Sol Cafe will be open Tuesday morning in Rock Hill. Here’s more on the new restaurant
Editor’s note: This article was first published in March and has recently been updated.
Sol Cafe opened for an invitation only event Monday; then will open Tuesday morning everyone.
The new Rock Hill restaurant will have it’s grand opening at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Sol Cafe is in the former Michael’s Rock Hill Grille spot on Charlotte Avenue.
In March, the Michael’s owners posted a message online stating it would not reopen, and thanking customers who gathered there and made it part of the Rock Hill community. The message also mentioned plans for a new eatery.
“Even though our doors have closed,” the message read in part, “we are looking forward to welcoming a new restaurant that will be opening soon. Please make sure to support them like you’ve supported us these past few years.”
In comes Sol Cafe. Ernesto and Fotini Hernandez run Hernandez Hospitality. The husband and wife team live in Fort Mill and have a long history in restaurant management from Myrtle Beach to Charlotte and beyond. They’ve had dozens of places, many of them new openings. They’re still involved with a Charlotte breakfast spot and the relatively new Papi Churro food truck in Fort Mill.
“I love food,” Ernesto said. “I love people. I love how food connects people.”
Ernesto comes from a family of restaurateurs. He saw a need for a place in Rock Hill that serves breakfast through dinner and offers breakfast catering. Ernesto believes a place that looks upscale but doesn’t hit the wallet so hard can do well, a place someone on a budget can still bring a whole family after church for brunch. A place with room for private events — the former Michael’s space can seat 90 — not far from Winthrop or downtown.
But mostly, a place that will bring the flavor. Ernesto said some restaurants keep their dishes a little bland for his taste.
“I’m the opposite way,” Ernesto said. “I think food should be tasty.”
The new restaurant will have a mix of classic American, Spanish and Greek dishes. The family-style spot will have locally sourced ingredients, breads and coffee. Some menu items include a grilled salmon Mediterranean salad, blueberry cream cheese pancakes, chorizo quesadilla, Wagyu burgers, benedicts, shrimp and grits. Happy hour drinks, beer and wine also will be on the menu.
Cafe Sol will be open every day except Mondays. It’ll be open 6 a.m.-2 p.m., then again 5-9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. It will start with about 10 employees, and hopes to grow that number.
Ernesto sees both sides of taking over a popular restaurant space. There have been people to reach out during the relaunch stating how much they enjoyed Michael’s, or how much they will miss it. Yet Ernesto also sees possibility in that past patronage.
“This place has been here a long time, so people know the location,” Ernesto said.
This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 1:28 PM.
