SkyView 22, a Black-owned food truck known for serving soul food just “like grandma made it,” has transitioned to a new brick-and-mortar restaurant in a rather unique spot— inside Walmart on Callabridge Court in northwest Charlotte.
The restaurant opened in mid-January, serving baked chicken, fried chicken, wings, cheesy macaroni, collard greens, cornbread and other Southern comfort foods — “the kind that make you want to dance”— along with “good old fashion hospitality,” according to its online menu.
But the journey to starting a restaurant inside a mega store wasn’t easy. Owner Sharnette King got her start selling salads with a cooler and a tent at Charlotte Regional Farmers Market after the death of her son, Qua’Shawn.
“I just started cooking out of the blue,” King told CharlotteFive. “And it was hard, but we kept going. Sometimes we made $40 a day.”
After a year or two, the business moved into a food truck. “It was a success — we were everywhere with the food truck,” she said. Five years later, a potential rental space became available inside the Walmart. “And boy oh boy, it took us a year, but we built it out ourselves.”
“I’m kind of in awe about it, being inside a Walmart,” she said. “It’s nothing but blessings from God and my angel.”
The design
King turned to Fatima Lewis, owner of Sage & Tima Designs, to create a space for the new restaurant with a homey atmosphere that would incorporate her love of African art and honor her son.
“He did a lot of music, and his last CD was called ‘Skyview,’” King said. She added 22, as that was how old he was when he died.
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Lewis, who has vast experience in commercial and residential interior design, had just one month to pull off what would become her most challenging assignment to date.
“When they said Walmart, all I could think was ‘Oh my God! This is going to blow me up. No one has done this before,’” Lewis said. “But after I heard their story — I was hanging on every word they said — I knew I had to do this. I also knew their logo, Skyview 22 in honor of their son, had to be the focal point and muse for the entire design plan.”
An inspirational design
The design elements within the 1,600-square-foot space were pulled from the logo colors. A blue accent wall represents the sky, with black and white throughout the remainder of the restaurant – including the Instagram-worthy focal wall with a mural of the logo.
Inspired by King’s love of African art, Lewis selected motif wallpaper and art elements that mimic shapes and designs typically found in mudcloth.
The stylish furniture that includes silver metal standard-height tables and chairs, bar-height tables and chairs and practical storage doesn’t feel like the typical chain you’d expect to find inside a big box retailer.
“The entire place is just homey and comfortable,” Lewis said, noting that she sourced most everything from Wayfair. “You can sit down and have a conversation and enjoy a meal without feeling rushed to scarf down your food.”
A small white bookcase sits in front of the counter where other local businesses can leave their cards and flyers.
The challenges
When Lewis got her first peek at the space, she said there was “nothing but drywall and wires everywhere.” It was an uphill battle, as she had to work within Walmart’s strict limitations.
Lewis had to scrap several elements from her original design – such as painting the floors white or doing anything with the soaring 13 foot tall ceilings.
Shipping presented an entirely different set of challenges. It was hard to control deliveries, and she would often have to sort through a mountain of boxes to find packages for the restaurant. Occasionally, Lewis found herself pushing her stuff through the store with shopping carts.
“Needless to say, I stopped wearing heels by day three,” she quipped. “Lesson learned. If I ever do this again, I would use my own warehouse.”
The results are ‘changing the expectation’
Throughout the entire design process, Lewis was motivated by bringing the owners’ vision and their passion for healing through food to life. It took much grit and determination, but she pulled it off.
If the giant focal wall, which can be seen from outside the restaurant, wasn’t enough to lure customers in, the smell of grandma’s home cooking should bring in the masses.
“It was such a wonderful opportunity to have been part of,” Lewis said. “Who would have ever imagined a locally-owned, soul food restaurant inside a Walmart? I’m changing the expectation for what can be done.”
Skyview 22
Location: 9820 Callabridge Ct. Charlotte NC 28214
Cuisine: American, Southern, soul food
Instagram: @SkyView22CLT
This story was originally published February 28, 2023 12:24 PM.
Shannon Greene
The Charlotte Observer
