CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the 2022 Presidents Cup gets underway at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, a restaurant owner says his company stands to profit from the thousands of fans expected each day.

What You Need To Know

  • Cuzzo's Cuisine is one of more than 10 restaurants asked to provide food at the 2022 Presidents Cup

  • The owner says Quail Hollow told them to expect 20,000 spectators a day

  • The owner says they are bringing in truckloads of food for the tournament

Owner and head chef of Cuzzo’s Cuisine, Andarrio Johnson, is often busy making one of his restaurant’s signature dishes: lobster macaroni and cheese.

“Being from the Lowcountry of South Carolina, that’s all we do, we cook,” Johnson said in the kitchen of his North Tryon location.

Cuzzo’s started as a food truck several years ago, before opening its first brick-and-mortar location on Tuckaseegee Road in 2016. 

In February, it expanded to the North Tryon spot.

“It just touches people's souls, man, and that’s what I have a passion for [it]. And I feel like that’s my calling, that’s my duty here while I’m here on Earth — make people happy and feed them, take care of His people man,” Johnson said.

His dishes will now be international.

“This is going to be on the tournament, lobster mac and cheese, we’ve got chicken tenders and mambo cauliflower wings,” Johnson said about their Presidents Cup menu.

Johnson’s Southern-themed foods caught the attention of Quail Hollow Club months ago, the host site for the 2022 Presidents Cup professional golf tournament.

“It was a real surprise, because one day we just got an email, and they were like, ‘Hey, come on down to Quail Hollow for a meeting,'” Johnson said about the email.

The club asked Johnson and his food truck to prepare food for spectators, offering a spot at the fourth hole for the duration of the week-long tournament. 

“They told us, pretty much, have a lot of food, which we know — we’ve got tractor-trailer loads of it coming in for this week. And they were saying, we’re expecting at least 20,000 people a day,” Johnson added.

Despite participating in scores of other events in and around Charlotte, Johnson said the Presidents Cup will be the biggest event he's ever been a part of.

“Now that makes us international. We’re not just local no more, we’re going to be international, because people from all over the world hopefully could see this event and hear about Cuzzo’s Cuisine,” Johnson said.

The tournament and publicity from it could be life-changing for Johnson and his business. The chef, who has been at it for decades, said he’s come a long way from his original dream of owning a food truck.

“I didn’t picture it being this big. But I always know the sky’s the limit, man. So, this is like really a dream come true. I’m living my dream, man!” Johnson said.

Cuzzo’s considers the call from Quail Hollow a huge compliment. It proves people around the city have heard about the food and enjoy it, according to Johnson.

Cuzzo’s is one of more than 10 local restaurants asked to be part of the Presidents Cup. Cuzzo’s is in the "NoDa Fan Area," along with Goodyear House, Wicked Weed Craft Beer and others.

The tournament grounds also have a “South End Fan Area,” which features ACE No. 3, El Toro Bruton, Two Scoops Creamery and others. Two other fan areas include local restaurants like Noble Smoke BBQ and Sunflower Baking Company.