GREENVILLE -- The question has loomed ever since last September: What will fill the old Bellwether Public House space next to Fluor Field?
Now there's an answer: Lefty's West End Tavern.
Greenville Drive owner and chairman Craig Brown has confirmed the space has a new tenant, and it is one that is familiar to the Upstate.
This summer, Table 301 Hospitality will open Lefty's West End Tavern in the 7,500-square-foot restaurant space that is just on the other side of the baseball stadium's left field wall.
The goal is to be open by July 1, Table 301 founder and president Carl Sobocinski told The Post and Courier.
The concept is completely new for the restaurant group, but not one that is unfamiliar. Lefty's doubles down on the sports bar concept, inspired by an idea more than a specific food item or drink. In conceptualizing the new restaurant, the team looked to the popular bars that sit right outside Boston's Fenway Park, home to the Red Sox. The Drive is a minor-league affiliate of the Red Sox.
"For us it makes perfect sense to be a sports bar connected to Greenville's front porch and Fluor Field.," Sobocinski said, citing iconic sports bars like Cask n' Cagon that serve not just food but a sense of community around sports.
In considering the next iteration of the space at 941 S. Main St., Brown said he was looking for a restaurant partner that had both a proven track record of successful operations and also a community-focused infrastructure.
The team spent time to find the right fit, he said.
"The excitement Carl and his team brought is they have always been known for having the best food," Brown said, "and at the end of the day that's what the restaurant is all about, combining the best food with the best experience, which is what we try to deliver at Fluor Field.
"This is an extension of Fluor Field," he said. "It's almost perfect alignment between food and experiential. And to be able to do it together with the best local operator in town is extraordinarily exciting."
The restaurant space has sat empty since September when The Bellwether closed.
Before The Bellwether, Liberty Tap Room operated in the space for about 15 years. The restaurant saw a steady crowd in the early years, especially on game weekends, but sales had begun to slow before the pandemic and owners opted to close Liberty in 2021.
The owners of the popular Urban Wren restaurant created buzz with their idea for a more casual but creative public house concept when The Bellwether opened in April 2023.
Chef Taylor Montgomery helped oversee the menu design, which boasted homemade pasta and crispy chili-glazed cauliflower. It was creative but proved less a draw for those seeking a traditional sports bar style.
The Bellwether closed its doors last September.
Table 301 has gleaned many lessons over the group's nearly 28 years in the restaurant business in Greenville, and one is to know your audience. So while Sobocinski said the group was not seeking to create a sports bar-esque concept, Lefty's is most definitely that.
This will be reflected in the food menu and atmosphere. The restaurant will have around 15 to 20 televisions for comprehensive sports viewing.
The culinary team is thinking of food as less about reinvention than about offering "something approachable where all different tastes can find something," he said.
This is not to sacrifice quality, however. Everything will be scratch-made from smash burgers to soft pretzel and fish and chips. So while there will be nachos at Lefty's, they will be topped with freshly grated cheese and scratch-made toppings.
Plans call for offering daily specials, which will provide a chance to showcase items like shrimp and grits and maybe ribs and a steak.
The bar menu will include eight beer taps with four rotating regularly along with a full spirits and wine menu.
Since closing The Bellwether, the owners also closed Urban Wren in January citing challenges with rising costs and a slowdown in traffic. The space recently came up for lease.
The West End has seen a multitude of changes since. New Realm Brewing opened last spring and DeMarco's, a higher end Italian inspired restaurant, opened at the end of February inside the .408 Jackson apartments overlooking the field.
Brown and Sobocinski, who have known each other for 20 years, began informal talks about the empty restaurant space in December. Official talks and planning began in March.
Plans for the space include some minor renovations to the interior to give it more of a sports bar feel. But elements like the bar areas and the cantilevered windows and garage doors in back that open to the outside will remain.
While Table 301 has collaborated with landlords for other restaurants in the past, Lefty's marks the first time for a more official collaboration. This will include the restaurant coordinating with Fluor Field on special events like appreciation nights and community events.
Plans also call for introducing a robust lunch service as well as a happy hour. The latter is a first for a Table 301 concept. In addition to an all-day menu and rotating specials, Lefty's will feature a kid's menu, too.
More details can be found at www.leftysgvl.com and follow @LeftysGVL.