Tuan Nguyen: Le's Sandwiches & Cafe (Charlotte, NC)

The Southern Fork

Charlotte, NC is one of the fastest growing metropolitan cities in the United States. While the city has always looked forward, it was actually founded before the American Revolution and the site of the first US Mint. But in the past two decades, the intense growth and the addition of a light rail system have brought immense changes citywide. In the middle of it all, the Nguyen family has been feeding its community, one Bahn Mi sandwich at a time. From homemade beginnings to a cornerstone business of the Asian Corner Mall, Le’s Sandwiches and Cafe now has another new chapter of its own. Tuan Nguyen has taken over the business from his parents and is carrying on their legacy, despite the closing of the mall that is slated for imminent demolition. Le’s has a beautiful new streetfront building on Sugar Creek Road, and they routinely sell out of everything they can make. Le’s Bahn Mi #6 was voted one of the best sandwiches in Charlotte by QC Magazine, they have been featured in The Charlotte Observer, and the restaurant was the subject of an oral history published by The Southern Foodways Alliance.

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