“We’re better today than we’ve ever been.”
The COVID-19 pandemic was a devastating time to own a business, with an estimated nine million establishments closing by December 2020. Food service was among the industries with the greatest decrease in demand. One might expect that a small, family-owned restaurant in a modest town would go belly-up as well, but that is far from the case when it comes to Wilson’s Curb Market, a staple of Clinton, South Carolina.
Founded in 1958, Wilson’s fits right in with the pleasant old brick faces of Main Street, its plucky red script and blue awning projecting an eager, an all-American vibe.
Paul Wilson, the current owner, took over the family business in 1992 and has been dedicated to the restaurant ever since. His efforts have not been in vain. Despite the pandemic, the restaurant has been successful enough to cut hours considerably within the last few years. The diner is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Friday, hours are extended to 6 p.m. They are closed both Sundays and Saturdays.
“Fortunately for us we do a lot of to-go orders, so when they shut down indoor dining our to-go orders really shot up. We put tables outside. Outdoor dining helped some,” Wilson explains.
Carry-out orders are not slowing down anytime soon, but there has been a renaissance of in-door, in-person dining, which is really what Wilson’s is all about.
The interior harkens to an earlier time with its open floor plan, checkered tablecloths, and original 80s booths. The floor is a vibrant red tile. Some of the booths have mirrors affixed above them, a point of intrigue in an otherwise straight-forward establishment. For the customer who is really on the go, there is a mini convenience store within the diner, and for the laid-back customer, rocking chairs out front.
Wilson himself likened the atmosphere of the diner to Cheers, an 80s sitcom revolving around the owner of a bar, his employees, and the regulars. Whether a person grew up in Clinton, or made it their home, that familiar feeling permeates the very atmosphere.
“I used to eat at Wilson’s a lot with my friends in high school, either before play rehearsal or after,” says Amelia Davenport, Clinton native and senior at Presbyterian College. “I’d go there with my dad. They used to give out punch cards and my dad would give them to me when it got to the free meal.”
A reasonably priced diner with fried comfort food seems right at home in a college town like Clinton, home of the Blue Hose, but most students attending Presbyterian College are completely unaware of it, opting instead for familiar food chains.
“Being a PC student from Clinton, it’s one of those places not a lot of people at PC know about,” continues Davenport. “If you’re from Clinton, you have to know about it. It’s everybody’s favorite place to eat.”
Every restaurant has its crowd-pleasers and Wilson’s is no exception. The pimento bacon cheese burger is by far the most popular burger on the menu.
“When I think of Wilson’s, I think of burgers,” Davenport states, fondly.
Wilson’s is also well-known for its bird dog sandwich—a Clinton classic. A bird dog is a hot dog bun stuffed with chicken tenders, topped with cheese and bacon, and finished off with either honey mustard or ranch.
“When we had bird-dog day in high school everyone went crazy,” says Davenport, also a graduate of the nearby Clinton High School. “There are pictures in the yearbook of guys getting thirteen bird dogs each and making giant towers with the containers they came in.”
As of today, Wilson’s holds 4.6 stars on Google Reviews. Some of the highest praise seeped on the establishment includes a reviewer who states he drives off the interstate to dine sometimes, and a woman whose friend group ended up there after their usual spot was closed—only for Wilson’s to become their new favorite spot.
Wilson credits the success of his restaurant to several factors, such as their high-quality, fresh ingredients and expediency, but the most decisive factor of all is the community Wilson’s fosters, and which fosters it in return.
“We have a small-town atmosphere. People come here and they see their friends,” says Wilson. “They want to be where somebody knows their name.”
The frozen-in-time retreat offered by Wilson’s will remain just that—frozen in time. Although the owner is eager to update the infrastructure of the building, which is around 42 years old, that is where the changes would stop.
“Updating the inside—new grills, new fryers, even new sinks. As far as the concept of it, I’d like to leave it as it is,” he maintains.
Wilson’s Curb Market is located at 210 W Main St, Clinton, SC 29325. To place a carry-out order, call at (864)-833-3227.
