Greenville County's food and dining scene in 2023. Openings, closings and looking to 2024

A.J. Jackson, Greenville News
Updated ·5 min read

Happy New Year from the Greenville News, as we're cheering for a safe, comforting and palate-shifting dining experience in 2024.

There was no shortage of new restaurants, festivals and national recognition related to the food and dining scene within Greenville County in 2023. We've strived to provide a snapshot of all of the vast changes in food and dining with our coverage.

According to the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), between November of 2022 and 2023, there were 386 new retail food establishments and 288 closures, a net total of 98 restaurants gained within Greenville County.

Summertime and fall events such as euphoria and Fall for Greenville provided visitors and locals with many tastes of the growing foodie town Greenville has become, while many longtime restaurant staples have closed due to staffing, as well as increasing food and operational costs.

To keep our food and dining readers informed on healthy restaurant dining, we started providing regular coverage on sanitation and health grades given to the food and dining establishments through inspections administered by DHEC. Scores and letter grades were updated on the storefront immediately after an inspection, and we look to provide continued consistent and monthly coverage on food grades in 2024.

Of the many food-centric stories happening in Greenville, here are five quick takeaways from the food and dining scene in Greenville County from 2023:

Feng Cha, a boba tea and dessert shop, is soon to open at 12 N. Spring St. in downtown Greenville
Feng Cha, a boba tea and dessert shop, is soon to open at 12 N. Spring St. in downtown Greenville

New national chains announced for Greenville and surrounding counties in 2023, 2024 and beyond

Growth in the food scene in Greenville has attracted major food retailers as fast-food establishments based out of Texas, California and even Mexico have migrated South. A few of the top new retailers to arrive in the upstate are:

  • Whataburger: 1466 Woodruff Road and 308 W. Butler Drive (2024); more locations to come to Spartanburg and Anderson in 2024.

  • The Habit Burger: 1122 W. Wade Hampton Blvd. (Greer), 6210 Calhoun Memorial Hwy. (Easley)

  • Texas de Brazil: 700 Haywood Road.

  • Bricktop's: 1 N. Main St., Ste. H

  • Feng Cha: 12 N. Spring St.

  • Pollo Campero: The first retail location in Greenville has yet to be determined, but the first in South Carolina will be at 2615 Cherry Road in Rock Hill by September of 2023

Greenville food updates: 2 restaurants close, one rebrands to Cigar Bar, new franchises arrive

Greenville has award-winning chefs and national magazine notoriety

Dayna Lee-Marquez was named a James Beard Award semi-finalist for Best Chef in the Southeast. Lee-Márquez was among 20 other finalists for the top chef award, including two others from South Carolina, including Daniel "Dano" Heinze of Vern's in Charleston and Jessica Shillato of the Spotted Salamander in Columbia.

In April, Ken Kolb, a sociology professor at Furman University, was nominated for the 2023 Media Award by the James Beard Foundation for his literary work entitled Retail Inequality: Reframing the Food Desert Debate.

In June, Carl Sobocinski, president and owner of Table 301 in Greenville, was recognized at the National Restaurant Association Public Affairs Conference in Washington D.C. American Express presented the 2023 Community Service Leadership Award.

Scoundrel, located at 18 N. Main St., was selected as one of the "Best New Restaurants in America" list by "Esquire Magazine" in the December 2023 issue.

Friends of Food: Furman's Ken Kolb earns James Beard Foundation Award nomination in Food Issues and Advocacy

A photo from the fire which took place at 516 N. Main St. in Mauldin, site of Truth Grill & Chill which burned down in the morning hours of March 24, 2023.
A photo from the fire which took place at 516 N. Main St. in Mauldin, site of Truth Grill & Chill which burned down in the morning hours of March 24, 2023.

Greenville Neighborhood, longtime establishments close for good

More than 150 years of local restaurants closed over the past year as Greenville lost a host of institutional and local foods known and patronized over the years. Here are a few of those restaurants that closed in 2023.

  • Tanner's Big Orange: 322 S. Pleasantburg Drive — closed after 80 years

  • Swad Restaurant & Grill (Indian): 1421 Laurens Riad — closed after 28 years

  • Barley's Taproom & Pizzeria: 25 W. Washington St. — closed after 27 years

  • Cateran's Buffet Restaurant: 1419 Wade Hampton Blvd. — closed after 43 years

  • Truth Grill & Chill: 516 N. Main St. (Mauldin) — closed after six years

So Long, Orange Drink: People are saying final goodbyes during the last days of Tanner's Big Orange in Greenville

The outside bar section of Indaco, a modern-Italian restaurant, which sits adjacent to the greenspace located at 40 W. Broad St., downtown Greenville. The outdoor bar features 25 seats, and will offer after hour pizza slices, bonfires for s'mores and work in conjunction with Ice on Main and other greenspace events happening throughout the year.
The outside bar section of Indaco, a modern-Italian restaurant, which sits adjacent to the greenspace located at 40 W. Broad St., downtown Greenville. The outdoor bar features 25 seats, and will offer after hour pizza slices, bonfires for s'mores and work in conjunction with Ice on Main and other greenspace events happening throughout the year.

Two new tenants take up prime real estate on Broad St. and Main St., in downtown Greenville

The heart of downtown Greenville received an authentic Asian and modern-Italian cuisine restaurant as O-Ku and Indaco joined the food scene at 30 W. Broad St. in neighboring retail spaces.

During the Christmas holiday, a site commonly used as a greenspace and Ice on Main skating rink was transformed into an outdoor patio bar attached to Indaco. The restaurant also offers a full-cocktail menu, bar eats and late-night pizza slices.

Both establishments have helped revitalize an empty area outside of Greenville City Hall which opened in 2010 and has mostly been used by the Courtyard by Marriot Greenville.

Downtown Dining: O-Ku Greenville's Japanese and seafood inspired menu by Chef Aguilar. Exclusive look.

Renderings of Pins Mechanical, an upcoming entertainment development that will occupy space within Greenville County Square
Renderings of Pins Mechanical, an upcoming entertainment development that will occupy space within Greenville County Square

County Square Development announcement means more dining options in downtown Greenville

In March, a $1 billion County Square development was announced to open on 250,000 square feet of property at 301 University Ridge.

The project will include tenant shopping, working and housing options, yet the majority of the attraction is expected to come from food and dining retailers. These include Whole Foods, Ben & Jerry's, JINYA Ramen Bar, The Perch Kitchen & Tap and Agave Bandido, with more to be announced.

County Square Upgrades: Mexican restaurant, duckpin bowling, arcade, golf simulators coming

June's County Square Updates: What to know about The Perch Kitchen & Tap.

County Square Cuisine: Ben & Jerry's, ramen bar to join growing list of tenants at new Greenville County Square

Readers Note: Thank you for your continued support and readership of The Greenville News' food & dining coverage. As we continue to develop relationships, taste test and tell truthful stories on food & dining in Greenville, we encourage our readers to reach out via e-mail (ajackson@gannett.com), phone (864-298-4038) and social media (@ajhappened) with topics to cover, places to eat, and interesting food finds within the Upstate.

– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: How Greenville County's food and dining scene fared in 2023