Palmetto Brothers announces closure, blow to Laurens square

Downtown Laurens potentially suffered a second blow Monday as Palmetto Brothers Dispensary owner Wes Meetze announced on social media that the craft beer and wine pub would close on June 22.

The announcement comes just two weeks after the owners of Rootimentary restaurant closed its doors for good, citing family health concerns.

Meetze blamed skyrocketing liability insurance costs for the closure.

“While operating costs have increased across the board, the major contributing factor in stepping away at this time is the dramatic increase in the cost of Liquor Liability Insurance,” Meetze posted. “Our rates have gone up 325% since we opened our doors 3 years ago. We were holding out hope for a legislative fix this session, but that seems more and more unlikely by the day.”

The first of three special sessions scheduled this month by the South Carolina Legislature ended this past week without the “legislative fix” Meetze and other bar owners across the state have been pleading for over the past few years.

A change to state law in 2019 requiring $1 million in liability insurance for bar owners has led to increased premiums and fewer providers.

Palmetto Brothers becomes the latest in a string of closures across the region and state. Greenville’s Blind Horse Saloon, a long-time live-music venue, announced its closure last month, and Rottie’s Biergarten in Woodruff has also shuttered, both citing the rising costs of insurance.

Palmetto Brothers had become a staple in downtown Laurens since its opening in 2021 and has been a key component of Mayor Nathan Senn’s downtown revitalization plan along with Rootimentary and other destinations such as Roma’s and Tacos and Bla Bla Bla.

Senn said the inaction of the legislature is understandably concerning to small business owners like Meetze and their hometowns. He also said the rising costs of alcohol liability insurance has also been a topic of concern for the South Carolina Municipal Association and the state’s Association of Mayors, of which Senn is president.

“I don’t think this is an indicator of a lack of interest in Laurens,” Senn said. “But I do think it’s an indicator about a mistake in the law and the priorities of the legislature.”

Senn also noted that three new eateries are in the works and announcements are expected soon.

Laurens City Councilman Martin Lowry had harsh words for the legislature’s inaction on the issue after its special session closed without addressing the alcohol liability law.

“Really glad to see that our SC state legislature spent the waning hours of the legislative session debating (and approving!) an important issue affecting South Carolinians…making the brown pelican the official state sea bird,” Lowry posted. “It’s good to see that they didn’t waste time on unimportant issues like the liquor liability insurance mess that affects businesses like bars and restaurants. Let’s make sure we promote that brown pelican in THIS session….after all, it will be so much easier to help the reduced number of restaurants and bars that are left next year when the next legislative session is convened and the can of liability reform is kicked around again.”

Two more legislative special sessions are on the calendar for June 18 and June 25, but it is unclear whether the liability insurance bills designed to help bar owners will be debated or considered for a vote.

Meetze said Monday that he was working with an insurance company for future coverage and had not ruled out reopening as planned with a move to Harper Commons when it opens later this summer. Local developer Barton Holmes is developing the Harper Commons “culinary and cultural” project.

“So for now, we are going to say, ‘See You Later’ as opposed to ‘Goodbye,'” Meetze wrote.