How a ‘domino effect’ led to two new York County restaurants, and maybe more to come
Two restaurants set to open early next year in downtown Clover will continue a recent trend, both in the town and beyond. People, and businesses, are gathering in the center.
“We just needed for things to start happening,” said town Main Street director Alicia Griffith, “and then it was the domino effect.”
Nine new businesses have opened in downtown Clover since the start of last year. Now building permits are issued for two restaurants, The Cattle Car and King of Fire. Cattle Car will take the former Water Tank space at 111 N. Main St. King of Fire will go where a jewelry store was, at 115 and 117 N. Main.
Cattle Car bills itself as a neighborhood burger joint combining “old school vibes and new school flavor” on social media, which includes construction updates. Burgers and fancy adult beverages, including a full bar, are planned, Griffith said.
King of Fire is a Charlotte-area pizza food truck that started in 2018. The first restaurant opened earlier this year in Charlotte. Award-winning pizza maker Siler Chapman has worked in the Rock Hill region for more than a decade, including prior restaurants in addition to the food truck.
Along with setting up the Main Street program Griffith runs, the town set up incentive and grant programs to help revitalize downtown. Lots of momentum the past year, though, comes as businesses see one after another local shop succeed, she said.
“I honestly think that people are getting excited about the small changes that the town has going on,” Griffith said. “They see small, forward progress in the area.”
Restaurant, retail growth in Clover
Brick & Mortar, a coffee shop with sandwiches that just expanded its hours at 109 N. Main, will soon celebrate a year since it opened. The Clover Harvest restaurant celebrated its first anniversary this spring at 1007 Old North Main St. Other recent additions include the Bull Pin sports bar and arcade at 113 N. Main, the Wiggle My Worm bait and tackle shop on Bethel Street and Coastal Cottage shop on Kings Mountain Street.
There’s also a resale shop benefiting a nonprofit, a skate shop and a hair salon. A new chiropractor and party supply office aren’t far, Griffith said. She gets feedback routinely from people interested in starting businesses, from yoga places to dog care.
“Just plenty of interest,” Griffith said.
Reardon McFalls Enterprises in Clover bought two downtown properties last fall that include four addresses. Reardon McFalls bought the buildings where both Cattle Car and King of Fire will go. There are 33 properties within 1,500 feet of the Cattle Car site that have sold since the start of last year, according to York County land records. About half of them front Main Street, while several more front Kings Mountain Street.
Downtown growth a York County trend
Clover is hardly alone in its refocus on downtown.
For years, Fort Mill’s downtown food scene wasn’t much. It’s now grown to half a dozen restaurants just on Main Street. There’s pizza, barbecue, burgers, sushi and Southern fare. Newer spots including FM Eatery and Centre Theatre Pizza & Ice Cream are joined by spillover places just off Main like Bossy Beulah’s, Illumination Wines, Hot Dog Depot and The Speckled Pear.
Rock Hill has a longer history of food on its Main Street, but more spots keep coming. Ay Papi, Kounter and Rock Taco have arrived over the past few years. There’s a new lounge concept at Kounter coming. Signs are up now for dessert spot Vampire Penguin.
York has a downtown hotel planned that city officials there believe will transform the area. Tega Cay, the newest city in York County, is in the process of connecting its two distinct areas via a new “Main Street”-style development.
Griffith, a downtown shop owner herself, is pleased with Clover’s progress but also sees untapped growth potential.
“We still have more spaces available,” she said.
