So this is Carter's Table.

We specialize in tacos, quesadillas, rice bowls.

And we've been in State College for about three years.

We've got a ton of different authentic flavors, some things that you might not would go on a taco.

And I think that, if you're open to trying new things, this is definitely the restaurant to come to.

SHAWN CARTER: 2018, I started catering for friends and family, mostly out of my house.

[upbeat music] And then, the spring of 2022, I just, on a whim, decided to do the farmer's market on Locust Lane, downtown State College.

And then it took off like it was a little wildfire.

It was amazing.

My current landlord saw the success at the farmer's market and then offered this space that we're in now.

I'm not a big planner.

So at the moment of those things happening, it seemed like it would work.

And so, I just jumped into it and rode the wave, and here we are.

WAITRESS: We're really big on where you came from and where that brought you.

When it comes to your family, whether that's race or ethnicity, anything like that, I think that really makes you who you are.

And when it comes to culture, food is a big one.

So I think a lot of different types of people can bond over trying different cultures and different foods from different areas of the world, and it also makes for great conversation.

[bouncy music] SHAWN CARTER: My mom was half Lebanese, half Italian.

My dad was African-American.

I grew up around a bunch of different ethnicities and a bunch of different types of food.

I've watched my mom, my aunts, grandmother cook.

And once I learned how to make food, I always thought, well, I want to go revisit the things that I used to eat.

So I started putting my own twist on things, combining different ethnicities together, and then realizing a lot of it's pretty similar.

That is very interesting to me and made me really want to do it and explore it more.

WAITRESS: In State College, we have a lot of restaurants that base themselves off of one culture.

And I think that that's awesome, to have just one restaurant where we can incorporate multiple different cultures and tastes and flavors into maybe even just one taco, let alone one meal.

And that allows for multiple people to be included in the food, in the conversation, all of it.

SHAWN CARTER: Any given day, there are a bunch of different ethnicities, age groups.

You might see a toddler in here, and you might see a 90-year-old woman in here and then, all in between.

That gives me joy, to look out and see that.

Our country is so divided right now, and I feel like this is a place where none of that stuff matters.

There you go, bud.

(VOICEOVER) And it's because of the food.

We have the Asian five spice, which can be put into a taco, quesadilla, rice bowl.

And that's really based off of the specific Asian five-spice.

And that, really, just brings totally different cultures, like Asian and Mexican.

I personally have never had a meal like that.

And it just works so well.

And the ability to be able to mix both of those, even along with the Thai barbecue-- that one is also Asian and Mexican, which I think is, once again, very unusual in this town.

But a lot of people really enjoy it.

SHAWN CARTER: My daughter is helping me run it, and that's been a big thing for me.

It's been great to see her go from where she was before the job to where she is now.

And that is very satisfying to me, to see-- and to be able to spend time with her and see her blossom into what she is now.

WAITRESS: So I grew up in a lot of different cultures.

I never really realized the importance of incorporating those cultures into your relationships and just the way that you speak to people.

And I think that, coming into a restaurant like this, my main goal is to serve people food and make them happy and not hungry anymore.

And even just down to me being at the grill and being able to watch how other people smile and look at the food, it's making them happy.

It's not that person's different from me.

It's just I'm making them happy, and that's all I want.