Print
Restaurants

Grimmburger Food Truck To Open Brick-and-mortar Location At The Forum

By Emma Dill, posted Jun 11, 2024
Matthew and Sammie Jo Grimm, owners of Wilmington food truck Grimmburger, plan to open a new brick-and-mortar location this summer at The Forum. (Photo by Billy Logan Creative)
Wilmington food truck Grimmburger plans to move into its first brick-and-mortar space in The Forum later this summer.

Grimmburger owners Matthew and Sammie Jo Grimm have signed a lease for the space formerly occupied by Epic Food Co., a health-focused restaurant that closed late last summer. They are currently renovating the space and aim to open the restaurant by August.

It’s been a long time coming for the couple, who had been looking for a brick-and-mortar space for over a year when the spot in The Forum became available, Matthew Grimm said.

“For the past year and a half, two years, we've been seriously looking at spaces, and we've had a couple of different opportunities that didn't work out for one reason or another,” he said.

Before starting the food truck, Matthew Grimm worked for Cook Out for nine years. He moved to Wilmington from Atlanta to help the company develop its Taco Roos concept. When the pandemic hit in 2020, the company shifted its focus away from Taco Roos and Matthew Grimm began thinking about starting his own food truck.

Matthew Grimm opened Grimmburger with his wife Sammie Jo Grimm in July 2021. At first, the food truck was open on weekends as the two worked full-time jobs during the week. But as business picked up, they began adding days and quit their jobs to work on the food truck.

“We’ve both been just doing this full-time since the beginning of 2022,” Matthew Grimm said.

Initially, they were “blown away” by the growth of the food truck’s customer base and began looking at their options for establishing a brick-and-mortar. They had a few requirements for the space. First, they wanted a “second generation” space that had previously housed a restaurant to reduce needed renovations and costs.

“In a second-generation space, a lot of the bones of what you need for a restaurant are already there,” Matthew Grimm said. “So that kind of eliminates a lot and narrowed it down.”

They also wanted a location on the eastern side of Wilmington in the Ogden or Porters Neck area or along Military Cutoff Road. Matthew Grimm said they chose the area because it’s “a little underserved food-wise” and is in an area the food truck currently serves.

“It's very centrally located to some of the existing places we go with the truck now, so we’re not like alienating the customer base that we've spent all this time building up,” he said.

The menu at the new brick-and-mortar space will feature the same smash burgers, sides and house-made sauces served up on the food truck, but will also include a few new items that have yet to be announced. The restaurant is set to have a “pretty serious craft beer selection,” Matthew Grimm said, along with wine.

Once the brick-and-mortar location is open, the Grimmburger food truck will no longer operate, and they expect to hire between 15 to 20 people to operate the new location.

While it’s exciting to have finally secured a restaurant space, Matthew Grimm said it’s also nerve-racking because they don't know how the brick-and-mortar space will be received.

“It was kind of a goal for a while,” he said, “so it feels good to hit that milestone."
Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
Untitleddesign12 101824110415

The Key to Reliable Security: Working with a Professional Monitoring Station

Luke Wheeler - Holmes Security
Chris coudriet

Housing Initiatives Creating Meaningful Impact in New Hanover County

Chris Coudriet - New Hanover County Government
Mcwhorter 0005

We Are Now in the Entrepreneur Economy

Heather McWhorter - UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Trending News

Tech Wilmington: Upcoming Events Calendar

Staff Reports - Feb 12, 2025

Pet Pampering Options Grow

Samantha Kupiainen - Feb 12, 2025

Small Business Spotlight: Bookstore Fans Romantasy Flame

Staff Reports - Feb 12, 2025

Publix Confirms Upcoming Leland Store

Staff Reports - Feb 12, 2025

OPINION: Seeing Green: A Case For Community Collaboration On Parks And Green Space

Luke Waddell - Feb 12, 2025

In The Current Issue

Seeking A Workforce Cure

For New Hanover County and the region, nursing remains the greatest health care workforce shortage, said Jack Watson, dean of the College of...


City (and Former City) Properties Performing New Functions

The Thalian Hall space is one of several properties vacated by the city in recent years, following the move to Skyline Center. While the cit...


Schools Aim To Grow Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships have been gaining traction at local community colleges....

Book On Business

The 2024 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.

Order Your Copy Today!


Galleries

Videos

2024 Power Breakfast: The Next Season