Acclaimed Chef Elliott Moss Set to Open New Restaurant in Florence

Acclaimed Chef Elliott Moss Returns to Florence, Set to Open New Restaurant

Florence, SC

Elliott Moss, the James Beard Award-nominated chef known for leading renowned culinary establishments such as The Admiral and Buxton Hall in Asheville, N.C, is set to open a new restaurant in his hometown, Florence, South Carolina. Currently known as “Elliott’s,” the restaurant will be located inside Seminar Brewing and is slated to open its doors in the upcoming fall season.

Raised off Pamplico Highway, Moss’s first employment was at the nearby Young’s pecan plant, picking pecans from his backyard. Interesting enough, his latest restaurant venture finds him returning to a familiar address at 551 W. Lucas St., former site of the pecan plant.

Gaining significant recognition for his contribution as a chef at Buxton Hall, having steered the restaurant to be named Bon Appétit magazine’s top new barbecue joint in America in 2016, Moss parted ways with the Asheville food scene in 2022 but is excited about his new venture.

Breathing New Life into Seminar Brewing

The opportunity to return to Florence became a reality when he was approached by Tim Norwood. An owner of Florence’s Victors restaurant, Norwood, alongside 2014-15 South Carolina Chef Ambassador Cooper Thomas, recently acquired Seminar Brewing and saw Moss as an ideal equity partner in their new project. The prospect was enough to convince Moss and his wife to relocate back to Florence in May.

Seminar Brewing, the first modern-day craft brewery in Florence, opened its doors in 2014. Founders Travis Knowles, Dave Peters, Bryan Fisher, John Mattheis, and Shawn Steadman initially operated the brewery from a modest facility before shifting to their current location.

As the brewery transitions under new ownership, extensive improvements have been outlined. These renovations will include the installation of garage doors, a revamp of Seminar’s parking lot, and a reimagining of the warehouse space into three sections: a restaurant, a casual bar area, and a lounge located next to the production tanks.

Elliott’s: A Culinary Experience to Look Forward To

When Elliott’s opens its doors in late September or October, patrons can expect a menu crafted around “good beer drinking food, some manipulated in fire and smoke and some not” according to Moss. Barbecue will take center-stage on Saturdays, featuring classic Carolina whole hog, barbecue chicken, Texas-inspired brisket, and smoked wings, among other selections. The new eatery will also extend its service through a dedicated catering arm.

Moss, who will be intimately involved in Seminar Brewing’s beer selection, also plans to deepen the relationship between the brewery and the restaurant. Using his experiences from Asheville’s craft beer scene, he envisions using beer as a notable ingredient in Elliott’s food and cocktail programs. Additionally, he has sights set on ramping up Seminar Brewing’s distribution arm while also hosting collaborative dinners with distinguished Southern chefs.

More than just a step back into familiar territory, Moss is eager to contribute to an area poised for growth. The potential for further development, especially within the Lucas Street and U.S. 52 corridor that is anticipated to welcome additional retail stores and restaurants, excites Moss. Looking forward, he’s also contemplating converting a vacant structure adjacent to Seminar’s biergarten into a full-scale barbecue restaurant.

“This is my new old home,” Moss reflected, full of optimism about his return to Florence, “The idea is that hopefully we can hit a home run with it. And the sky is the limit.”