Grilled Cheese Grill Shutters Southeast Cart, Eyes Brick-and-Mortar Expansion

The first weekend in January, Grilled Cheese Grill owner Matt Breslow decided the time had come to shut down his popular food cart on SE 28th Ave. and Ankeny — the one with the awesome double-decker bus filled with booths.

The cart had been a fixture there for four years, but the lease was up on the lot tucked behind Crema Bakery, and as pod manager ("The worst job I've ever had in my life"), he was ready to relinquish his duties and move on. He sold the cart to some guys who sell Egyptian food, and is currently looking for a buyer for the bus. "The landlords want it off the lot."

He still owns the Grilled Cheese Grill cart at the 10th and Alder pod Downtown, plus the original up on NE Alberta (with the school bus), and the roving mobile bus that hits festivals and other events. But with the Southeast location and pod management duties off his hands, Breslow says he's now ready to pursue some bigger plans . Namely, a brick-and-mortar.

He says two years ago he had almost gotten the perfect spot where he aimed to open a "blow-out diner," but the lease fell through. Instead of looking for a new place, he shelved the idea and decided to focus on starting the mobile bus for event catering.

Now those diner plans are back on the agenda. And, as fate would have it, the space is back on the market. No lease has been signed yet (you'll have to wait until the ink's dry to find out where it is), but he's got his fingers crossed.

If it all works out, you can expect an expanded version of the GCG — i.e. "food you'd want to eat if you were a 12-year-old," he says, plus brunch and a full bar. For late-night noshers, he'd have a take-out window serving GCG sandwiches.

Still, it all hinges on that lease. Is the second time a charm? Let's hope so. Watch this space for details and updates as they become available.