Smoke on the Water to Reopen at Beacon Drive
Greenville restaurant operators facing downtown rent pressure can see one owner's relocation to a Pelham Road site.
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 new site off Pelham Road near Interstate 85 is taking walk-ins this week while it finishes building out.
Why it matters
The restaurant's move reflects the cost pressures that can force an established operator out of a long-held downtown space, with WYFF News 4 reporting rising rent as a concern before the closing. Relocating to a suburban corridor near a major highway is a decision other restaurant owners facing similar occupancy costs may weigh.
The restaurant ran its downtown Greenville location for 10 years before closing in 2024, and its post puts the gap between closure and reopening at 957 days. The new 64 Beacon Drive site is scheduled to open on Friday, Oct. 6, 2026, two days from the date of this story.
The players
Smoke on the Water
A Greenville restaurant that operated a downtown location for 10 years before relocating to 64 Beacon Drive.
WYFF News 4
A Greenville-area television news station that reported rising rent as a concern before the restaurant's downtown closing.
The details
The owners announced the new location in July 2025 and have since been finishing the build-out, which is the stage where opening timelines often slip. Taking walk-ins before the official opening lets the restaurant begin generating revenue and build a customer base while final work continues. The Pelham Road site near Interstate 85 places the business along a commuter corridor rather than in a downtown core, a shift in customer access that operators should weigh against their own traffic patterns.
Timeline
2024: Downtown Greenville location closes after 10 years of operation.
July 2025: Owners announce the new Pelham Road location.
Friday, Oct. 6: Scheduled reopening at 64 Beacon Drive.
Market Landscape
Downtown rent pressure documented by WYFF News 4 is one reason established restaurants relocate to outlying corridors near major highways. This relocation follows a pattern in which operators trade a central address for different traffic and occupancy economics.
Operators weighing a move out of a downtown space should model occupancy cost against the traffic and visibility a suburban corridor offers. Owners of restaurants facing rising rent should review lease terms and relocation timelines with a qualified accountant or attorney before committing.
The takeaway
Relocation can preserve a restaurant's business when downtown rent rises, but the build-out and the gap before reopening carry real cost. Operators considering a similar move should calendar the build-out milestones and track customer retention through the transition.
What happens next
The restaurant is scheduled to reopen at 64 Beacon Drive on Friday, Oct. 6.
Further reading
For other restaurant and business moves in the area, see Openings & Closings in Greenville.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WYFF4.
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