News

Apr 04, 2023

Glimpses of Greenville: Ye Olde Fireplace holds a legendary place in city’s restaurant history

Charlie Grubbs and Cecil Bagwell opened Ye Olde Fireplace on S. Pleasantburg

Charlie Grubbs and Cecil Bagwell opened Ye Olde Fireplace on S. Pleasantburg Drive in 1960. Its only competition for steaks outside of downtown was the new Open Hearth Steak House on Wade Hampton Boulevard, but for steaks and dancing, it was the Charcoal Steak House on Augusta Road. Grubbs and Bagwell, however, combined 20 years of restaurant experience and ambition to create the "showplace of the South." The new building, of course, featured a large and inviting fireplace. The spacious dining room could seat 100 guests, and the menu centered on aged, charbroiled steaks.

Within months, the restaurant became a regular meeting place for many local groups, like the newly formed Pleasantburg Rotary Club and the Augusta Road Kiwanis Club. The more casual family dining room served the everyday lunch and dinner crowds, while five additional private dining rooms were added in 1962, including Ye Olde Pub, the Windsor Room and the King Charles Room.

For entertainment, guests in the early ’60s enjoyed such performers as the Harry Fraser Orchestra and the lilting voice of Gomer Pyle. By 1966, Grubbs had adopted a policy of hosting bigger-name bands. That's when Charlie Spivak, one of the United States’ greatest trumpet players from the big-band era, first appeared at the restaurant. He got his start in the late 1920s playing New York City clubs with the Ben Pollack Band, but soon became the sideman in the Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey Band. After many decades on the road, Spivak was ready put down roots in Greenville. By then, Spivak had earned the reputation as "the man who plays the sweetest trumpet in the world," and locals could now hear him play six nights a week as the in-house performer in the King Charles Room.

By the late 1960s, seafood had become an equal player on the menu. Fresh Maine lobsters stuffed with crabmeat and a daily oyster and seafood bar appeared, and the restaurant featured a great deal for family dining room guests with a fried flounder filet with baked potato, salad, bread and a drink for only $1.99. The restaurant's reputation as the "home of the big bands" was established with appearances from the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Sammy Kaye and the Billy May Band. The world-famous Charlie Spivak performing his theme song "Stardreams" could be found exclusively at Ye Olde Fireplace.

Devastation came to the restaurant, Greenville and the world in 1975, when Spivak's friend and fellow bandmate for 25 years, saxophonist Charles Russo, was tragically murdered. Two armed gunman broke in just after closing when staff and band members were still there. One of the nervous gunmen thought Russo was making a wrong move and shot him in the chest. The thieves made off with thousands of dollars and jewelry and were never caught. It's perhaps the most infamous cold case in Greenville history.

Somehow, the band played on, and Spivak ultimately recorded seven albums at Ye Olde Fireplace. The first was "Charlie Spivak at the King Charles Room," followed by "Night Train," "Born Free" and "A Night at Ye Olde Fireplace."

Charlie Spivak went into semiretirement in 1978, and a few years later, Steve Small, the owner of rival dance and steak destination the Charcoal Steak House, bought out Charlie Grubbs and took over Ye Olde Fireplace. The big-band sound from the likes of Guy Lombardo, Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman and Buddy Rich continued to be heard there but only at special engagements a few times a year. As times changed and fans of the big-band and older dancing styles began to fade, Small converted the former overflow/private dining area into a family-centered seafood restaurant called the Crab Pot. Guests continued to be entertained by the Gene Brown Combo and Stormy Weather until it finally closed in January 1990.

John M. Nolan is owner of Greenville History Tours (greenvillehistorytours.com) and author of "A Guide to Historic Greenville, SC" and "Lost Restaurants of Greenville, SC."

Subscribe now to our newsletter