14 Sep Upstate Headlines: Table 301’s Jianna to open at Falls Park Place
A collection of the top Upstate headlines for the week of September 12, 2016
Table 301’s Jianna to open at Falls Park Place 
Imagine sitting on a second story veranda overlooking Falls Park dining on fresh oysters and modern Italian cuisine. Greenville diners will soon have that option when Table 301 Restaurant Groups’ latest concept, Jianna, opens early next year. The 5,800 square-foot restaurant will feature a 40-foot bar that offers both indoor and outdoor seating on the second story of the new Falls Park Place development at the corner of Main Street and Falls Park Drive. Jianna is also set to have an open kitchen and pasta making area.
Work continues on I-85/385 project
It is the second-largest construction project taken on by the S.C. Department of Transportation. But, its impact goes beyond the $231 million price tag associated with improving the I-85/385 interchange in Greenville. With 220,000 vehicles moving through the interchange each day, SCDOT engineer Jack Valetti, the resident construction engineer for the project, said there are a lot of challenges a project of this magnitude faces. “I think this is one of the most difficult because we are still trying to retain the traffic flow while doing the construction,” Valetti said.
Stella’s Southern Bistro expanding to Verdae
A new restaurant will make its way to the Verdae development in February 2017. Stella’s Southern Bistro owners Jason and Julia Scholz plan to open Stella’s Southern Brasserie inside Legacy Square. The couple said they plan to include an expanded bar, community seating and a small-plate menu. It will be the first restaurant to open at Legacy Square across from Legacy Park.
Planner: Upstate cities have not lost traditional downtowns
Across the country, the aspect of urban planning is as different as the characteristics of each city. In the Upstate, the three largest cities – Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson – have varying populations, from 27,000 to 61,000. Bob Begle, an urban designer with Atlanta-based design firm Lord Aeck Sargent, said all three are working toward the same goals in terms of presenting strong, traditional downtown areas. “All three cities have great downtowns that serve as destinations and community places,” Begle said. “While many Southeast cities have lost their traditional downtowns, Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg have focused recent efforts on improving theirs, though their individual areas of focus have varied.”
Automatic Taco looking for brick-and-mortar space
Automatic Taco, one of Greenville’s favorite taco trucks, may be headed to a brick-and-mortar location near downtown. Nick Thomas, owner of Automatic Taco, is currently looking for a 2,000 to 3,000-square-foot home for a new restaurant, which he hopes to open in early 2017. “It’s all speculative right now,” he said. “But we’d like to be able to announce [the new location] in a month or so.” Thomas said he’s eyeing a variety of locations but hopes to stay as near to downtown as possible. l.
