Café @ Williams Hardware a fresh addition to Travelers Rest
Posted by The Skyliner on September 16th, 2009Jenny Farnham
Staff Writer
A hearty welcome, a homemade meal and high quality conversation are hard to come by these days, but Café @ Williams Hardware mixes these ingredients to make a memorable dining experience.
When a North Greenville student thinks about Travelers Rest, the first thought is “Walmart,” the next is “that town you drive through to get downtown.”
No more than a mile from Walmart, Café @ Williams Hardware is bringing a new meaning to Travelers Rest. If a student is looking for a break from the cafeteria or an original gift this should be the first place to look.
While looking at the menu one will notice a trend, the word “homemade” precedes most food items. This isn’t just for looks, it’s proven later when customers sink their teeth into the pecan-encrusted chicken salad, rueben, or pound cake. It is, without a doubt, homemade comfort food.
“If a rueben sandwich is on a menu I have to try it. I’ve had good ones and bad ones—this one is great,” Marianne Rollins, a Travelers Rest native who was visiting with family and friends on her trip from her home in Chicago, said.
This cozy establishment is sisters Joyce and Nancy McCarrell’s way of giving back to the community.
“We wanted to be an active part in the revitalization of Travelers Rest,” Nancy said.
“We want to invite the NGU students to come to the Café. Our prices are very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food we serve…. We do live music, at least on the first Saturday of each month, and sometimes more often. We may be the closest place to campus where you can pick up a gift, if you need one. If you just need a quiet place in the afternoon to do some work, this is the place. The gift shop is open until 6 each day. We’re closed on Sunday,” Joyce said.
Rain or shine, Café @ Williams Hardware accommodates each person that walks through the doors. You can choose to sit outside, rock on the screened-in porch, or dine at the tables inside. Fresh cut flower arrangements are found on each table, a cup never runs dry, and the opportunity to make new friends is available if you choose to accept.
“It’s the way it was ‘back in the day,’ when this actually was a hardware store and the guys would sit around the pot-bellied stove and talk or tell tales,” Joyce said.
The Café is conveniently located beside the new Swamp Rabbit Trail. The McCarrells invite students to drop in for a refreshing snack or dinner date while enjoying a walk, ride, or run on the recreation trail that stretches from Travelers Rest to Greenville. The venue is also open for wedding events, showers and reunions.
Despite the old fashioned environment this new restaurant is very modern when it comes to accommodating you with WiFi Internet access. Daily specials and more information can be found at cafeatwilliamshardware.com or on its active blog. You can even join their Facebook fan page.
Tags: Fall 2009, Vol. 109 - Issue 2