While it may seem like a recent decision, Steve Palmer has been working on opening a restaurant in Greenville for several years.
Palmer, founder of the Indigo Road Hospitality Group spoke about those plans in Greenville publicly for the first time last week. The accomplished hospitality veteran will open O-Ku and Indaco at Main @ Broad in early 2023. The two concepts are part of Indigo Road’s growing portfolio, which currently includes 28 restaurants and event venues, and eight hotels in seven states.
Palmer first began considering Greenville for a restaurant about five years ago but plans never quite materialized. At one point, the company was looking at the Camperdown development as a site for O-Ku, but with the company’s resources already directed to another project, the group hit the brakes in Greenville.
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“We were excited about Camperdown and all the people involved and they were very gracious and awesome, so yes there was truth to those rumors,” Palmer confirmed. “But the fact we didn’t go forward had nothing to do with Greenville, it had to do with some internal company things that it just became the wrong time.”
But Palmer kept Greenville on his list of cities for expansion. So, when Bo Aughtry, chairman and CEO of Windsor Aughtry called late last year to talk about his property at Main @ Broad, Palmer listened.
The relationship that bloomed paved the way for working in Greenville now, Palmer said.
“I think eventually we would have ended up in Greenville, but I’m a really big believer in who you do business with is more important than what kind of business you do,” Palmer said. “They’re just really good guys.”
Palmer listened but wasn’t convinced right away, he says. For one, the space is nearly 8,000 square feet, and most Indigo Road restaurants are a little over 4,000.
But with the hotel property and the central location downtown, Palmer was keen to give it serious thought.
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This will be the first time Indigo Road opens two restaurants in the same space, and the owners thought hard about which concepts to bring to Greenville. Both O-Ku and Indaco have proven successful in other cities, Palmer said.
Plans also include activating the courtyard space with an outdoor venue with a bar and seating area.
The team opted away from bringing their steakhouse concept, Oak Steak, to Greenville, since “there is a healthy presence of steakhouses,” Palmer said.
Rustic, scratch-focused Italian and elevated sushi experience seemed to offer an opportunity to bring something complementary to Greenville, Palmer said.
Indaco offers a happy middle ground between elevated dining and casual dining with an airy, Italian-inspired menu. Enjoy house-made pasta and wood-fired pizzas along with house-cured salamis and sausages, a fresh cocktail menu and an Italian-forward wine list as well.
O-Ku brings a level of high-end precision to sushi. The menu centers on fresh seafood and traditional Japanese dishes along with traditional and innovative sushi and creative cocktails.
This will be the third location of Indaco and the 8th O-Ku location.
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“We just think that would be two concepts that would complement what is already an awesome dining scene in Greenville,” Palmer said. “We thought it was a good way to sort of enter the market in a way that complements what else is already going on.”
Palmer, who got his start in restaurants washing dishes at the age of 13, is humbled by his company’s growth. That growth allows him to further what he calls the culture of Indigo Road. That culture is founded on genuine care for others, one embedded in the roots of true hospitality, he says.
“When we have people that come to work every day and they truly enjoy their job, it makes for a better environment for them, so their job satisfaction goes up, and it makes for a better environment for our customers,” Palmer said. “We know that; we’ve learned that.
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“Sometimes people think culture is a feel-good word, but it really is a business model. The better your culture the more successful your business. That has been the cornerstone of building our company.”
Growth also means Palmer can hopefully grow his other passion in Greenville, Ben’s Friends. The non-profit, which Palmer and friend and industry veteran, Mickey Bakst founded in 2016 aspires to help those in the hospitality industry who might be struggling with mental health issues and/or substance abuse issues.
The organization offers a safe space for those in the industry to find support and to begin the steps of getting sober with the help of others who understand and have an equal passion for hospitality.
Ben’s Friends, which began in Charleston, currently has chapters in 19 cities. While there have been efforts to bring such a space into Greenville for over four years, nothing yet exists.
“We wanna be in every city in America. All we need is two sober restaurant people and a place to hold the meeting,” Palmer said. “Once we open a restaurant we will have a place for the meeting, so all we need are two sober people from the restaurant industry.”
Those interested in being involved with Ben’s Friends can find more here: https://www.bensfriendshope.com/contact
Indigo Road is currently hiring for its restaurants in Greenville. Those interested can find more here: https://www.theindigoroad.com/careers/
Lillia Callum-Penso covers food for the Greenville News. She loves the stories to tell recipes and finds inspiration in the people behind them. When she’s not exploring local food, she can be found running, both for pleasure and to keep up with her 6-year-old twins. Reach her at lpenso@greenvillenews.com, or at 864-478-5872, or on Facebook at facebook.com/lillia.callumpenso.
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