ByApril 22, 2021
With a name like Day & Night Cereal Bar– referring to the Kid Cudi smash hit “Day ‘N’ Nite”– you already know the experience is going to be next level.
“We are not your typical restaurant owners,” said Greg Robinson, referring to himself and co-owner, Danielle Booker. The pair recently opened a brand new breakfast-inspired spot, Day & Night Exotic Cereal Bar. “We want to paint the picture of the story of Day & Night Cereal Bar and give people that unique yet nostalgic experience.”
That story begins with Robinson’s childhood friend, Karmon Dupree Jr. The duo grew up together in the famed Shaker Heights neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, where they attended the same high school as rapper Kid Cudi, artist Machine Gun Kelly, and Charlotte Hornets star, Terry Rozier.
In 2020, Dupree and co-founder, Michael Castillo, started Day & Night Exotic Cereal Bar in Los Angeles. The first-of-its-kind food truck was a huge hit and the duo soon opened their first brick and mortar in Greenwood, Indiana. Later, Dupree reached out to Robinson, who had relocated to Charlotte, about franchising together. “I was always on top of what Karmon had going on out there [in LA],” Robinson said. “Every time I talked to him, he was like, ‘Yo, like, let’s do it. I see so much more in this.’ It was finally clear to me one day that God is giving me a sign right here. It’s basically family getting into business with family.”
As an up-and-coming rap artist from Cleveland, Robinson saw the restaurant’s name as a good sign. Going by the name “GMB Gunnaman,” he was inspired by his friend Terry Rozier to pursue his music career– he also shares the same “GMB” (Get More Blessings) moniker with Rozier, which they adopted from high school as a motto. “Being around him, he got me in positions and opportunities that I was able to mastermind and just flourish off of,” Robinson said. He still has a burning passion for music but, at 26, Robinson’s maturity and business savvy put his hip-hop career in perspective. “I know that I can always do the music,” he said. Once Day & Night is off and running, he wants to bring the focus back to the music.
His business partner Booker, a Winston-Salem State University grad who also owns a massage and bodywork studio called Bleu Touch, soon decided to go into business together and, what excited the couple about opening a cereal bar was its relatability. “Everybody has a special memory attached to eating cereal,” said Robinson. “It’s something that’s found in everyone’s kitchen, and we wanted to bring those memories to life at Day & Night.”
Cereal is one of Robinson’s favorite foods, and Apple Jacks tops the list. But what he loved to do most as a kid is mix a bunch of flavors together. “I had to do it when my Mom was asleep or she would get mad,” he said. Now at Day & Night, customers can make their own combination cereal bowls, and much more.
The menu is built around four items: milkshakes, bowls, sundaes, and cereal-crusted french toast. From there, customers can choose from flavor combinations on the menu, or they can create something new with the BYOB (Build-Your-Own-Bowl) option. Day & Night has both classic and exotic cereals from all over the world that can be combined with various sauces and toppings to make a milkshake, bowl, sundae, or french toast of your dreams.
The menu offers classic combinations like the peanut butter and chocolate “Buttercup” recipe featuring Cocoa Puffs and Reece’s Cups cereal, and the “Cookies & Cream” made with Cookie Crisps and Hershey’s Cookies and Cream cereal. For the more adventurous, there are options like the “Marty McFly”– a wild combination of Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops and gummy bears– or the “Liquid Gold” flavor with Peanut Butter Crunch, Golden Clover Lucky Charms, cookie butter, and banana. And, to take your nostalgic treat from impressive to addictive, customers can select specially seasoned bacon to top their treats for an amazing sweet and salty experience.
Day & Night fits right into the fun atmosphere of “The French Quarter” (Brevard Court). The restaurant’s design is, in itself, a sight of joy and childhood memories. The menu art portraying popular cartoon characters, the playful pink and turquoise color-scheme, and the boxes of cereal displayed on the walls will bring out the child in every customer.
The couple is also opening a location at Truist Field, home of the Charlotte Knights, located just walking distance from their storefront.
Robinson and Booker’s relationship has proven to be resilient and an important ingredient to their success as new business owners. “It’s been the good, the bad, the ugly,” said Robinson. “After starting Day & Night together, we know we can get through anything together. [Opening a business with] two people is way better than getting through it with one.”
“It’s not like he has a specific job and I have a specific job,” said Booker, describing their work relationship. “When we have an idea, we come to each other, list the pros and cons, and it’s just worked out.”
Charlotte has been good to Robinson and Booker. The community has embraced the young couple and Day & Night Cereal Bar through extensive media coverage, and a hugely successful opening.
Nostalgia and a passion for creating unforgettable experiences are at the heart of Day & Night Exotic Cereal Bar. Booker and Robinson have brought their creativity and business prowess together with a concept to show the Queen City that life is sweeter when you think outside the box.
Day & Night Cereal Bar
127 Brevard Court
Charlotte, NC 28202
(980) 298-6006
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