Chow town

By Nichole Livengood  

JULY 7, 2011 1:00 p.m. (0)

The restaurant will open in a new location at 226 W. Main St. July 14.

For three years William Cribb ran a catering company from 121 N. Spring St. After expanding to offer lunch and dinner service a year ago he quickly outgrew the 34-four seat space.

“At lunch time we’re turning 30-40 people away,” said Cribb.

The new location will provide seating for 150 inside, with additional outdoor seating for 30.

Renovations to the historic downtown building, which once was home to a car dealership and later the Salvation Army, include the addition of a private dining room, new flooring, a granite bar and a state-of-the-art kitchen.

Cribb’s is one of four restaurants expected to open this summer. All are receiving development incentives totaling $45,000 from the City of Spartanburg.  The return on the investment will be more than 100 part- and full-time jobs, $60,000 in projected hospitality tax revenue annually as well as approximately $600,000 in renovation to downtown properties.

There are approximately 230 restaurants operating in the city. Cornell University and the National Restaurant Association say restaurants have a failure rate of 60 percent within the first three years of operation.

But city officials believe banking on the restaurant business is a good thing.

“Total receipts are up from a year ago, which is a much more accurate indicator of restaurant success in the city. Revenue is up 3 percent from last year and has been trending 3 percent higher year after year. Given the overall economy, that’s a positive thing,” said Chris Story, assistant city manager for Spartanburg

Restaurants including Thai restaurant Lime Leaf, Delaney’s Pub, Wild Wings and Groucho’s Deli have proved longevity and success are possible in downtown.

“We have a good variety of successful restaurants downtown. These new additions just create more diversity and more options,” said Patty Bock, the city’s economic development director.

From a development standpoint, she said the location of the new establishments are in areas that will further encourage infill of available spaces in the downtown corridor, and they will help promote walking traffic from venue to venue creating added energy in the downtown area.

“People want options, especially when considering whether to stay in our downtown or to eat and shop in another community,” she said.

In eight weeks, students and staff return to college campuses across Spartanburg. There will be more activity in the central business district.

In addition to Cribb’s, Jeff Wardat, owner of the west side’s Sahara restaurant has purchased Rock Water Tavern and is breathing new life into Spice of Life, a popular downtown restaurant which occupied that location at 100 Woodrow from 1983-1999.

The 6,000-square-foot space is getting a facelift and remodel complete with seating for approximately 200 and a courtyard with a waterfall. The new Spice of Life is slated to open late July and, according to Wardat, will serve fine American southern cuisine similar to that of High Cotton in Greenville.

Refuel Wine Bar is scheduled to open late September at 129 N. Spring St. and negotiations are also under way for a new restaurant speculated to be a South American restaurant that will occupy the bottom floor of the Hub-Bub building at 149 S. Daniel Morgan Ave.

Bock said the openings are timed nicely. “We hope this is a sign of continued economic growth.”

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