WTF is coming to Moore County! No, really. Wisco Taco Foxtrot, a new fusion restaurant, will soon be taking off in Southern Pines.
Real estate developer Jim O’Malley has spent the last several years developing a previously empty stretch near Sandhills Community College into a commercial hub. After working with both local entrepreneurs and national chains (to include Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Ace Hardware), O’Malley is now stepping into the spotlight himself with the opening of Wisco Taco Foxtrot.
The restaurant, scheduled to open in early February, occupies a building O’Malley developed in 2020 that also houses Roast and Marco’s Pizza. The spot seems a natural choice for O’Malley, who has been visiting family in Whispering Pines much of his life. He developed the nearby Tyler’s Ridge apartment complex, which he named for his son, years ago, and fondly recalls all the memories made in Moore County.
“Everyone has been asking for food in this specific area,” O’Malley said. “I knew bringing food out here would be a big deal.”
Wisco Taco Foxtrot blends O’Malley’s Wisconsin roots with a heavy aviation theme, a nod to his family and his wife, a flight attendant he met while traveling back to North Carolina almost weekly. The name itself plays on the phonetic alphabet used by pilots.
In 2017, after losing his first wife to cancer, O’Malley met his current wife during a massive power outage at the Atlanta airport just before Christmas. A South African immigrant who also lost her husband to cancer, she was working as a flight attendant when the two struck up a conversation that changed the trajectory of both of their lives.
They have four children between the two of them; her two sons serve as a pilot and a soldier at Fort Campbell, while O’Malley’s two children reside in Denver, where O’Malley jokes he “sent them to school there and they never came back.”
The care that goes into the restaurant is obvious; O’Malley proudly displays his wife’s uniform from her days as a flight attendant.
The menu at Wisco Taco Foxtrot moves away from traditional Mexican fare, offering what O’Malley calls “fusion” tacos. The kitchen will serve more than 15 varieties, including “The Tailgate,” which features a Wisconsin bratwurst, and a taco inspired by the famous cheeseburgers at Kopp’s Frozen Custard in Milwaukee.
Other Wisconsin staples, such as authentic cheese curds and brandy old-fashioneds, can also be found on the menu.
“It’s the kind of food that if you come here for lunch, you can have it quickly and enjoy it, but not feel like you’ve taken off half of the day for work,” O’Malley explained. “The menu is great because it’s got a lot of different flavors on it. We have a large military population and folks from all over, and there are a lot of kids out here. It’ll be great for families for price, atmosphere, and even dietary reasons.”
O’Malley notes that the menu includes several corn-based, gluten-free options to accommodate dietary needs—another choice inspired by his wife.
Walking into WTF is a shock. The storefront is almost deceptive with how innocuously it blends in with the other businesses from the outside. Inside, however, the space is beautifully designed and decorated, right down to the retro booths, the custom signage, and even the airplane details in the wallpaper. The space includes an outdoor stage for live music, a fireplace, and outdoor seating. O’Malley also plans to introduce Wisconsin bar traditions, such as bar dice and card games.
Though O’Malley has no prior restaurant experience, he plans to be a fixture at the establishment, jokingly referring to himself as “the #1 bar guest, the vibe manager, and the social director.”
An official opening date has not yet been announced, but the company is aiming for an early-February launch. In the initial weeks, Wisco Taco Foxtrot will operate from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., closing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. O’Malley expects to expand to a seven-day schedule as business ramps up.
Want to join the WTF team? The restaurant is currently hiring through its website, and prospective applicants are encouraged to visit www.wiscotacofoxtrot.com for more information.
Wisco Taco Foxtrot is located at 300 Capital Drive, Carthage.
Abegail Murphy | Assistant Editor
Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel Assistant Editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
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