Two new restaurants coming to Mauldin mixed-use development

Listen to this article

More dining and drinks options are coming to BridgeWay Station in Mauldin.

The development group who brought The Warehouse at Vaughn’s in Simpsonville, Warehouse at Midtown, Bourbon St. at Hampton Station, and the recently announced City Market at BridgeWay Station, is introducing two new food and beverage concepts at the under construction mixed-use development in Mauldin.

Thomas and Angie Wirthlin of Dine Development Group LLC announced Restaurant Rocco, an upscale dining and drinks restaurant, and The Plank, a charcuterie, wine and spirits bar, will be opening at BridgeWay Station, according to a Hughes Investments news release.

These two new concepts will occupy a stand-alone cornerstone building in BridgeWay Station’s main plaza. The restaurant will sit on approximately 3,670 square feet of ground floor retail space, while The Plank will occupy approximately 1,500 square feet located on the second floor. Both restaurants will have indoor and outdoor seating, and The Plank will have a wraparound indoor/outdoor bar overlooking the piazza.

The second floor of the building will also have an extended, elevated walkway — the “plank” — that will lead out to one of the European-inspired development’s towers, where patrons will be able to enjoy the wine and charcuterie options — served on “plank” boards — while overlooking the plaza from within the tower, the release said.

Restaurant Rocco will aim to draw inspiration from the kitchens Thomas Wirthlin grew up in. Whenever he builds out a new concept, he pays homage to his family through special connections to the name, décor, or hidden details, according to the release. Although Wirthlin is a Greenville native, his father grew up in the Italian heritage neighborhoods of New Jersey, where a love for Italian American food was instilled and a nickname, “Rollo,” was appointed. His father always wished his nickname had been “Rocco” instead of “Rollo,” so all these years later, Wirthlin is granting his father that wish by naming the restaurant after his preferred nickname, “Rocco,” the release said.

Restaurant Rocco will showcase 1960s Italian American influence, combining mahogany accents and red leather booths with full-apron servers and white tablecloths for a “classic mood.” Menu items will include Italian-inspired dishes, including lasagna, a variety of pasta and meats, as well as heavy American fare, including pork tenderloin, mussel pots and fresh catch of the day.

“We grew up around the table with my mom’s cooking,” Thomas Wirthlin said in the release. “Always a favorite was her lasagna—which we will proudly feature at Restaurant Rocco.”

The Plank will feature a vast wine selection accompanied by spirits and grazing boards. A cold kitchen menu will serve a variety of cheese, artisan meats, jams, custom charcuterie for party sizes of two, four, and six, as well as dessert boards.

The Wirthlins’ four children and daughter-in-law all work for the company, making Dine Development Group “a true family affair,” the release said. The children work in management, operations, social media, events, and interior design, featuring their mother’s original artwork throughout each establishment.

“We are very excited to bring these two new restaurants to Bridgeway Station,” said Angie Wirthlin in the release. “We have a true family business and are so eager to share our love for food and gathering with thousands of new friends!”

The Wirthlins’ food hall and venue in the adjacent building on the main public square, City Market at BridgeWay Station, will feature a Public House and five casual food concepts, spanning approximately 9,500 square feet of ground floor retail space and 4,000 square feet of rooftop space, outfitted with a full bar and its own private stage.

“Thomas and Angie [Wirthlin], their family-run business and team are perfect examples of local entrepreneurs that are ideal partners — creative, enthusiastic, and driven,” said Phil Hughes, owner and president of Hughes Investments, Inc. “The building that their upscale restaurant and The Plank wine and cheese bar will occupy is so unique, and we are thrilled to support these two new ventures whose creativity and originality will so finely complement their spaces.”