Although USC’s campus is already home to several national food chains, the Carolina Food Co. is unveiling an original restaurant in the fall, which will be exclusive to USC.
The Congaree River Smokehouse will debut in August 2018 and is one of many new additions to the first floor of the Russell House that will take place over the summer. Inspired by USC’s location in the “heart of barbecue country,” campus executive chef Michael Obrochta and his team proposed the new eatery as an ode to regional cuisine. Students can expect a variety of traditional Southern dishes ranging from pulled pork to banana pudding.
As maintaining the authenticity of the Palmetto State has been a high priority for the team, many of the products used to create the meals are solely distributed from towns in South Carolina.
While the foods on the menu may seem familiar, Obrochta and his team plan to add a twist by featuring a line of original barbecue and mustard sauces that can only be found on USC’s campus.
“We want to have our own brand. We want to be able to bottle it," Obrochta said. "We want to be able to be put our own label on it ... Something that the University of South Carolina can call their own and you can’t get it anywhere else."
After winning a contract with Aramark in 2017, the Carolina Food Co. is doing a “complete overhaul” of the first floor of Russell House to reflect changing student interests and to rejuvenate the dining atmosphere.
“There are some national brands, but we wanted to make sure that there was a location that was specific to USC, so that’s really what the Congaree River Smokehouse is,” said Faren Alston, Carolina Food Co. marketing director.
For Alston, the main purpose of the Congaree River Smokehouse’s design is to cater directly to the student population. Samplings, surveys and focus groups with students have been some of the most instrumental components in narrowing down the menu. While some dishes will be included on the menu for a limited time, other staples can be expected on the menu year-round, one of them being chili.
In keeping with March Madness, Chef Obrochta proposed a Chili Cook-off in the style of a bracket system to decide which chili would become the signature dish on the final menu. Students were invited to sample and cast their vote on 16 featured recipes that were pulled from campus chefs and food service directors. Obrochta’s goal is to make the cook-off an annual event with the aim of introducing new chili to the menu every year.
“Chili, I think, is one those things that everyone kind of has their own recipe for … so let’s not only let students vote but let’s have the recipe come from us it internally,” Obrochta said.
With opening day in just a few months, the official menu of the Congaree River Smokehouse is approaching the final stages of completion. Ultimately, Alston hopes that students to leave with the new restaurant with “full bellies” and an understanding of “the effort we put into making a brand specifically for this campus."
In addition to the Congaree River Smokehouse, the Carolina Food Co. other plans include a full service Chik-Fil-A, a Mediterranean restaurant and revamped versions of existing restaurants such as The Grand Marketplace and Topio’s.