A new Kusinera spot will start serving Filipino dishes at The Forge Food Hall in 2026. The deal, signed September 23, puts the eatery in the growing Midtown at Coalition area on Santa Fe Drive.
The first floor of the 11,675-square-foot hall will host four food spots with shared tables. A stand-alone restaurant will fill the upper level at Bridgehead Circle and Coalition Boulevard.
“I wanted to be closer to the military base for those who are taking their lunch,” said Nanette Thomas, according to The Fayetteville Observer.
Unlike the main spot where each dish gets cooked fresh, this new location will adapt. Quick-serve options will help handle the busy lunch crowds, with popular items ready to go.
Nanette Thomas opened the first location in 2024 as a passion project. “I told my husband that I want to cook, because cooking is my passion… So now I want to do my dream, my own dream, for myself, which is to cook for everybody and to open a restaurant,” Thomas said to BizFayetteville.
The Legion Road kitchen has made waves across the area. Customers travel for hours because thy have heard it is so good. Daily, cooks prepare over 500 pounds of meat, turning out crowd-pleasers like adobo chicken and grilled skewers. Customers line up for the pancit noodles and crispy lumpia rolls.
Set to welcome guests in mid-2026, The Forge Food Hall will sit near the new Amazon site.
