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Tag: JuaMoto Sunfired Cuisine

  • ‘Holistic’ Charlotte restaurant to fill former Jamaican spot devastated by fire

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    JuaMoto Sunfired Cuisine, a Black-owned restaurant specializing in vegan and plant-based offerings, is moving to Charlotte, its owner told CharlotteFive.

    The eatery will bring its kale wraps, salads and smoothies to University City, and is slated to open in January 2026. It will occupy the former Cocoa’s Authentic Jamaican Jerk restaurant, which closed indefinitely after a devastating fire ripped through the business in June.

    Chef and owner of JuaMoto Sunfired Cuisine, Tau Khamisi Mkweli, said he’s looking to expand the restaurant and its mission of “health and a holistic way of living.” Its moniker blends two Swahili words: “Jua” (sun) and “Moto” (fire).”

    A hand holding a large, sliced-in-half green-hued wrap, wrapped tightly in clear plastic film. The cross-section shows a very dense filling dominated by finely chopped kale, sun-dried tomatoes, diced avocado, and a chunky, plant-based filling.
    At JuaMoto Sunfired Cuisine, customers can find an assortment of wraps, salads, smoothies and other raw vegan dishes. Tau Khamisi Mkweli

    “Food is nature’s most perfect medicine,” Mkweli told CharlotteFive. “That’s what I live by. So the food, the restaurant, the atmosphere reflects those qualities.”

    After five years, JuaMoto Sunfired Cuisine closed the doors on its original location in downtown Concord on Sept. 28. Its new Charlotte restaurant will provide more space for food and fellowship, plus an outdoor patio for exclusive events, Mkweli said.

    The menu is also expanding, offering customers more grab-and-go options and prepared meals including soups and lasagna.

    A hand holding a large, sliced-in-half green-hued wrap, wrapped tightly in clear plastic film. The cross-section shows a very dense filling dominated by finely chopped kale, sun-dried tomatoes, diced avocado, and a chunky, plant-based filling.
    At JuaMoto Sunfired Cuisine, customers can find an assortment of wraps, salads, smoothies and other raw vegan dishes. Tau Khamisi Mkweli

    “There will be more options available for those who like to have things that aren’t just raw (vegetables),” Mkweli told CharlotteFive. Smoothies and other drinks are also on the menu.

    Beyond the restaurant, there will be a retail space for artwork and herbs. Customers can buy from local vendors while they munch on a kale wrap, or attend a workshop on the patio.

    “It’s gonna be a cultural hub, so to speak, where we can exist and be in our own spiritual energy without having to apologize for it,” said Mkweli, a self-described “culinary alchemist.”

    After bidding adieu to Concord, the chef and holistic practitioner said he’s taking some time to reset.

    A close-up of a vibrant, colorful salad or bowl in a clear, square plastic to-go container. The base is chopped green lettuce, topped with a large mound of dark brown, savory plant-based “meat” crumble and sliced mushrooms. Surrounding the crumble are distinct toppings: diced red bell peppers on the left, a scoop of orange sauce or puree, a small scoop of yellow sauce or puree, a large scoop of chunky guacamole, and diced tomatoes on the top right.
    JuaMoto SunFired Cuisine’s raw taco salad is made with seeds nut meat and plenty of veggies. Screenshot courtesy of Tau Khamisi Mkweli

    “Since opening, we’ve rarely taken a day off and now we’re looking forward to a much needed pause before stepping into our next chapter,” Mkweli said in a statement via Instagram.

    “We are so excited for what’s ahead!”

    JuaMoto Sunfired Cuisine

    Location: 6316-A Old Sugar Creek Rd, Charlotte, NC 28269

    Location: 11 Union St S Suite 101, Concord, NC 28025 (now closed)

    Menu

    Cuisine: Vegan, vegetarian

    Instagram: @juamotosunfiredcuisine

    A large, brightly colored orange wrap, sliced in half, revealing a densely packed, vibrant filling. The filling consists primarily of chopped kale, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted vegetables like onions and peppers, and a textured, seed-and-nut-based crumble, all bound together with a light sauce.
    “Food is nature’s most perfect medicine,” Dr. Tau Khamisi Mkweli Sunfired, chef and owner of JuaMoto Sunfired Cuisine, told CharlotteFive. Tau Khamisi Mkweli

    Tanasia Kenney

    Sun Herald

    Tanasia is a service journalism reporter based at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She recently joined the NC Service Journalism team and covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide stories. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.

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    Tanasia Kenney

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  • Another restaurant bids adieu to downtown Concord, teases move to Charlotte

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    A wide, daytime photo of a two-story building in a downtown area, with the address “11 Union Street Square South” clearly visible above a row of glass double doors. A white Ford pickup truck is parked on the street in front of the building, and two people are walking toward the entrance on the brick sidewalk.

    Another restaurant is closing in downtown Concord, though it plans to reopen at a new location in 2026.

    Google Street View image from Feb. 2019 © 2025 Google

    A plant-based eatery is closing shop in downtown Concord, with plans to put down new roots in Charlotte in the coming year.

    JuaMoto Sunfired Cuisine, a restaurant specializing in vegan and vegetarian offerings, is saying goodbye to its space at 11 Union St., the business said on Instagram. Its last day of operations is Sunday, Sept. 28.

    The restaurant plans to re-open at a new location in January 2026 with “surprise” pop-ups in Charlotte and Columbia, South Carolina, in the meantime.

    “Since opening, we’ve rarely taken a day off and now we’re looking forward to a much needed pause before stepping into our next chapter,” the restaurant said via Instagram.

    “We are so excited for what’s ahead!” it added.

    At JuaMoto Sunfired Cuisine, customers can pick from kale wraps, salads, smoothies and other vegan-friendly options. The signature sunfired wrap is made with kale, nutritional yeast, liquid amino, sundried tomatoes, herbs and a spice blend on a wrap of your choice.

    “Our mission is to raise the collective consciousness and vibration of the world through high-frequency, sun-fired cuisine that honors the wisdom of ancestral eating,” the restaurant’s website says.

    “By offering nutrient-dense, plant-based meals, we cultivate a space where food becomes medicine, and community thrives in harmony.”

    A reason for the closure wasn’t given.

    CharlotteFive reached out to JuaMoto Sunfired Cuisine for more information but didn’t immediately hear back.

    The sudden news drew mixed reactions from locals:

    • “The way my heart just sank a little,” Nzuri Nairobi commented on Instagram.
    • “I am sad to see you leave Concord,” Christin Lindsey wrote. “My hope is to see you guys again at your new location. Sending you all the best.”
    • “I will miss my business neighbor but many blessings & new beginnings,” event space At the Venue comment

    This is a developing story and will be updated.

    JuaMoto Sunfired Cuisine

    Location: 11 Union St S Suite 101, Concord, NC 28025

    Menu

    Cuisine: Vegan, vegetarian

    Instagram: @juamotosunfiredcuisine

    Related Stories from Charlotte Observer

    Tanasia Kenney

    Sun Herald

    Tanasia is a service journalism reporter based at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She recently joined the NC Service Journalism team and covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide stories. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.

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    Tanasia Kenney

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