Lake Hartwell Country’s Small Business Scene

Lake Hartwell Country is home to hundreds of small businesses, from restaurants and breweries to shops and markets! To celebrate Small Business Month this May, we encourage you to get out and explore Lake Hartwell Country’s local business scene. Chat with some business owners and learn the story behind their organizations, and most importantly, stumble upon some one-of-a-kind gifts and experiences you’ll treasure forever.

Gear up to support your favorite local businesses!

Good Eats

Sometimes the best hidden gems come from a family-owned restaurant, where they’re serving up delicious food made from well-loved heirloom recipes. Mama Penn’s offers “real Southern cooking,” and has been owned by the same Anderson family for more than 50 years. Summa Joe’s – owned by Summer and Joe Fredette, of course – uses local food producers for as many of their menu offerings as possible, including Blue Ridge Brinery and Walker Century Farms products. And Mac Smith’s Country Store and Grill is full of guilty-pleasure fried foods in a quaint market setting. The moral of the story: if the restaurant is named after someone, you know it will be yummy!

A small business with delicious offerings as well as fun activities for the whole family is Split Creek Farm. This goat farm is owned by Jessica Bell and Sandra Coffman, and their cheeses are the best you can buy – literally! Their feta has repeatedly won prizes for being a top cheese in the world: an herbed feta made by Split Creek just placed first in the United States and second in the world in the 2024 World Championship Cheese Competition. You can pick up some cheese for yourself at their store or visit the farm for self-guided tours on Fridays and Saturdays.

Treat yourself to some award-winning goat cheese and other dairy products at Split Creek Farm.

Boutiques and Buys

Stroll up and down the main thoroughfares in Anderson, Honea Path, Pendleton, Seneca, Walhalla, and more – you’ll be surrounded by incredible small businesses with plenty of hand-made and thoughtfully curated products for you to purchase.

Become the most fashionable person in town when you stop at any of our on-trend and vintage boutiques. If you’re in Anderson, check out Cate’s, owned by Caleigh Thomas and named after her daughter. They offer an incredible selection of shoes as well as eye-catching designer clothes. In Seneca, you can swing by Dear Rosie for your fashion fix, which also offers plenty of Clemson-inspired clothes perfect for your next tailgate.

If you’re not in the market for clothing, there are also other one-of-a-kind products to buy. Kitchen Emporium in downtown Anderson features everything the discerning host or hostess needs for entertaining. Elkmont Trading Company, with locations in Piedmont and Clemson, is full of outdoor gear, home goods, and eye-catching accessories. And if you’re musically inclined, you could visit Matt McClellan at McClellan Guitars in Pendleton, where he’ll work with you to design a custom guitar.

What surprises will you find in downtown Seneca's shops?

Experiences

Sometimes the best gift isn’t a tangible product or a tasty treat – it’s an experience that you can remember forever! When it’s time for an unforgettable adventure, you’ll want to keep these small businesses in mind.

Head on up to Long Creek, SC, for a day on the Chattooga River. Life in Long Creek offers both the Chattooga Whitewater Shop and Humble Pie restaurant all in one place, and it’s perfect for the whole family. Go tubing or paddling down the “wild and scenic” Chattooga on a guided float tour, then wrap up the day with some pizza to satiate you after your time on the river. Humble Pie was opened 20 years ago by Mike Stockton, and they still use his tried-and-true dough recipe.

Glazed in Clemson is a paint-your-own-pottery studio with tons of ways to express your creative side! Owned by Brittany Perez, Glazed offers walk-in pottery painting and glass fusing, birthday parties, canvas-painting parties, and more, and it’s the perfect place to bring friends or family together. You might learn a new skill or tap into a talent you didn’t even know you had!

One more unique activity is sure to leave a lasting impression. Horseback Waterfall Tours in Pickens is owned by Rhett Leonard, and he leads every single memorable tour. Rhett will take you out on a serene trail ride around the Upstate wilderness, allowing you to experience the beauty of the area from the perfect vantage point atop a horse’s back.

Giddy-up with Waterfall Horseback Tours in Pickens!

This Small Business Month – and every month! – we encourage you to think local whenever you can. Whether it’s purchasing food, gifts, and experiences, or choosing to work with a small bank or regional contractor, giving back to community businesses is something each of us here in Lake Hartwell Country can do!