NORTH CAROLINA -- Recently, Asheville-based restaurant Tupelo Honey has begun expanding through the Carolinas and beyond.
“We wanna bring Southern food to everybody,” said Briad Sonoskus, Tupelo Honey’s executive chef.
That commitment to Southern food is apparent right from the start, as instead of the usual basket of bread, each guest receives a buttermilk biscuit, honey and blueberry jam.
“It’s kinda put our best food forward, and it’s a beautiful biscuit. It’s great, it’s nice and simple and four ingredients. It couldn’t be any better,” said Sonoskus.
Tupelo Honey has been part of the dining scene in Asheville since 2000.
It’s only recently though that restaurants have opened in Charlotte, Raleigh and Myrtle Beach.
“It’s really about sharing the love and the passion we have for food,” said Sonoskus.
The Myrtle Beach location was one of the latest to open.
The Tupelo Honey name is such that the restaurant wasn’t a total unknown when it arrived.
"The company's built a really solid reputation for itself. I think that our brand is well-known,” said Stephanie Parsons, general manager of Tupelo Honey.
Some of the sourcing is different from place to place, but the food offerings are the same at each of the now ten locations.
The menu changes seasonally but it is evolving through time as well. While food is the same, there are differences in the look and feel of the various locations.
The original spot is a downtown shotgun space with only room for 80 customers.
By comparison, the Myrtle Beach location can seat 300 people. Seventy-five diners would pack the original place but with that many in the new location, the restaurant would seem empty.
The plan for Tupelo Honey is to continue to expand. It’s been quite a ride for those on board during the growing spurt.