Shortfields Simpsonville is shutting its doors for a two to three month renovation, the downtown comfort-food restaurant announced, inviting regulars to visit its original Travelers Rest location while the North Main Street building gets an overhaul.
The Simpsonville restaurant said it will take a “brief pause” while the building undergoes renovations, according to FOX Carolina, which reported the closure is expected to last two to three months before the restaurant welcomes guests back. In the meantime, the restaurant is inviting customers to visit its sister location at 24 S. Main Street in Travelers Rest, with the Shortfields team saying it looks forward to seeing guests there during the renovation period.
A Restaurant Built on Catering Roots
Shortfields traces back to February 2010, when co-owners John Short, Marvin Short, and Cory Satterfield launched it as a catering company out of a former Zesto location in Travelers Rest, according to the Shortfields official website. The business grew a steady catering clientele before the owners expanded into full-service dining, opening their first brick-and-mortar restaurant in summer 2013 at 24 S. Main Street in downtown Travelers Rest, per the same site.
The Simpsonville location that's now closing sits at 111 N. Main Street in the heart of downtown Simpsonville, as reported by The Post and Courier.
September Pause Tied to Ownership Change
The renovation closure isn't the first disruption Shortfields Simpsonville has weathered this year. The restaurant briefly paused operations in mid-September due to permitting and paperwork requirements tied to a recent change in ownership, the restaurant clarified via Instagram, stressing the pause was unrelated to health code concerns and that regular operations resumed shortly after the paperwork was resolved.
Those assurances are backed by state inspection records. Shortfields Simpsonville earned “A” grades in official South Carolina Department of Agriculture food safety inspections reported in both August and September, according to the Woodruff Times, which also noted that inspection reports showed widespread compliance across Simpsonville dining establishments during that stretch.
Travelers Rest Offers an Alternative
For displaced Simpsonville regulars, the Travelers Rest location offers an alternative. The original restaurant is at 24 S. Main Street in Travelers Rest.
To capture that morning foot traffic, the Travelers Rest restaurant expanded its hours to include weekend breakfast service starting at 7:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, per a report from TR Girl's Adventures. The flagship serves food throughout the week with full bar service, giving relocated Simpsonville diners a reason to make the trip.
Shortfields in Downtown Simpsonville
Shortfields' Simpsonville location sits in the city's downtown.
Downtown Simpsonville's North Main Street has grown into a walkable dining destination in step with that growth, with local establishments including The Slice, Clock Tower Taproom, and Warehouse at Vaughns clustered alongside Shortfields, according to a discussion on Reddit. Main Street now offers multiple walkable dining and entertainment options for residents navigating the city's rapid expansion.
Until then, customers can visit the Travelers Rest location during the renovation.
