Page 7 - Demo

There’s nothing simple or cheap about expanding a business up to the roof, but Sharif Hatoum and Bret Oliverio each prove that a commitment to growing Uptown Greenville can’t only run deep, it also has to run high.
Hatoum, the creator of Still Life Greenville and Oliverio, the owner of Sup Dogs, are the anchors of a unique movement in Greenville’s center — vertical growth. With the opening of Still Life’s rooftop bar in April 2018 and Sup Dogs’ four months later, Greenville can offer an enhanced downtown experience to a broader variety of patrons.
“When we started this, one of the selling points I had to the city is the way you improve a district, is you need to have a trendsetter to make the investment, and then everyone else will follow suit,” said Hatoum, whose rooftop bar at Still Life is known as “The Loft.” “We’re really happy that we could be the spark, so to speak.”
The two business owners took slightly different journeys to become upwardly mobile, but both reached a point when they realized that their commitment to a more vibrant Greenville called for both innovation and investment. For Hatoum, who came to Greenville from Toronto in 2006 and envisioned building a rooftop establishment like the one he had owned up north right away, obstacles delayed the project for more than a decade.
The first issue was the age of the Still Life’s building; Hatoum realized quickly that he would have to put money into structural repairs, like updated plumbing and electrical systems, before he could even think about an expansion. By the time that was done, the City of Greenville had passed an ordinance stating that nightclubs could not expand unless they were 500 feet away from other private clubs, public clubs or residential areas. Not willing to abandon the idea, Hatoum threw considerable energy into convincing Greenville officials that a rooftop space at Still Life would enrich the city. He developed his own ordinance and made a presentation, and in March 2017 the Board of Adjustments approved a special-use permit for the rooftop project.
“Greenville had a reputation of establishments that weren’t reinvesting into their communities,” he said of the city’s change of heart about the ordinance. “I think it was just showing that things can be done in a very responsible, community-friendly way.”
The Loft, which features fire tables and plush wicker seating, as well as louvred automatic blinds to close the area off during inclement weather and pavers imported from Italy, has been popular with patrons and provided an additional draw for the over-25 set. One of Hatoum’s objectives, since Still Life opened, has been to attract customers well beyond the ECU population. On Fridays and Saturdays, only those 25 and older can use The Loft.
“The one narrative that I always used to hear is, ‘Greenville can’t handle nice things,’” he said. “There was a misconception about building a quality establishment, but we’ve been adamant on changing the perception of night life in Greenville. Ever since we’ve opened it’s been nothing but fantastic. We’ve made an atmosphere that’s all-inclusive for everybody.”
Sup Dogs wasn’t constrained by zoning laws; since more than 70 percent of their sales come from food, they were not under the 2008 ordinance. For Oliverio, the decision to build up came down to one key question: Should he build a third location (Sup Dogs already exists in Chapel Hill) in Raleigh or Wilmington, or should he reinvest the money to improve downtown Greenville? In the end, even though the rooftop area was more expensive than opening a new restaurant, he was loyal to his original customer base and the community that has helped make Sup Dogs one of the busiest spots in Greenville. He doesn’t expect the rooftop trend to take off too briskly because of the cost, even if new apartment complexes like Gather Uptown are adding rooftop terrace areas, but Oliverio is hopeful that the energy toward improvement will catch on throughout the uptown area.
www.greenvillenc.org/glimpse 7
“...WE’VE BEEN ADAMANT ON CHANGING THE PERCEPTION OF NIGHT LIFE IN GREENVILLE. EVER SINCE WE’VE OPENED IT’S BEEN NOTHING BUT FANTASTIC. WE’VE MADE AN ATMOSPHERE THAT’S ALL-INCLUSIVE FOR EVERYBODY.”