Meet the leader behind the innovation district’s growing food and beverage scene
Taalib Hasan and his team’s culinary delights are fueling The Pearl’s hungry tenants, students, faculty, staff and community.
The mouth-watering description that Hasan gives his favorite menu item at The Study Food Social, the district’s newest eatery, entices you to grab a seat and order one immediately.
“The Study burger is a classic beef burger with our house secret sauce, smashed avocados, pepper jack cheese, pickled onions, lettuce and tomato – all those flavors work together so well,” Hasan says. “You get creamy and smooth from the avocado, you get a little tart from the pickled onions, you get spicy from the pepper Jack, and it’s just everything you want for a burger.”
It’s a fitting favorite for someone whose job is to bring people together through food: a burger layered with flavor, personality and collaborative spirit.
Hasan’s official title is general manager for Restaurant Associates, the innovation district’s food and beverage service contractor. His team oversees The Study: Food Social, a café that opened in September, The Assembly Coffee Bar, and catering for tenant and parter events at The Pearl.
His days vary, and he steps in wherever he is needed, often joining the kitchen team to help prepare meals for hungry crowds.
What Hasan enjoys most is the variety of his role, whether that’s percolating new drinks at The Assembly, rolling out a nutritious and delectable menu for The Study, or catering a large corporate affair with 10 stations of custom cocktails.
While he embraces the hustle and bustle of the breakfast and lunch rush, Hasan gets another spark of energy in catering, where daily events give him and his team another stage to shine.
Hasan takes pride in helping nourish The Pearl’s full ecosystem, from surgeons at IRCAD North America and students at Wake Forest University School of Medicine Charlotte to K-12 students getting an early glimpse of future career opportunities.
“In partnership with our STEAM Lab, there are programs that come through where we get to feed children who are visiting The Pearl,” says Hasan, whose own son just entered high school. “Over the summer, we got to support fourth graders who graduated from science camp wearing their little white lab coats. Things like that warm the heart.”
Hasan came to The Pearl prior to its opening in summer 2025, enticed by the opportunity to provide a consistent and growing level of hospitality to make the innovation district feel like the community it has become. He credits his team of culinary magicians for inspiring all that they do and creating a welcoming environment for all.
“I’ve been in the business for decades and I come to work every day, and this culinary staff teaches me and that is tremendous,” Hasan says. “We’re here to offer good food, but also hospitality and a fun place where you can congregate and socialize.”
After a day spent feeding The Pearl’s biggest ideas and minds, Hasan doesn’t have to look far for a delicious meal. The Study burger is cooked to perfection, ready for all to enjoy.
