from food truck to restaurant, inspiring black-owned business

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (FOX Carolina) -In a significant development for the East Side of Spartanburg, a black-owned food truck has made the leap from mobile kitchen to a permanent establishment, marking a pivotal moment for its owners and the local community.

With a commitment to flavor and a passion for serving their community, Eat Street Grill is not just cooking up delicious meals but also kindling inspiration and hope in the hearts of its patrons.

“It feels good, people recognize that you’re doing something and they appreciate it, you know,” expressed Dennis Murphy, co-owner of Eat Street Grill.

What started as a simple idea.

“Started with a passion, just us cooking in our backyards at home and we’re getting a lot of compliments from my friends and family saying I got some really good food,” Murphy said.

For Murphy and Tray Lindsey, co-owner, the dream of owning a restaurant has now become a reality, following the success of their food truck venture.

“Got a food truck and that went well, we did that for two years, going on three and now here we are with a restaurant,” Murphy said.

At the heart of Eat Street Grill’s offerings lies a taste deeply rooted in the familiarity of backyard cookouts.

“Our taste is like a taste you get in your backyard when you go to a backyard cookout. We’re giving you that same taste in a restaurant,” Lindsey said.

Amidst the celebration of Black History Month, Eat Street Grill stands as a symbol of resilience and empowerment for the East Side community.

“I had two guys come in here. They got off work and I was saying, Man, we love y’all are doing this, especially on Black History Month. So it was an inspiration to the people,” Murphy said.

Angel Murphy, Dennis Murphy’s wife, reflected on the rich history of black-owned businesses in the area and expressed hope for a resurgence.

It was a lot of black-owned businesses that were flourishing where the barbershops, you had doctors, you had certain restaurants. And it kind of died down in the seventies, eighties,” Angel said.

Erin Lindsey, Tray Lindsey’s wife, shared her vision for the future, hoping that their children will carry on the legacy of Eat Street Grill.

“Hopefully eventually and in the upcoming future, our kids, both sets of families have three sets of kids and they’re cousins and they’re very close. So hopefully, you know, eventually somebody one or two of them will take over, you know, start up their own or keep this going. They are in a family full of entrepreneurs. So that’s my favorite part about Eat Street Grill,” Erin said.

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