chef Edwin Cruz Story
Edwin Cruz started his company, Edwin’s Organix, a little over three years ago after working in the food industry for over ten years. Edwin’s Organix was born out of a passion to create delicious meals and memorable conversations with others who patronized his business. Edwin attributes his success in the industry to his love for experimenting with a variety of foods and flavors to create an experience for all to enjoy. Chef Cruz is intentional with making sure that the foods he prepares are locally and sustainably sourced. A significant part of the chef’s brand is his love and support of the vegan community, which is why he specializes in creating authentic vegan meals and tries to take on an environmentally friendly approach in everything he does.
​Chef Cruz is one of the first chefs in North Carolina to incorporate the pop-up chef approach since 2017 where he creates theme-based menus in the different restaurants he collaborates with, primarily Poplar Restaurant and 7th Street Market. In addition to restaurants, he now serves as a guest chef from time to time at breweries and other establishments. When he’s not sharing recipes on Charlotte Today, hosting resident events at luxury apartments in Uptown Charlotte, or creating Mexican inspired coffees with Drip Joint Espresso Bar, Chef Cruz can be booked for private dinner events. He’s willing to travel locally and to other states for catering events.
Like many in the food and hospitality industry, Edwin’s Organix slowed down during the early part of the COVID-19 global pandemic, but Edwin remained persistent in pursuing opportunities to connect with people by hosting live cooking videos on Facebook and Instagram teaching people how to create healthy meals at home. Many great things came from this development, such as a partnership with Compare Foods where Chef Cruz hosts a monthly virtual recipe challenge on their social media pages as well as a segment on their CompareTV channel where he teaches people how to cook different meals that reflect his Central American heritage. In December 2020, Cruz began incorporating charcuterie boards into his portfolio while remaining firm in his core belief in buying and supporting local, even in sourcing local cheese makers. This extension of his brand, Brewster & Co. Charcuterie was among the 2021 top rated list on the Charlotte Observer.