Carter’s Cheesesteaks has fired up the grill this week in the heart of Philadelphia’s Chinatown, and the owner says it is the neighborhood’s first Black-owned business. The counter-style shop is turning out traditional ribeye cheesesteaks alongside surf-and-turf twists with shrimp and lobster. Owner Garci has also turned the building into a small food-court style hub for other Black entrepreneurs. The opening has already stirred local conversation about race, business and change in a corridor better known for dim sum and bubble tea.
In an interview with FOX 29 Philadelphia, Garci said, “Me at 38-years-old I’m the first person to accomplish that goal,” explaining that he purchased the property and reshaped it into a shared food space called The Square to host several Black-owned vendors. According to the station, the project is meant to open doors for Black entrepreneurs while layering new flavors onto Chinatown’s already packed food scene.
The shop’s online listings show a menu that keeps the classics while roaming a bit. There is the standard ribeye cheesesteak plus variations like a ribeye with shrimp and a lobster-topped surf-and-turf cheesesteak, all tied to the address at 1016 Race Street in Chinatown. Per Uber Eats, Carter’s also serves smash burgers, wings and late-night options for both delivery and pickup.
Small Business, Big Symbolism
Garci has framed the opening as more than a hustle for cheesesteak fans. He described it as a chance to “bring some more black people down here” and “be a part of the history that’s being made,” as he told FOX 29 Philadelphia. For regulars in the neighborhood, the new spot highlights how Chinatown’s food landscape has steadily widened beyond its longstanding Asian eateries.
Where It Fits in Chinatown
Chinatown is no stranger to food-hall concepts or late-night bites. Chinatown Square at 1016-18 Race Street already functions as a multi-vendor hub for the area, with a mix of stalls and nightlife-friendly snacks. Carter’s Race Street address plugs it into that existing loop and into the broader food-hall trend along the corridor. According to Visit Philadelphia, Chinatown Square helped normalize multi-vendor food halls in this stretch of the city…