GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) – After earning spots atop lists for “best places to travel to” in the U.S., the city of Greenville is working on new places for Upstate residents and visitors to enjoy.
Thursday morning, city leaders announced they are near completion of two new restaurants on Main Street, Indaco and O-Ku Greenville.
Restaurant leaders said Indaco will be a modern Italian restaurant, open seven days a week. It will serve lunch and dinner, including late-night pizza made in a wood-burning oven available for purchase at their outdoor bar. Chefs plan to make all of the pastas in house and use local produce.
The 4,000 sq. ft. facility will have the ability to seat around 175 people.
O-Ku is a sushi restaurant that is expected to open next door. Restaurant leaders plan to serve dinner seven nights a week. They said, depending on demand, lunch menus could be introduced in the future. The design plan was created to seat about 90 people.
“We’re all about creating great, public spaces here in downtown Greenville and that’s what you are seeing now,” said Greenville Mayor, Knox White.
Mayor White said hospitality staff were putting the final touches on what will be an indoor-outdoor dining space with additional food, drinks, and seating options next to City Hall.
“From the beginning, this has been the site of Ice on Main in the winter. We have the Saturday market here in the summer, Ice on Main in the winter,” said Mayor White. “We want a vibrant public space all year round and this really helps us achieve that goal.”
Due in part to a public-private sponsorship with Windsor Aughtry and The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, the city of Greenville is transforming the site of Ice on Main into a year-round activity space in front of the Courtyard Marriott.
“Ice on Main absolutely has a great future in downtown Greenville and it will continue to be on this spot, as we did last year, with a new outline of the ice-skating rink,” said Mayor White.
“We want to embrace the families that are here during the holidays. There will be hot chocolate, there will be smores for kids to roast over the fires,” said Steve Palmer with The Indigo Road Hospitality Group.
Restaurant leaders said the menus at the new restaurants will be a reflection of what it’s like being in the Upstate.
“The admiration that we feel and the buzz that’s in the city is really incredible,” said Palmer.
Also down Main Street, a new development will go before the city’s Design Review Board Thursday for the former site of Cook’s Station.
A recent proposal outlined plans for a Spinx downtown Market with quick service food, beer, wine and outdoor seating.
“This is particularly important for visitors of downtown, as well as residents, to have a place for a convenience store to be able to pick up fast food, to pick up household items, things like that,” said Mayor White.
City leaders said they are excited for local residents and visitors to enjoy the new spaces.
Indaco is expected to open next Friday. Restaurant leaders said O-Ku, the sushi restaurant, will be ready in about a month.
The Spinx Market was approved on Thursday by city officials.
