I’m not sure if you’ve heard about the Old Damascus food trailer, which is always parked in the Lowe’s parking lot on Highway 70. When we first started, we never expected to sell out most days of the week. The very first month was a huge success, which meant the world to us considering it’s a brand-new business and we only just moved to Garner from New Jersey last year.

Most people drive right past the little red trailer without noticing it, and honestly, I understand that. It takes a little courage to walk up to an unfamiliar food trailer and order something like Syrian style chicken shawarma. Despite that, we’re doing far better than we ever anticipated, and that tells me so much about this community. It shows me that Garner is full of good hearted, trusting, and adventurous people.

When I was in the permit phase, I had no idea where to park the trailer. I actually came to this exact subreddit asking for suggestions, and you guys gave me so many great ideas. When I went to the Lowe’s on Highway 70 and talked to the managers and staff, they were unbelievably friendly and supportive. To top it off, so many locals who tried our food have left incredible reviews on Google (you can read them if you google Old Damascus Garner)

People here are truly amazing, and I just want to say thank you.

As a former 3D animator who worked almost a decade in New York City, this trailer has become so much more than just a way to make a living. It’s helping me get back to my roots as a storyteller and tell a story about finding beauty in the middle of chaos. I wanted to escape the 9-to-5 trap. Even though I’m working longer hours now, it doesn't feel like work, and I don’t feel trapped. Plus, this humble trailer is my personal response to the trillions of dollars being spent on AI development because AI can’t hand you a fresh shawarma wrap, at least not in the foreseeable future.

Come stop by and try our shawarma! Trust me, you won’t regret it. I'm mostly in the kitchen preparing the food while my brother-in-law, Moe, runs the trailer and he’s the friendliest guy on the planet so I'm sure he’ll take great care of you. Mondays and Tuesdays tend to be a little slower than other days, so if you want to skip the line, those are great days to drop by.

Thank you all so much for your support!

– Shamel

Join a research study about how people shop at convenience stores and earn up to $140 (e-gift cards + items purchased in the Mini Mart store) if you complete all study activities. The study involves 2 in-person appointments in Raleigh, NC, one week apart. Open to adults 21+ in and around the Triangle area of NC. Visit go.unc.edu/minimartstudy. To learn more and see if you are eligible. 

I’ve been working on a site to help people find great BBQ spots across North Carolina. The goal is to bring them all together in one place, organized so it’s easy to find good BBQ near you.

Take a look and let me know what you think or if there are any spots around Garner that I’m missing!

https://nc-que.com

Do you know any parents of 10-12 year olds who live in NC? The Tweens on Screens project, led by researchers at UNC Greensboro, is studying how kids ages 10–12 use technology in daily life, and how parents guide them. By looking closely at these patterns, we hope to uncover what helps kids thrive, what puts them at risk, and how families can build healthy digital habits together. Our goal is simple: to give parents science-backed tools and tips for raising confident, well-balanced kids in the digital age (link in comments) #northcarolina

Do y’all remember Lady Luck on Glenwood Avenue?
Reading about the sexual assault allegations at Cornell reminds me of a local restaurant case that I feel faded from public attention far too quickly.
It bothers me how quickly people move on from serious allegations while the woman who spoke up is left dealing with the impact.
Accountability matters, and so does knowing who we support with our money. People don’t change; they just move or change jobs. In his case, he’s thriving at La Buena Vida. https://www.wral.com/archive/19196912/

Hi Garner neighbors! My name is Raúl, and my family and I are proud to call Garner home.

I’m participating in the 2026 Super Dad competition and currently sit in third place. Being this close to advancing has given me hope, so I’m asking my local community for a little help.

My son Leo is four years old, and being his dad means everything to me. I grew up without a present father, so I made a promise that Leo would grow up knowing that his dad is always there—loving him, protecting him and cheering him on.

If I win, I plan to use the $25,000 prize toward his future education. It would help me continue the example set by my mother, who raised four children alone and worked incredibly hard to give all of us the opportunity to earn college degrees.

The Top 10 round ends tomorrow, October 1, at 10:00 p.m. ET. You can cast one free vote every 24 hours, and no donation is required:

https://yoursuperdad.org/raul-vazquez-tmYY

If you have a moment to support a fellow Garner dad, Leo and I would be incredibly grateful. One small vote from a neighbor could make a very big difference for his future. Thank you! 🙏

Noticed this today. Someone cut the flock camera down at the intersection of the Super 8 at Leone Court and entrance to the Lowes Home improvement.

I wasn't sad to see it.

I know there are others in that area, didn't happen to notice those sadly.

I just moved here a couple months ago for work and heard gunshots last night, 6 rounds or so back to back. I come from the country so I’m completely used to people just shooting for recreational purpose on their property. I was simply wondering if that’s a normal thing that happens here in Garner. Don’t want to be worried at night while sleeping since they were so close to our property. For reference I’m in east garner right by white oak. I’m used to neighbors doing this for fun but didn’t expect it to be an occurrence in such a populated area such as Garner, especially near major roadways and neighborhoods.

I own a small business and I’m having to get building permits and stuff. Is it normal for people to not respond to email for weeks? The guy asked me to get an engineering firm to come out and do a site plan. Spent $2k on a firm to come out and draw a rectangle with some marks on it. I sent him the plan and it’s been almost two weeks since I sent the plans over. This is all bc I put a 50sqft room in the warehouse portion of my office.

Also I applied for zoning permits to fully complete my business permit stuff. It’s been about two months since I submitted that and no one has reached out.

It’s just so exhausting having a looming threat of being put out of business because people aren’t responding to me.

What’s the story with the new car wash that was built where the old Grill ‘57 was?
It’s been unopened for over 2 years.

have it tmrw at the garner dmv, any tips? insanely scared

edit: passed! thanks everyone

My Car was broken into 9/11 at Costco in Garner, NC and a Men's Black wallet was taken. This wallet belonged to my Dad who recently passed away. You can have the cash that was inside, even though the 2.00 bills were precious to me. I just want his wallet back please.

Note: this petition is only for those who live in North Carolina, have visited North Carolina, or have ever heard of North Carolina.

Do we have any indoor badminton courts in Garner? Would love to play with others if there’s any.

Anyone have experience with the “schools out day” camps with Garner Parks & Rec? Do you recommend? I’m thinking of signing my kindergartener up for a few upcoming teacher workdays and holidays.

I have att and if I’m not on WiFi it’s like I pretty much don’t have a phone. Does anyone else have these issues? Driving on 70, timber and white oak it’s like a dead zone.

ICE IS OUT