David Valentine is the type of guy who’s always looking for inspiration and knows how to split his attention.
Between an interview and deliveries for his soon-to-open downtown Greenville pizza restaurant Crust & Craft, the co-owner gives each attention – keeping his composure when others might feel overwhelmed.
The restaurant’s first South Carolina location, and third overall, is expected to open in early December on Main Street across the street from downtown’s Westin Poinsett hotel. The location was formerly home to Luna Rosa.
“This is my favorite time. The design, the construction, the real estate negotiations, the ‘how do you make this whole building into something you can utilize,'” said Valentine. “But the best part is when you have a whole new local family.”
Valentine’s take on 123 S. Main St. will give it a classic facelift.
The historic building was originally the site for the Carpenter Brothers Drugstore. Valentine tore up the flooring to reveal the original tiling. He also exposed the brick to the right of the entrance and apothecary cases to the left.
“I like to take what the building gives you,” Valentine said. “I love these old buildings. They just tell a great story.”
The pizza oven, a rotating gas-driven model, sits in a corner behind a short wall. The oven dwarfs that wall, so the intention is visibility.
Valentine prides himself on having a restaurant that’s fun and, to some degree, anti-corporate – using processes found in the corporate world for compliance sake but creating a place with soul and joy.
“I wanted the kitchen to be part of the world with our kitchen, people that smile and dance and have a good time. You know, throwing dough up in the air and spanking it on the way down, it’s fun,” Valentine said. “I don’t want anyone in that corner unless they know how to smile.”
What to expect
Crust & Craft is known for it’s unique pizzas, like the Dynamite Shrimp pizza featuring fried shrimp boom-boom sauce. Valentine finds inspiration everywhere and challenges his team with how to make it. A lot of that inspiration comes from the surroundings.
To start, Crust & Craft will not have dishes exclusive to Greenville right away in favor of getting to know the city and learning what Greenville likes.
The spot has lots of foot traffic, so Valentine anticipates a late-night menu he hopes to start in spring, with 8-inch rounds for those getting off work or looking for a bite after a night out.
Crust & Craft also has two locations in Georgia. For more information, visit crustandcraftpizza.com.
