After five years, Taft Wirthlin's plan of opening a full-service seafood restaurant in Greenville is coming to life.
Wirthlin will open The Ottaray Raw Bar & Taphouse at 1418 Laurens Rd., Dec. 17. The idea for Ottaray was fueled by Wirthlin's late fiancé, Alison.
Wirthlin originally planned to open the restaurant downtown in 2017 and was in talks with the owners of a location on Main Street, but the deal fell through. He went on to help open The Warehouse at Vaughn's, Anchor Raw Bar and The Farehouse in Fountain Inn, but he kept the idea for Ottaray, a seafood focused full-service restaurant and raw bar, in the back of his mind.
The idea took on new meaning after Alison died in a car accident in 2021.
The restaurant is, in part, a tribute to her vision.
"Alison and I wanted to do Ottaray," Wirthlin said. "That was her dream so I said, 'we can still do it.'"
The Ottaray, which pays homage to the Greenville's historic Ottaray hotel, occupies a more than 6,000-square foot space that most recently housed The Warehouse at Midtown, the food hall concept was opened by Wirthlin's brother, Thomas, and sister-in-law, Angie Wirthlin.
Over the past few months, the Warehouse at Midtown appeared to be shuttered. The space had became too much to manage given Thomas and Angie's other project, City Market at Bridgeway Station, said Wirthlin. Thomas approached his brother about taking over Midtown earlier this year.
Upscale casual seafood spot
Initially, Wirthlin considered simply revamping the food hall, but as he saw it, that sort of casual fare was already available at other nearby restaurants.
What was lacking in that corridor, he said, was upscale casual.
"This is a little more chefy," Wirthlin said. "Even the desserts, the bread, everything is made in house."
Laurens Road has seen a lot of changes in the past few years. Willy Taco Feed & Seed launched a sort of rebirth when it opened in 2017, and Kitchen Sync has been serving as a neighborhood hub for eight years.
The 07, Comal 864, Grazeland and The Radio Room have all recently opened in the area, breathing new life through food and entertainment.
There have also been some losses, like Swad. The beloved Indian restaurant closed last year and owners have not yet been able to reopen.
What will The Ottaray serve?
The Ottaray is fueled by fresh seafood and a robust oyster bar. The restaurant will feature seven rotating varieties of oysters and rotating fresh-catch options. Also on the menu are seafood towers, salads, soups, house-made hushpuppies and a lobster roll.
Non-seafood lovers will find burgers, fried chicken and steak frites.
Helping shape the menu are several chefs, including one who comes from Charleston and one who has held executive chef positions in Charleston and Greenville.
With such a large space, the restaurant is parceled into a large front dining room with tables and banquettes on one side. On the other, a large bar area with seating for 22 anchors additional tables and booths.
A back room holds more tables, as well as a private dining space that will be available for booking.
The Ottaray will serve lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, all of which will feature unique menus. Brunch will include a signature "extreme" Bloody Mary, which Wirthlin promised will be quite the talking point.
The tomato-based cocktail will be piled with oysters crab claws, veggies and shrimp.
Aside from drinks that can be a meal, the bar program will include a rotating selection of 26 beers on tap, a comprehensive wine list and a specialty cocktail menu.
Dentist to restaurateur
Wirthlin was on course to become a dentist when his father, an orthodontist, made him an offer - if Wirthlin graduated, he would help fund his son's first restaurant.
"This was a way to get out of school fast," Wirthlin said. "I really don't have any regrets. I do know my life is a little harder."
At 22, Wirthlin opened his first restaurant, Boston Beanery. He grew the fast-casual sandwich concept over three years before selling it and opening an original concept, Boston Steak and Seafood, which he ran for another three years before selling the upscale steak and seafood restaurant. He decided to go back to school for a masters in construction.
He worked in construction for years, always with a tug towards restaurants.
He opened The Warehouse at Vaughn's in 2020, but sold the food hall last year to focus on The Farehouse in Fountain Inn.
While Ottaray is the priority for now, the restaurant entrepreneur has plans for new concepts in the future.
"The food needs to be great but the atmosphere and the way you feel when you come, the way you're treated when you come, is more important," Wirthlin said. "So I'll never think I've made it all the way to where it's perfect, but each one I feel like I get a little better."
The Ottaray Raw Bar & Taphouse is slated to open Dec. 17 at 1418 Laurens Rd., Greenville, S.C.
The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner during the week and for brunch and dinner on weekends. For more visit https://theottaray.com