A new restaurant called Dagwood Social is aiming to fill the old Ciclops Cyderi and Brewery building on East St. John Street in Spartanburg, with partner Chris Olson hoping for a late fall opening. The concept comes from the Hub City Hospitality group and promises scratch-made comfort food, a long list of options for people with dietary restrictions, and a drink menu built around more than just alcohol.
According to Post and Courier, Dagwood Social is billed as an elevated American restaurant serving classic dishes with a scratch-made twist. Planned menu items include chargrilled swordfish, short rib ragu, lemon herb scampi, a wagyu birria burger and a sandwich called the Dagwood club. The name is a nod to Dagwood, the comic-strip character from Blondie famous for his towering, oversized sandwiches, which inspired the restaurant's own approach to hearty, stacked fare.
A Building With a Full Plate of History
The space at 197 E. St. John St. has sat empty since the end of July 2025, after Ciclops Cyderi and Brewery — which first opened there in 2015 — relocated. The same report notes Ciclops had initially planned a move to 1097 Union St. before ultimately reopening along the Mary Black Rail Trail near Flock Shop, another Hub City Hospitality property, following more than a year of preparation.
Chris Olson, a partner in Hub City Hospitality, told the outlet that the project to build Dagwood Social actually began before the group had even settled on a location. The restaurant will sit across the street from the Chapman Cultural Center, putting it in the middle of Spartanburg's arts and entertainment corridor once it opens.
The restaurant’s neighbor has been a cultural institution for nearly two decades: the Chapman Cultural Center opened in 2007 after its East St. John Street site was selected in 2002. The center says its mission is to bring cultural experiences to Spartanburg residents and visitors, reinforcing the arts-and-dining connection Olson cited as a draw for the location. Chapman’s history traces the center’s development from the original site selection through its opening.
Room to Gather, and a Nod to Parking
Inside, Dagwood Social is planned to include a long bar, large tables and a lounge area meant for bigger gatherings. The building also comes with an attached parking lot, something Olson said matters to how Hub City Hospitality designs all of its concepts. “All of our concepts, we think about parking,” he said, per the same report.
The restaurant is also planning an unusually large accommodation for dietary restrictions: a gluten-free menu intended to be nearly as large as the regular menu. Non-drinkers will have plenty of options too, with zero-proof cocktails designed to deliver the same complexity as their alcoholic counterparts, Olson said.
Joining a Growing Local Lineup
Once open, Dagwood Social will join Fr8 Yard, Venus Pie, Willy Taco and Flock Shop under the Hub City Hospitality banner, adding a fifth concept to the local hospitality group's footprint in Spartanburg. No exact opening date has been set beyond Olson's hope for late fall.
Dagwood Social is also arriving amid broader investment across Spartanburg County. OneSpartanburg said the organization landed 21 economic-development projects in 2025, representing $3.5 billion in capital investment and 1,053 new job opportunities. The figures cover the county, not downtown restaurants specifically, but they offer a measure of the growth surrounding the local hospitality group’s expansion. OneSpartanburg’s 2025 figures put the investment in regional context.
