SALUDA – A popular barbecue restaurant in Saluda that has been closed seven months following the death of its co-owner in June is now set to reopen, according to the new owners, who said they are planning to have it back open soon.
Green River BBQ, 131 U.S. 176, shut down in June when one of its owners, Chris Deariso, died unexpectedly on June 22 at the age of 47. Deariso co-owned the restaurant with his wife, Kathryn, since December 2022.
Thomas Haas and his wife, Brianne, closed on the restaurant on Jan. 26. Thomas and Brianne Haas and their friend, Josh Kilby, who is helping open the restaurant and will be a worker there, said they’ve eaten there many times in the past. Haas, who has owned and operated several restaurants in the past, said the idea to purchase Green River BBQ came about while he and his wife were at Lake Summit last summer.
“It was Bri’s idea actually,” he said. “We were at Camp Greystone at Lake Summit, and we had some friends from New York. They came here. It was their favorite restaurant locally, and they told us it was closed. Someone said they thought the owner had passed away.”