Next month, the Whispering Pines area will welcome a much-needed new restaurant — one with a mission to provide fresh, farm-to-table ingredients in a fast-casual concept. Located in Tyler’s Ridge Shopping Center on N.C. 22 (near the airport traffic circle), ROAST will give nearby residents starved for options a menu full of them — even if they technically live in Southern Pines.
An endeavor by longtime chef Matt Delle, ROAST features products from The Bakehouse in Aberdeen, Priest Family Farm in Carthage, C.V. Pilson Farm in Cameron, and other sources from across North Carolina.
“I’m excited for people to be able to enjoy high-quality ingredients that can typically only be found at fine-dining restaurants,” Matt says.
On the menu, you’ll find cherry smoked pork shoulder and black Angus beef sandwiches alongside more unexpected finds like General Tso’s banh mi and pulled “pork” made with roasted jack fruit. High-quality meats abound, as do vegan and vegetarian options and gluten-free bread and pasta.
If you’re dining in, service is counter-style. Place an order, listen for your name, and pick up your meal at the opposite end of the counter.
Inside dining is available — with every other table marked off for social distancing, of course. The patio has myriad options for seating as well.
Just want a beer? No problem. Moore County breweries will have a spot on draft rotation, and the beer garden has space for you. Cans and bottles from across North Carolina will be on the beer list, as will four national brands for your #basic bros.
If you’re in a hurry, place an order on ROAST’s app for pickup through the drive-thru; or, get delivery from the restaurant’s in-house employees. Matt’s system involves insulated bags and thorough sanitation procedures — plus a personal call from a manager to make sure the order arrived as expected.
“We’re really trying to put the focus on service,” he says. “People keep coming back to places where they’re treated like a VIP.”
A Closer Look at ROAST
In the months spent working on the space, Matt was able to source interior elements locally as well — the wood on the entrance was refined from a 40-year-old cut of an 80-year-old cedar.
During more than three decades in the restaurant industry, Matt’s career has taken him across the globe. He returned to Moore County, where he once cheffed at a local golf course, to be close to family — “to plant some roots.”
He’s also identified organizations close to his heart — the Duskin & Stephens Foundation, Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills, and the Sandhills Children’s Center — that will be invited for regular events. ROAST employees will spend time volunteering at these organizations, and options for giving will eventually be included into the restaurant’s payment system.
“We want to be a valued part of this community, and be able to make an impact for local organizations as well,” Matt says.
Want to go to ROAST?
ROAST’s soft opening is set for Halloween, with proceeds to benefit the Sandhills Children’s Center. The restaurant will officially open on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
See the full menu, read more about chef Matt Delle, and get the app on ROAST’s website.
