A new Fort Mill restaurant is just weeks away from opening. Here’s what it will serve
Poppyseed Kitchen isn’t just the name of a new Fort Mill restaurant. It’s the business plan too.
Like poppy seeds, the owners hope to start small and grow.
Two couples came together for the new Steele Street Station eatery that should open in late September or early October. All spent time at Johnson & Wales University, with combined experience from pastries to large event planning to commercial catering.
Joseph and Kelly Pantano respectively bring head chef and pastry chef experience. Kate Smith specializes in events, and husband, Adam, offers culinary business management skills. The families respectively live in Fort Mill and Indian Land.
“We are focusing on breakfast and lunch, and then have the ability to do like special occasions,” Kate Smith said. “A baby shower, something along those lines.”
The families have been working several years toward opening at the 485 Tom Hall St. site in Fort Mill. They signed a letter of intent in early 2020, just before COVID-19 swept through the restaurant industry. Plans halted and resumed in June 2021 with the signing of a lease.
The new restaurants will seat about 70 inside and 100 guests overall, utilizing an outdoor patio space. It will have eight to 10 employees there at a time.
“We saw the need, especially for the side of the town that we’re in, for some more breakfast locations,” Kate Smith said.
A coffee bar up front will be backed by a full dining area. Bakery items such as biscuits, muffins, pastries and croissants will be available. The namesake poppy seed bread will be on the menu. There are sweet and savory oat options, the latter a dish of steel cut oats similar to a porridge with sharp cheddar cheese, sauteed kale, country sausage and a fried egg. There’s a similar grit bowl option.
“It’s not just boring diner food,” Kelly Pantano said. “It is a little bit unique. So we’re trying to throw some fun things in there that we can get excited about, but have it be something that everybody feels is approachable.”
Plans are for Poppyseed Kitchen to be open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day except Mondays and Tuesdays. Both breakfast and lunch options will be served the entire time.
“You can get a cheeseburger for breakfast if you’re so inclined, or scrambled eggs for lunch,” Kate Smith said.
The intended vibe at the new restaurant, owners say, is comfortably eclectic. With four children age 1 to 9 between the two families, the atmosphere will be family-friendly.
“We want really good food and everyone to feel comfortable while they’re eating it,” Kate Smith said.
Kelly Pantano began staying home with her son three years ago, and then got into cakes. Pantano went with the Poppyseed name for that home bakery, inspired by a conversation with her sister about a new baby during pregnancy being the size of a poppy seed.
“The first sign of life and new beginning, and kind of just showing that something can start so small and then flourish to become a whole field,” Kelly Pantano said.
The Smiths have their own connection to poppy seeds. Adam’s late grandmother made poppy seed bread for special occasions. When his family sent some home with Kate, it was more than a treat. It was something that connected her to the family. The significance of poppy seeds for both ownership families made the new name a natural choice.
“It kind of just makes it all inclusive of start to finish, with the family and growing the business, growing together,” Kate Smith said.
This story was originally published August 29, 2022 at 12:40 PM.
