Rodney Scott shifts to pop-up events, has no plans to stop cooking

James Beard Award-winning pitmaster Rodney Scott is wasting no time getting back to his roots. Just one month after the shuttering of his barbecue restaurant chain, Scott returned to his home state last week to fire up the pits once again.

Back to the Pit

WCIV in Charleston, S.C. reported that Scott hosted a successful pop-up event in Charleston this past Friday. The event serves as a clear signal that, despite the recent collapse of his restaurant group, his passion for barbecue remains unextinguished.

Scott’s restaurant operations came to an abrupt end last month, including his flagship location in Charleston, as part of a wave of closures affecting the Pihakis Restaurant Group.

A Birmingham Connection

Scott’s influence on the culinary scene extends well beyond the Carolinas. In 2019, he partnered with Birmingham-based restaurateur Nick Pihakis to bring his craft to Alabama. He launched his Birmingham location at 3719 Third Ave. South in Avondale, moving into the space formerly occupied by Saigon Noodle House and Bottletree Cafe. This partnership with Pihakis eventually expanded to include two additional locations in the Birmingham area.

Navigating Challenges

The closure of the restaurants follows a difficult period for the Pihakis Restaurant Group, which faces lawsuits and liens totaling more than $14.7 million since April. Among these issues, a Delaware-based lender is suing the group over a $350,000 loan tied to the South Carolina operations.

In a May interview with the Post and Courier, Scott admitted he was “surprised and disappointed” by the sudden closures. However, he remains hopeful about the future, noting that getting his Charleston flagship back online is his primary objective.

Moving Forward

For now, fans can catch the chef at his upcoming pop-up scheduled for June 12 at The Bus Shed in Charleston. As Scott told attendees last week: “Well, I will say this ... buckle up, you’re in for a treat.”