Chef Jonathan Leonard wants to bring more late-night dining options to Charlotte’s Historic West End.
His new Black-owned counter, Big Papa’s Empanadas, kicked off its soft opening Thursday, Sept. 3, at 1812 Rozzelles Ferry Road. Founded by the Johnson & Wales alumnus, the spot pairs oversized, hip-hop-inspired empanadas with a late-night schedule running until 3:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday—an effort Leonard says is aimed at serving a community he feels has been overlooked.
“I always wanted to open a restaurant over here,” said Leonard, who lives down the street. “With this being a historically Black area, I know they’re gentrifying this area, but I wanted to give back to the community that’s here.”
Solving kitchen waste
Leonard’s late-night concept grew out of a practical solution to kitchen waste.
After graduating from Johnson & Wales in 2012, Leonard worked as a sous chef in New Orleans and Atlanta before returning to Charlotte in 2020. He left a corporate culinary job to start Freshly Cracked, a catering and meal-prep business, and ran brewery pop-ups to build his clientele…