Katie’s in Rock Hill is moving—but it’s not going far.
Katie Lee’s nearly 12-year-old pizza and pasta restaurant will relocate from its present location in the Market at McKnight (at the southwest corner of McKnight and Manchester) to a freestanding building in the same center that was home to Bandana’s Bar-B-Q and, more recently, Momo (9500 Manchester). The new site is adjacent to Hangar Kitchen + Bar.
When SLM announced the Momo closure almost exactly a month ago, it was hinted that a new tenant was expected to take over the space next month. That tenant was Katie’s. Here’s what is known so far.
The Space
The new building measures 5,600 square feet, twice the size of the existing space, but Lee notes that doesn’t translate to twice the number of seats. “We need to accommodate more guests, but we need extra kitchen and storage space too, because we’ve expanded so much over the years,” she says, alluding to the expanded menu at Ballpark Village, which includes a wood-fired grill for preparing sharable entrées. Similar to the Ballpark Village location and the forthcoming Crestwood restaurant, the new Rock Hill space will represent a continuation and a progression of the Katie’s concept.
“And a lot of it is that we need to build a better restaurant for the Rock Hill team,” Lee says. “They deserve it. The regulars deserve it. Plus, being in a free-standing building on a busy corner will give us all the visibility we never had.”
Plans to move the restaurant came about fairly quickly. “When the owner of the center asked if we were interested in the Momo space, the answer was absolutely,” Lee tells SLM. Construction drawings are currently being drawn up, which translates to an early spring opening, Lee says. “The plan is to close one day and open in the new space the next, or as close as we can get to that. We’re shooting for minimal business interruption.”
Despite the building being in excellent condition, the project will be a major undertaking, including a complete renovation and full restaurant buildout. Walls will come down, Lee says, and the kitchen and dining areas will be reconfigured. The bar, once off to the side, will move to the heart of the room, creating an energy and flow reminiscent of the Ballpark Village space. While the wood floors will stay, nearly everything else will be reshaped to suit the restaurant’s specific operational needs.
Capacity will also see a major boost. Plans call to increase indoor seating by 50 percent, to about 100 seats, while the patio promises to be an even bigger draw.
The three-sided outdoor space will be landscaped, covered, and anchored by its own dedicated bar. With additional greenspace beyond, the patio will provide an expansive, flexible footprint for alfresco dining, which could eclipse the interior in scale.
Unlike Ballpark Village, the Rock Hill expansion won’t include an event space. “The only event space we’ll have—and that includes the new Crestwood location—will be the 70-person room at Ballpark Village,” Lee says.
For Lee, the move feels both inevitable and overdue. “We had the opportunity to move before Hangar came along but couldn’t pull the trigger,” she says.
The Kitchen
Similar to Ballpark Village, the Rock Hill menu will include signature Neapolitan pizzas, pastas, salads, appetizers, and sides, as well as larger sharable plates, including a 24-ounce, bone-in Ribeye Florentina, Chicken Parmigiano, and fresh fish cooked over wood embers.
Lee also continues to build a powerhouse support team. In the past year, in addition to right-hand man and executive chef Jake Sanderson, she’s added veteran chef Cary McDowell to what she’s calling a “Chef Collective,” a team that also includes Derek Woodley and, just last month, pasta expert Jordan Clarke. Chris Kelling was also hired to oversee restaurant operations.
Beyond Rock Hill
When Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria (the restaurant’s original name) opened in Rock Hill in late 2013, the 2,800-square-foot, 65-seat restaurant was met with acclaim, with full houses from opening day.
The outdoor patio was covered then expanded—effectively doubling the seating—but Katie’s still bustled seven days a week at lunch and dinner. “It outgrew that space within about five minutes of its opening,” quipped a Katie’s regular.
Subsequent locations included Town & Country and Ballpark Village. A forthcoming location in Crestwood is slated to open in late fall. It will be situated adjacent to The Mexican STL, a higher-end Mexican restaurant from the Syberg’s team.
“In Crestwood, there’s an adjacent green space area with a stage, a shared space that’s part of the center,” Lee says. “Both The Mexican and we will be able to use that for hosting events and concerts.”
Lee has also written a memoir and is making plans beyond opening more restaurants.
Earlier this year, Lee told SLM, “I’ve been a restaurateur for 17 years; normally restaurants that have been around for that long start to fall off. I don’t want to ever fall off.”
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