{"id":1405,"date":"2026-06-11T13:36:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T13:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=1405"},"modified":"2026-06-11T13:36:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T13:36:16","slug":"new-restaurant-with-empanadas-the-size-of-my-face-coming-to-historic-west-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=1405","title":{"rendered":"New restaurant with empanadas \u2018the size of my face\u2019 coming to Historic West End"},"content":{"rendered":"

Half-pound empanadas with unique fillings are on the menu at a new restaurant taking shape in Charlotte\u2019s Historic West End.<\/p>\n

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Big Papa\u2019s Empanadas<\/b> plans to open in August after construction and inspections wrap at the space at 1812 Rozzelles Ferry Rd, chef and founder Jonathan Leonard told CharlotteFive.<\/p>\n

Leonard, a Johnson & Wales University alum, left corporate dining and returned to the Queen City in 2020 to continue building his existing meal prep business. Now, he\u2019s onto a new venture: a hip-hop themed takeout spot serving up savory, fried turnovers and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been enamored with Charlotte,\u201d he told CharlotteFive. \u201cI loved how much of a friendly city it was, and I just knew that I was going to plant roots here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Big Papa\u2019s will offer counter service only (sorry, no seating). However, there will be a small patio for foodies to enjoy their empanadas al fresco.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find more than your typical chicken- or beef-filled turnovers here. Think: bacon gouda cheeseburger, Cajun crab mac and cheese and Caribbean oxtails.<\/p>\n

There are a few dessert empanadas on the menu, too.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re \u201cliterally like the size of my face,\u201d Leonard said of the half-pound pastries, laughing.<\/p>\n

Beyond empanadas, Big Papa\u2019s will serve street tacos and grilled chicken wings (with a sauce of your choice) alongside hand-cut French fries.<\/p>\n

The restaurant combines elements of Leonard\u2019s first \u201cbaby,\u201d a catering and meal prep service called Freshly Cracked.<\/a> He launched that business as a side hustle while living in Atlanta, providing ready-to-eat meals to his friends, teammates and church family.<\/p>\n

However, he often found himself with leftover product after hosting pop-up events around the city.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe empanadas came out of a necessity to try to figure out how to mitigate\u201d food waste, Leonard told CharlotteFive. \u201cIt kind of correlated with my meal prep (services); I would take the meals, doctor them … and make it its own new thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The restaurant\u2019s name and theme are inspired by hip-hop culture. For instance, Leonard\u2019s \u201cAin\u2019t No Thang\u201d empanada \u2014 filled with lemon pepper chicken \u2014 is a nod to the 1994 song by Atlanta rap duo OutKast.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was already using big empanadas. Then I was considering \u2018Papa\u2019s Empanadas\u2019\u201d for a name, Leonard told CharlotteFive, explaining how he eventually landed on Big Papa\u2019s Empanadas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t spell it exactly like (The Notorious B.I.G.) did, but it\u2019s kind of an homage to that culture … and pop culture in general.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charlotte\u2019s Historic West End is home to some of the city\u2019s oldest Black neighborhoods<\/a>, including McCrorey Heights, Hyde Park and Oaklawn. Leonard said his love and familiarity with the up-and-coming area made it the perfect spot for his new restaurant.<\/p>\n

Citing the lack of convenient food options in the area, Leonard plans to sell pre-made meals from his meal prep service at Big Papa\u2019s. The restaurant will also have extended hours on certain days for when those late night cravings hit.<\/p>\n

For Leonard, this is just part of his long-term investment in the city. The seasoned chef is currently working with Johnson & Wales to provide internship opportunities to culinary students and hopes to expose them to every facet of the food business.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s already looking ahead and said he plans to open more businesses, including plans for a sit down brunch restaurant in the future.<\/p>\n

Read more Transcript: What DeCarlos Brown Jr. said about Trump during Charlotte light rail hearing<\/a><\/p>\n

Location: 1812 Rozzelles Ferry Rd, Charlotte, NC 28208<\/a><\/p>\n

Cuisine: Empanadas, tacos and grilled wings<\/p>\n

Instagram: @bigpapasempanadas<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Big Papa\u2019s Empanadas opens in West End Charlotte this summer, serving half-pound empanadas, tacos, wings and meal prep options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nNew restaurant with empanadas \u2018the size of my face\u2019 coming to Historic West End - \u0421harlotte Relocation Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=1405\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New restaurant with empanadas \u2018the size of my face\u2019 coming to Historic West End - 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