New seafood concept opens at Greenville’s West End food hall

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The latest concept in Gather GVL, Greenville’s West End food hall, will be a seafood restaurant opening in the former Resident Diner unit.

Palmetto Seafood Co., by the owners of Mama Mozzarella — also currently a tenant in Gather GVL located at 126 Augusta St. — will feature fan favorites like fish and chips, seafood boil, hush puppies and Old Bay fries. A soft opening will take place at 4 p.m. today.

Owner Baleigh Reardon, whose background is in fine dining, said he likes doing what he calls “common food” because, rather than acting as a selfish chef, he likes to find out and deliver what people like.

“It’s been a learning experience,” he said. “Mama was the first place of my own that I opened. We were probably a little too ‘chefy’ for the crowd when we first opened, but it’s been an adaption over time to give the people what they want.”

Originally from Charlotte, Reardon moved from New Orleans last year and opened Mama Mozzarella in October. He also has spent time working as a chef in Charleston, and said he chose Greenville to open a restaurant because it’s a big city feel but not overly saturated, yet.

“Greenville is very much on the business owner side at the moment,” he added. “That might change in the next five years, but for right now, you can go after something, and it won’t feel like too much of a competition.”

Although there is some friendly competition within the food hall, Reardon said he likes having all the vendors in one place because it brings in a diverse customer base that might otherwise have gone somewhere else.

“I also enjoy the quick-service concept,” he said. “Everyone can get what they want, and we aren’t spending a lot of money on dishware, tables and chairs. I love being in the heart of downtown and next to Fluor Field, because we get the traffic you just don’t get with a normal storefront.”

Reardon said two more openings are in the works over the next few months on Spartanburg’s Main Street — two concepts at two locations.

“All I can say right now is the opportunities arose and we threw something together we believe there is a gap for in that area,” he said. “Everyone has been to a place with great food, but the building doesn’t fit the concept. So, I go after location then adapt from there. Both the Mama and seafood concepts were drawn up in less than week. It’s about talking to people in the community, talking to friends. It wasn’t me getting an idea and going after it but the opposite.”