheeseburgers are excellent, and it happens to be our beef,” Jackson said.
Schaller said that Wedge Brewing welcomes food truck operators to reach out about being added to the schedule.
“We’re always looking for new and inventive food trucks,” Schaller said.
For updates on Wedge Brewing’s food truck schedule, visit wedgebrewing.com and follow @wedgebrewing on Instagram.
For more about Chop Shop Butchery, visit chopshopbutchery.com and follow @chopshopbutchery on Instagram.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Tips, comments, questions? Email [email protected] or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram. Sign up for AVL Bites and Brews, our weekly food and drink newsletter here.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Is Asheville Chop Shop Butchery’s food truck returning?
