UBJ SQUARE FEET
By Sherry Jackson, staff sjackson@communityjournals.com
North Hills Automotive Reopens on Augusta PDQ Expands to the Upstate AD PELHAM RO
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A new fast-casual restaurant specializing in hand-battered chicken tenders, made-to-order sandwiches, daily cut fries, hand-spun milkshakes and fresh salads is expanding into the Upstate. PDQ, which stands for “People Dedicated to Quality,” was founded by former Outback Steakhouse cofounder Bob Basham and Nick Reader, CEO of MVP Holdings, a private investment firm. The partners spent more than two years developing the concept behind the brand and the quality of the food and establishments before opening the first PDQ restaurant in 2011 in Tampa, Florida. PDQ now has locations in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Texas and South Carolina. The Greenville location at 3906 Pelham Road will be the company’s second South Carolina location. The other is in Columbia. Everything is fresh, said Jeffrey Kamis, PDQ’s chief marketing and PR officer. There will be no freezers or microwaves; all the chicken will be hormone-free and never frozen, he said. Tenders are hand-breaded in the restaurant, dressings and sauces are made fresh daily, French fries and apples are fresh-cut each day, he said. “Because everything is made fresh when you order, we can usually accommodate any type of special requests for gluten-free or allergies,” Kamis said. The menu will a l s o feature freshsqueezed lemonade, Cheerwine b y
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the bottle and made-to-order chicken and turkey sandwiches. The restaurant will be approximately 4,300 square feet and feature an open kitchen with high ceilings and a sunroom. “Everything is there for you to see,” said Kamis. A hand-washing station with a foot pedal will be located in the dining room for kids to use. Rather than a “squawk box,” the drive-thru will feature a hospitality hut where a team member will take your order in person. “We like to incorporate many face-toface touch points,” said Kamis. PDQ also plans to get involved with the local community by hosting fundraising nights and reaching out to local schools and sports teams. “In all of our restaurants we are very community-driven, and that’s really important for our brand,” said Kamis. “The Greenville area is a great area not just for businesses with BMW and Michelin located close by, but also for families, and that’s what made it the right location for us.” Construction has already begun and the restaurant is planning a September 2014 opening. Kevin Lyall will be the operating director.
North Hills Automotive, a full-service auto repair chain, is holding a grand re-opening celebration this week for its new building on Augusta Street in downtown Greenville, after a year of construction. Located at 1428 Augusta St., reconstruction began in May 2013. North Hills had occupied the former Gulf Oil station for 20 years, which was well past its prime, and a new building was needed. “Cars are larger than they were in the 1930s when the original building was built,” said Jacob Gamble, who owns the company along with his father, Ken. “The space simply couldn’t handle the technology required.” The new building was created to blend with the existing Augusta Street architecture and includes brick that was reclaimed from the 1871-built warehouse that stood at the corner of Augusta and Main streets. It also includes cedar shake siding, plus trim and moldings you see in older homes in the area. “It has an old Greenville feel with a modern touch,” said
Jacob Gamble. “This building looks like a home and brings a family-friendly atmosphere to our customers. We’ve even added features like a finished ceiling in the shop to reduce noise for nearby residents,” said Ken Gamble. The facility has a waiting area designed like a “cozy living room,” complete with a fireplace, flat screen TV, coffee service and toys for the kids. North Hills has three locations in Greenville: Augusta Street at Grove Road, Pelham Road at East North Street and East Butler Road at Woodruff Road. The Gambles said they hope that the new look and feel on Augusta Street will set the standard for existing and future locations.
PROJECT PARTNERS GENERAL CONTRACTOR: D&C Builders ARCHITECT: Emil Henning Architect FINANCED BY: BNC Bank
CONSTRUCTION IS SLATED TO BEGIN this summer on a Wal-Mart neighborhood market at Southport and Cedar Springs roads in Spartanburg County. 7-ELEVEN IS CONTINUING THEIR CONVERSION of the 23 Hickory Point gas stations the company purchased. According to a 7-Eleven spokesperson, 18 locations have been remodeled and are operating as 7-Eleven stores, and the company is still determining the development for the five remaining locations.
May 16, 2014
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