New Greenville restaurant concept to open in Taylors with casual Latin, Caribbean menu.

A hybrid-service style Carribean and Latin restaurant concept will open in Taylors as the upcoming Sofrito Rotisserie is "the way to go" for service and cuisine, according to Hector Batista, owner of the new establishment which is part of Bellas Food Group.

Their grand opening will take place on April 17.

This new approach for Batista will operate as a casual/grab-and-go restaurant that specializes in rotisserie-style proteins served over rice and bean combinations, with various empanadas, mofongos (a plantain dish from Puerto Rico), sandwiches and desserts to try.

The 48-seat, 1,900 square-foot, fully renovated restaurant at 2801 Wade Hampton Blvd. plans to open in April and operate like an abbreviation of his most popular establishment, Sofrito Restaurant at 1757 Woodruff Road, but with Sofrito Rotisserie offering a casual and homey experience with unintrusive service.

"We wanted to keep it simple, quick and fresh so the food feels like you're eating at someone's home," Batista said. "It's a tiny little restaurant, but it's going to provide an experience."

After eight years of living in Greenville and developing different South American eateries around the area, Batista has designed Sofrito Rotisserie so customers can enter, place an order at a kiosk, grab an appetizer or snack from the fresh-and-hot case, grab a soft drink and grab a seat in newly built and reupholstered booths.

Customers can also order from a QR-code at their table and a server will bring their food once prepared, or from a traditional physical menu. A server will "touch the table" once, according to Batista, making the dining process seamless and spontaneous.

"This is one way for us to have a sustainable business and still provide the food at the level that we like, with the integrity, quality and the experience that we enjoy and love," Batista said.

Why is Sofrito Rotisserie offering a different style of restaurant

Batista's food portfolio includes The Goat Bar & Grill, Upstate Catering Company, an upcoming Greer Food Truck Village and the aforementioned Sofrito Restaurant on Woodruff Road.

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While his dining businesses excel in customer service, he is aware of the various franchises and new eateries headed to Greenville; identifying a need to rival all of those upcoming options while also battling worker shortage issues within the local service industry.

"What we're seeing and talking to everyone in the industry, there's not much loyalty in the staff. If you have a slow week, they're jumping ship, and understandably so," Batista said about having trouble staffing his full-concept restaurants.

He also believes that after the pandemic, a lot of manufacturing jobs and companies from outside of Greenville have pulled those who may have once worked exclusively in the service industry. His pivot was to form Sofrito Rotisserie as a business model that can keep up with the state of the restaurant industry, and possibly expand.

If this first concept goes well, Batista envisions creating more around the Upstate and beyond, citing that no one restaurant can do Latin and Caribbean combinations like his brand of food, which is well established throughout his growing restaurant portfolio.

"Just like most parents, you see your kids growing up," Batista said. "I would love to see this kid, this restaurant doing just as well or better than any other restaurant we have."

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What kinds of food can we expect at Sofrito Rotisserie

According to Batista, mofongo is the top seller at Sofrito on Woodruff Road but is not sold at any restaurant in Taylors. He feels that introducing this specific Puerto Rican cuisine to this part of the county within a casual dining setting makes perfect sense.

The forthcoming Sofrito Rotisserie will stick to its cultural roots by offering popular types of Caribbean and Latin American proteins such as roasted pork, beef, and seafood options that can be customizable within a bowl or wrap.

As customers enter the restaurant, six to eight types of empanadas, churros and other handheld items will fill a hot warmer with Columbian and Dominican treats, churros, and more sweets. A flavored juice bar and bottled beer will also be available for purchase.

Batista expects the price point for two people to dine out to cost around $30-to-$35 for an empanada, entree and drink.

"I don't want to do a regular fast food or quick service. I want to have another component to it for the experience, so I figured that this is the way we can do that," he said. "We have the tools, ideas and means to be successful. The rest, we put it in God's hands."

– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at [email protected], and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Sofrito Rotisserie opening in Taylors, offering Latin food concept.