Smoke on the Water Reopens to Walk-Ins Oct. 6
The Greenville restaurant is opening a new location at 64 Beacon Drive after closing its downtown spot in 2024.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Smoke on the Water will reopen at 64 Beacon Drive on Friday, Oct. 6, after closing its downtown Greenville location in 2024. The restaurant is taking walk-ins this week while it builds up to the opening.
Why it matters
The reopening brings back a Greenville barbecue restaurant that operated downtown for 10 years and relocates it to a site off Pelham Road near Interstate 85. The 2024 closure followed earlier reporting by WYFF News 4 that rising rent was a concern.
The downtown location ran for 10 years before its 2024 closure, and the restaurant's post puts the gap between closure and reopening at 957 days. The announcement does not disclose the new location's seating capacity or investment cost.
The players
Smoke on the Water
A Greenville barbecue restaurant that operated a downtown location for 10 years before closing it in 2024 and relocating.
WYFF News 4
A Greenville television station that reported before the 2024 closing that rising rent was a concern for the restaurant.
The details
The owners announced the new location off Pelham Road in July 2025, and the restaurant is putting finishing touches on 64 Beacon Drive this week. Walk-in service is available before the scheduled opening.
Timeline
2024: Downtown Greenville location closed.
July 2025: Owners announced the new Pelham Road location.
Friday, Oct. 6: Scheduled reopening at 64 Beacon Drive.
Market Landscape
The move follows WYFF News 4's pre-closure reporting that rising rent was a concern for the downtown location. The relocation to a site near Interstate 85 places the restaurant along the Pelham Road corridor rather than in the downtown core it left in 2024.
Diners who knew the downtown location can find the restaurant at 64 Beacon Drive off Pelham Road starting Oct. 6, and walk-ins are accepted this week. The new site is near Interstate 85, which changes the drive for customers coming from downtown.
The takeaway
Restaurants that relocate after rent pressure can keep their customer base by announcing dates early and opening walk-ins before the official launch. Check the restaurant's own announcements for the latest hours before visiting the new site.
What happens next
The restaurant is scheduled to reopen at 64 Beacon Drive on Friday, Oct. 6.
Further reading
For more restaurant openings and closures around town, browse Openings & Closings in Greenville.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WYFF4.
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