Kasia Bednarz and Britni DeLeon are bringing their fast-casual health-food concept FARE to the Queensbridge Collective. Bednarz told What Now Charlotte that they are hoping to open in a 1,500-square-foot space at the development in Q4 of 2025.
Bednarz said they wanted to bring the concept to Charlotte because she sees a gap in the market for a healthy fast-casual concept like FARE. It serves items like bowls, smoothies and breakfast items like egg white bites and avocado toast.
“We think Charlotte is a really great market,” Bednarz said. “We think there’s a huge untapped market of healthy eaters in Charlotte. It’s sunny and super outdoorsy, and I think that market will really appreciate what FARE is.”
Queensbridge Collective will allow them to reach both a residential and commercial market. They plan to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Bednarz said they are working on a more expansive dinner menu and potentially a kids’ menu for the Charlotte location.
The space offers big windows and a large outdoor space for customers to enjoy. Bednarz said they plan to design the space to keep the focus on the food.
“The space will be very in line with what FARE is but a little bit more elevated — really warm tones, fun, friendly,” Bednarz said. “We want you to feel great in the space. The food is really what shines for us, so it’ll be a neutral template with pops of color.”
Bednarz and DeLeon launched FARE in Chicago in 2016. Currently, they have three Chicago-area locations. They also offer catering for both social and corporate events, accomodating dietary restrictions and offering healthy meals for events.
Eventually, the team expects to open more FARE locations in the Charlotte area.
“We’re from Chicago so we’re looking forward to the sunshine,” Bednarz said. “Healthy, accessible, delicious food is what we do best, and we’re excited to share that with Charlotte.”
