Julie McCombs
Denise and Chris VandenBerghe, owners of Wild Ace Pizza & Pub, represent the first new business construction in the central business district since Greer City Hall complex opened in 2008.
Julie McCombs
The landmark groundbreaking ceremony for Wild Ace Pizza & Pub featured, left to right: Reno Deaton (Greer Development Corporation), Ed Driggers (City Administrator), Mark Thornton (T2Design Construction), Chris and Denise VandenBerghe, Jim Boyd (Greer State Bank) and Mayor Rick Danner (Greer State Bank).
Julie McCombs
The new location for Wild Ace Pizza & Pub will dramatically change the landscape at Depot Street.
“This is significant expansion of our downtown footprint,” said City Administrator Ed Driggers, among the dignitaries at the ceremony. “It’s exactly what we envisioned and it will provide greater opportunity for revitalization of this triangle.”
Chris and Denise VandenBerghe, owners of the popular 109 Trade Street restaurant, have tentatively scheduled to open the new, contemporary-designed, aviation-themed restaurant at 103 Depot Street in the second quarter of 2015.
The VandenBerghe’s traditionally have opened their businesses – Wild Ace and Acme General Store – the weekend of the Greer Family Fest. “We probably won’t be doing that this time, but we will have our own party,” said Denise.
Driggers said the city will be putting in sidewalks, streetlights, curb and gutters and storm drainage. “It’s a good time to get this done. We will keep the traffic flow the same.”
Wild Ace will be strategic in that it will provide more connectivity between City Park and the central business district and will be the gateway for nearby Trade Street and School Street merchants.
The restaurant will feature 3,200-square-feet of dining space and a 40 x 80 foot outdoor deck. An aviation tower design, topping out at 32-feet, will be the highest visual point for downtown, said Mark Thornton of T2Design and Construction. Combined with the restaurant’s parking, several free public lots adjacent to the property are available.
During the permitting and planning commission meetings, Chris VandenBerghe often referred to the new Wild Ace becoming a “landing strip” for customers and new businesses once the new restaurant was completed.
“We want Wild Ace to be a name synonymous with Greer,” Denise said. “It’s full speed ahead for the new restaurant and we’re looking forward to 2015.”
Wild Ace opened a restaurant in Spartanburg last May in a historic bank building on W. Main Street as part of that city’s downtown initiative.
No announcement has been made on what, if anything, will occupy where Wild Ace is located now on Trade Street.