Locomotives and vagabonds: Rock Hill eatery will open this month with a familiar theme.
A popular Fort Mill eatery is jumping the railroad tracks to open a second spot in a historic building in Rock Hill.
The new location will open in mid-April in the former Coca Cola Bottling Company on Cherry Road near Winthrop University. The 8,000-square-foot space is beside The Perch, a new development at the intersection of Cherry Road and Oakland Avenue. The Perch will host Hobo’s new Off the Tracks Brewery, plus office and retail space.
“(The Fort Mill restaurant) has been very, very successful for us and we’re looking to bring that to Rock Hill,” Owner and Operator Jason Cloud said.
Just like the Fort Mill location, the restaurant will serve burgers, milkshakes, beer and other drinks at the Rock Hill building that dates to April of 1941. Configuring the new space included opening a large portion of the second floor to make a two-story dining area.
Builders used original wood from the ceiling and repurposed it to make dining booths, Cloud said.
“It’s a piece of history and it needs to survive,” said Developer and Partner Jim Britton, adding the overall look has an industrial feel — brick, steel and woodwork. The original “Rock Hill Coca Cola Bottling Co.” sign remains above the front door, feet from the new Hobo’s sign.
The Fort Mill restaurant also is in a historic building on Main Street. The name Hobo’s is part of a locomotive theme the owners chose because the railroad runs alongside the building near Confederate Park. Hobos were stowaways who would ride trains from town-to-town looking for work, Cloud said.
The 2,500-square-foot Fort Mill location opened in 2015.
The Rock Hill restaurant will seat 284 diners inside and 82 in its outdoor space, which includes a picnic area and green space where children canplay, Cloud said. The patio includes windows that open to the bar.
“You can sit down and your children can safely play in the games area — it’s unique,” Britton said. “And I think that’s what sets us apart.”
Upstairs, the restaurant has a 1,500-square-foot private dining room called the Coca Cola Social Room that can be rented. Outside the room is a vestibule seating area for cocktails and guests waiting to be seated.
The bar has repurposed details as well, including the bar top. Hobo’s will have 24 beers on tap, including some from the Off the Track’s Brewery next door.
Favorite dishes incorporated in the Rock Hill menu include the train-themed Locomotive Burger, The Vagabond burger made with pimento cheese, bacon and toppings on a brioche bun, and The Wanderer burger that has cheddar cheese, bacon, barbecue sauce and crispy fried onion strings.
Other favorites include the Boxcar Taters, which are jumbo tater tots and spiked milkshakes.
Hobo’s is accepting job applicants. To apply, visit hobos213.com or swing by the Fort Mill location at 213 Main Street.
This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 12:56 PM.
