Popular Lexington restaurant Roy’s Grille is moving. Check out where they’re headed
For almost eight years, Roy’s Grille has carved out a savory niche at 711 West Main St. in Lexington, serving barbecue, burgers, breakfast and more from a small diner attached to an Exxon gas station.
But now the popular restaurant, known for the grill that seems to be forever smoking in the parking lot, will soon be on the move to a new location.
Roy’s Grille will move this fall to 7971 N. Woodrow St. in Irmo, which has long been the location for Fire and Spice restaurant. Fire and Spice, which was known for its cheesesteak sandwiches and other items, announced on social media during the weekend that it had closed its doors, and that Roy’s Grille would be moving into the Woodrow Street spot.
“We would like to thank everyone for all the support over the years,” Fire and Spice posted on Facebook. “It’s been a great ride and we are so fortunate to have met so many amazing people!”
The departing restaurant was enthusiastic in sharing that Roy’s would be moving it at 7971 N. Woodrow, posting that diners will “still be able to get the best food in Irmo” when Roy’s arrives.
Roy’s Grille owner Chris Williams confirmed Monday morning that Roy’s is moving to Irmo. He noted the Lexington location is still open for now, and that he’s hoping the move to the Irmo spot will be completed by sometime in September.
Williams has been working in restaurants since he was a teenager and opened Roy’s, which is named after his grandfather, back in 2014.
Earlier this year, he was named a 2022 South Carolina Chef Ambassador by Gov. Henry McMaster. The state’s chef ambassadors are called upon to represent South Carolina at food festivals, media events and other forums. It’s an effort meant to promote agribusiness and tourism in the Palmetto State.
While Roy’s has made a name for itself on the Midlands culinary scene from the humble corner of an Exxon gas station, Williams admits that he’s long wanted a space that he could more easily call his own.
“It means a lot,” Williams said. “It’s what I’ve been wanting, it’s what I have been moving toward. But everything happens in its own time. I’ve looked at a lot of locations and a lot of different places up until this point, and they just weren’t it. ... This is the perfect next step from where I’m coming from. I feel like it was ordained by God and was meant to be.”
Williams said he has known Fire and Spice owners Mike George and Lyn DeMusis for some time and his relationship with them helped make the move a reality.
The Roy’s owner and state chef ambassador admits there is a sentimental nature about the prospect of leaving the Exxon spot in Lexington.
“It is bittersweet,” Williams said. “I’ve had the location in Lexington almost eight years. My daughter grown up in Roy’s. When we opened up, she wasn’t even a thought. Now she is celebrating her fifth birthday. ... I’ve met a lot of people, I’ve formed a lot of dope relationships, and I’m going to miss (the Lexington spot). But, I’m not going to be that far away.”
Williams didn’t rule out a Roy’s return to Lexington in the future, saying he harbors dreams of expanding the brand.
“Roy’s was never meant to be just in the corner of a gas station,” he said. “I could see Roy’s all over the Southeast. Maybe the West Coast.”
