Mortgage Broker in Easley, SC

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Habit Burger Grill, the California-based restaurant company renowned for its award-winning Charburgers grilled over an open flame, signature sandwiches, fresh salads, and more, announces today the grand opening of their third restaurant in South Carolina with their Easley drive-thru location. The restaurant and drive-thru are located at 6210 Calhoun Memorial Highway, Easley, SC 29640, and their famous “Habit Hospitality” will be served up to the public starting Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

In honor of their grand opening, The Habit Burger Grill will host exclusive pre-opening VIP events for their CharClub and mobile app members. Guests can receive an invite to this exclusive sneak peek by signing up at http://www.habitburger.com/easley.

VIP Event Details:

“We are so proud to open our third restaurant in the beautiful Palmetto State,” said Tiffany Furman, Chief Financial Officer at The Habit Burger Grill. "The vibrant city of Easley has a deep and rich history, steeped in the railroad industry, and we hope to bring a little more flavor to this wonderful community with our world-famous charburgers, award-winning sides, flavorful sandwiches, and so much more.”

The 2,800 sq. foot Easley restaurant will offer drive-thru, dine-in, takeout; and delivery will be available via The Habit Mobile App and online at order.habitburger.com. Guests also have additional convenient ordering options including state-of-the-art indoor self-serve kiosks and delivery through Grubhub, DoorDash, Postmates and Uber Eats.

The Habit Burger Grill was named in Thrillist’s list of “Underrated Burger Chains that Need to be in Every State!” With its cooked-to-order mantra, The Habit Burger Grill’s open flame sears a distinctive smoky flavor into their famous Charburgers, fresh marinated chicken, and sushi-grade ahi tuna. Guests at The Habit Burger Grill can always count on freshly-made, handcrafted quality served up with genuine hospitality.

This Habit Burger Grill restaurant and drive-thru will be open Monday – Sunday from 10:30am – 10:00pm.

Connect with The Habit Burger Grill on social media at facebook.com/habitburgergrill, instagram.com/habitburgergrill, twitter.com/habitburger, tiktok.com/@habitburgergrill, and youtube.com/habittube.

About The Habit Restaurants, Inc.

Born in Santa Barbara, California in 1969, The Habit Burger Grill is a burger-centric, fast-casual restaurant concept that specializes in preparing fresh, cooked-to-order chargrilled burgers and handcrafted sandwiches featuring grilled chicken and sushi-grade ahi tuna cooked over an open flame. In addition, it features fresh handcrafted salads and an appealing selection of sides and shakes. The Habit Burger Grill was featured in Newsweek’s “America’s Favorite Restaurant Chains 2023;” its Tempura Green Beans was named as the top green bean dish in The Daily Meal’s “Ranking Green Bean Dishes From 11 Chain Restaurants” in 2023; and it was named in Thrillist’s list of “Underrated Burger Chains that Need to be in Every State!” The Habit Burger Grill has since grown to over 370 restaurants in 14 states throughout Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and Washington as well as international restaurants in China and Cambodia. More information is available at www.habitburger.com.

The Habit Burger Grill Press Contact: HBGMedia@yum.com

EASLEY — After a decisive victory in the Nov. 21 runoff election, Easley mayor-elect Lisa Talbert is ready to start making changes she said the voters clearly desire.

With 63 percent of the ballots in her favor, Talbert defeated current mayor Butch Womack by 753 votes, according to the certified numbers.

She doesn’t necessarily see herself as mayor for long, telling The Post and Courier she’s “looking forward to taking the necessary steps for a voter referendum on changing our form of government from Mayor-Council to Council-Manager.”

“All of us want financial and administrative transparency in addition to more responsible growth,” Talbert said in an email. “I’m planning to request a six-month moratorium on new developments.”

Post and Courier Greenville

With nearly 16,000 registered voters, the turnout on the rainy night just days ahead of Thanksgiving was 17.99 percent in Easley.

Womack won three precincts, including Hunt Meadows in Anderson County, though none by more than three votes. He didn’t respond to requests for comment.

There are 33 voters registered inside Easley’s city limits in Anderson County. Five of them cast ballots in the runoff.

“It was very affirming to see that the voters showed up to express their will, consistent with our first ‘win’ on election day,” Talbert said. “I’ve heard you Easley, and am looking forward to serving and working together to get Easley back on track!”

Talbert had 44 percent of the vote in the Nov. 7 election with 1,455 votes, and Womack had 34 percent with 1,108 votes.

Pickens City Council votes certified

In its bid to elect two additional council members in the Nov. 21 runoff, the city of Pickens chose Floyd Rogers and Allie Winter.

Rogers received 220 votes and Winter 160 upon certification. The city had a 16 percent voter turnout with 297 ballots cast.

Central Town Council votes certified

The Pickens County elections board also certified the results for Central’s two elections.

PICKENS — Battling intermittent power outages and high-wind warnings, unofficial winners were declared in four runoff elections in Pickens County.

With Thanksgiving condensing the normal schedule, the votes will be counted and confirmed on Nov. 22.

Easley mayor election runoff results

Easley resident Lisa Talbert managed to oust incumbent Butch Womack for the mayor’s seat by 553 votes in the Nov. 21 runoff election.

Talbert had 61 percent of the total 1,771 votes in Pickens County. Anderson County reported one vote for Talbert and four for Womack, according to scvotes.gov.

Talbert and Womack faced a runoff after they and challenger David Cox failed to get 50 percent of the vote on Nov. 7.

Pickens City Council runoff election results

Floyd Rogers and Allie Winter secured the two remaining seats in the city of Pickens after garnering 220 and 160 votes, respectively, in the runoff.

The third name on the ballot, Morrell Stokes, had 103 votes.

Central Town Council runoff results

Robert Carl Griffin claimed the vacant seat on Central Town Council with a 17-vote victory over Bryan Schaupp. Griffin secured 103 votes to Schuapp’s 86.

Joe Moss beat challenger Doug Barry by 27 votes in the runoff. Moss was two points ahead in the general election, though he garnered 110 votes in the Nov. 21 runoff to Moss’ 83.

Find out when and where to see Jolly Old St. Nick this holiday season.

Get ready, because Santa Claus is coming to Easley! This holiday season, the man in red is spreading holiday joy all over town. So get those wishlists ready, be on your best behavior (Santa knows if you've been bad or good!) and mark your calendar. Here's when and where you can catch Santa in the Easley area this year!

Please note: Event dates are subject to change or cancellation. We recommend calling ahead to confirm and making reservations when possible.

When: Dec. 2 Where: 239 Byrd Boulevard, Greenville, SC 29605 What: Enjoy some Cookies With Santa at the nearby Greenville Country Club for a delightful holiday experience. Come ready to capture the festive spirit with a photo opportunity with Santa himself. This event, hosted by Marchant Real Estate Inc., promises a cozy and joyous atmosphere perfect for family and friends to create lasting holiday memories. Click here for more info.

When: Dec. 9 Where: 1812 Woodruff Road, Greenville, SC 29607 What: Celebrate the holiday spirit with Brunch with Santa at Social Latitude down the road in Greenville! Enjoy a delightful brunch menu featuring favorites like scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes, and meet Santa Claus for memorable photo opportunities. This festive event is ideal for families, offering storytime, a digital photo with Santa and delicious brunch options for all ages. Click here for more info.

When: Select dates through Dec. 16 (see link for schedule) Where: 205 N 1st St, Easley, SC 29640 What: Experience the holiday cheer at Easley City Green, where Santa Claus will be greeting visitors on select Friday and Saturday nights. Capture unforgettable moments with a special photo opportunity with Santa in a festive setting. Bring your family and friends for an enchanting experience filled with joy and holiday excitement. Click here for more info.

When: Nov. 4 - Dec. 24 Where: 025 Woodruff Rd. Ste. H101, Greenville, SC, 29607 What: Experience a magical 2-minute visit with Santa at Santa's Wonderland at Bass Pro Shops Greenville. Book your free photo appointment for a personal moment with Santa, ensuring a unique and efficient holiday experience. Arrive on time to make the most of your special moment and cherish this festive season with a treasured photo. Click here for more info.

Happy holidays, Easley! Wishing you a joyful season filled with warmth and happiness.

This content is brought to our community in partnership with T-Mobile.

There’s a huge facility that offers indoor rock climbing near Greenville, SC. ProjectROCK, located in Easley, is fun for the whole family, no matter if you’re a beginner or expert rock climber. And it’s home to the highest indoor climbing wall in the country. We checked it out and have all the details why projectROCK is a must-visit for your family!

Looking for other places to go rock climbing? Here’s a list of the best places for rock climbing near Greenville, SC.

I’m always up for a new adventure and wow, my kids and I found one at projectROCK Easley, a massive indoor rock climbing gym. This place is really cool and the story behind how it was designed is perhaps even cooler. I’ll tell you all about it right here plus let you in on special climbing events they host, birthday party options, and why your family should try them out.

Bringing the Outside Indoors

ProjectROCK began out of a dream of a couple who loved rock climbing and lived in South Florida where elevation, and therefore, rock climbing, is non-existent. They had traveled all over the country to rock climb and decided to open their own indoor rock climbing gym that brought the outdoors in.

How did they do that? They designed the gym and climbing routes all based on places they had been, like Wyoming, Tennessee, California, Alabama, and several other amazing spots. The second location of projectROCK opened in Easley last year. It is based on the same concept and as an outdoor lover myself, seeing the different rock formations inside the gym that I recognized from my own travels was really cool.

For example, there is a literal arch the color of sandstone that is based on the famous arches out in Utah. Another climbing wall is based on Devils Tower in Wyoming. The climbing structures are all unique and provide routes for any level of climber and you can quite literally climb your way around the United States.

Another cool fact: projectROCK Easley is home to the highest climbing wall in the country at 84 feet tall.

There are more than 31,000 square feet of climbing activities at the gym plus they have a birthday party room, bouldering room (climbing without ropes), and a smaller kids’ room where kids are clipped to the climbing apparatus instead of using ropes.

Getting Ready to Climb: What to Expect

When you first come to projectROCK and want to climb, you need to take a short belay course ($10), which teaches you how to properly and safely tie knots needed to climb the towers with your partner or kid. I’ve never done this before but had no problems learning how to tie the proper knots and use the safety equipment. This course took about 25 minutes total and once I passed the belay certification course, I had to hide my excitement from my instructor. I was certified in something cool! This was momentarily thrilling. Whenever I had questions afterwards when I was the belay for my daughter, there was staff to help me out.

If you’ve never climbed before, projectROCK offers an intro class for beginners, which consists of all the gear you need, a belay class, and as much time as you want climbing. We’ll get to memberships in a bit. Once you take that class, you’re good to go for climbing!

Day Passes allow you to climb for the day. You can even climb, go get lunch nearby (we recommend Tropical Burger in Easley), and then come back and climb the rest of the day. An individual day pass with gear is $30 and $21 without gear. A youth pass is a little cheaper at $18 without gear and $27 with gear.

Kids need to be at least five years old to climb and they can do so for just $10/day pass in the American Valley room, which is a super cute room with American monuments like the Golden Gate Bridge, Mt. Rushmore, and the Statue of Liberty. This room is great for smaller kids since they just have to clip themselves to the climbing apparatus and no ropes are necessary.

Bouldering and the Big Walls

ProjectROCK offers several options for climbing no matter your ability or adventure level.

You can climb in the bouldering room, which has different routes for different abilities (I was definitely on the lower end of climbing these!) and the floor is padded. These structures aren’t that high because you’re climbing without ropes here.

If you want to climb the big walls, you can do so after you take the belay course and get your gear. There are more than 100 climbing lanes, 18,000+ holds, and 200+ routes at projectROCK. Having never been in a climbing gym before, it was quite the sight to behold. My kids were ecstatic as well. There is just so much to see and do.

Competitive and Rec Climbing

If you’re a competitive climber, projectROCK offers both a competitive and semi-competitive league that meets regularly. The Competitive team is for kids who have competed in the past and are looking to build on their skills and compete on a local and regional level. The Semi-Competitive team is more for those new to climbing and interested in competition. Both of these teams are for ages 7-17 years old.

The Competitive team costs $190 per four-week session and includes:

The Semi-Competitive league costs $150 per four-week session and includes everything that the Competitive league does. Competition costs are extra. The Competitive and Semi-Competitive league meets every Tuesday and Thursday from 5-7 pm.

The Recreation league is for ages 7-16 years old and meets weekly and is a lot more laid back than the Competitive league but just as fun. Kids will learn the basics of climbing and safety from coaches. This league meets on Wednesdays from 5-7 pm or Saturdays at 10 am. The cost for the Recreation league is $100 per 4-week session on weekdays or $150 per 4-week session on weekends and includes:

Special Climbing Events: Homeschool Days, Full Moon Climbs, Community Nights

There’s a lot happening at projectROCK and you’re bound to find something engaging for your family.

ProjectROCK has Homeschool Days a couple times a month where kids can climb for two hours for $20 per child. That includes all gear and the belay. You can watch your kids from the beautiful balcony that overlooks the tall climbing walls area. If you have a smaller child, they can climb for just $10 (includes gear) in the American Valley room during Homeschool Days.

ProjectROCK also hosts members-only events like the Full Moon Climb where the gym opens only for members at 10:30 pm and they get to climb in the dark with a headlamp. How cool does that sound?!

If you bookmark the Activities page on the projectROCK website, you can stay updated with the latest happenings.

Birthday Parties and Camps

As soon as I walked into projectROCK, I thought it would be such a cool place to host a birthday party. My kids agreed and have already planned out that they want their birthday party in 2024 at projectROCK.

The gym has a dedicated birthday party room right next to the American Valley climbing room (and a restroom, yay!). Birthday party packages start at $150 for members and $275 for non-members for up to ten climbers for two hours with two guides.

ProjectROCK will also have camps for kids but they have not yet released those details. As soon as they do, we will update our story and add them to our Summer Camp Guide.

Memberships

Like many cool places that you may want to visit again and again, projectROCK offers membership options so you can enjoy lots of climbing. Individual monthly memberships are $70/month for auto pay. They do not include gear, which you can rent for $9. Or you can purchase gear at some point if you really want to make a habit of indoor rock climbing.

ProjectROCK also offers day passes for $30/person, including gear. Or you can go bouldering without gear for a $21 day pass. Day passes for the American Valley climbing room are just $10. That room is perfect for smaller kids as it is auto belay and has shorter walls.

If you’re not sure what you want to do in the long run, you can save a little money by getting a six-visit multi-day pass for $162/with gear. Other passes are available as well. The climbing gym tries to make it easy to climb when you want but not commit to anything long term if you’re not sure what you want to do yet.

Honest Mom Review

Having never gone indoor rock climbing before, this was a real treat. My youngest daughter is totally fearless and couldn’t wait to get climbing so it was right up her alley. She went straight for the big walls once I got my belay certification and we were cleared to climb. It was a lot of fun.

Let me say that the staff was amazing. Again, having never done this before, I didn’t know what to expect and was a little nervous once I saw those climbing walls rising very high up. I’m adventurous but was still a bit apprehensive. Every single staff member was polite and helpful and encouraging. They never made me feel inferior for not knowing what in the world I was doing. You could tell they wanted their guests to have a great time and really enjoy the sport.

When I was belaying my daughter on the high walls, a staff member told me he could belay me while I climbed. I was psyched to do so! I chose a route that wasn’t that hard to get some confidence and didn’t do that bad. It was really high up there but oh-so-fun. I appreciated the time he took to make sure I got to have just as much fun as my daughter was.

I would definitely go back to projectROCK (and likely will just due to the persistence of my kids) and learn how to climb more of those walls. I’d love to be able to really get my confidence up to tackle some of the tougher routes!

ProjectROCK Easley is open daily Monday-Friday from 3-10 pm, Saturday 10 am – 10 pm, and Sunday from Noon-8 pm.

projectROCK Easley 2121 Farrs Bridge Road, Easley864.307.9152

Looking for parks in Easley? My favorite time of year has arrived, and I am so excited! Spring is working hard to break its way into the Southern summer. Recently my kids and I decided to leave the “big city” to check out the suburbs. We set out on a mission to explore some of the Easley parks and were pleasantly surprised with what we discovered!

We’ve also added some information for you about all parks in Easley and Pickens Counties, even if we haven’t had the opportunity to visit them yet.

Our Favorite Parks In Easley, SC

Once Upon a Time, in my former life, I was a baseball wife. My family spent countless hours at baseball parks. I’d been to JB Owens Complex on many occasions. I had no idea there was a playground – obviously, my visits took place before I was a mom. The playground has a climbing structure, one slide, and a swing set. A nice covered picnic shelter has seven tables and a Powerade machine. This might come in handy if you are like me and always manage to forget drinks! While the playground itself is pretty ordinary, it’s the surrounding area that caught my attention. In a very large wooded area, you’ll find a disc golf course. There are plenty of places to tie up your hammock, too. I saw several of these the day we were there. You have no idea how badly I wanted to join them! Can you say relaxing?!

Are you familiar with free libraries? Well, good news! Pickens County has placed one at this playground. If you have books your family has memorized, bring them and make an exchange. There’s one other feature I have to tell you about before moving on. Red Owens Complex has a “Born Learning Trail.” If you’re like me, you have no idea what that is. It’s just what the name says… a trail where you learn. Stations for younger children are set up across the field. Your job is to follow the directions on each sign. It is one of the coolest things I’ve seen outdoors! It provides such a wonderful teaching opportunity.

Pope Field is a small playground for ages 5-12. What stood out to me most were the four slides. Three are side by side. I didn’t have the kids with me on this particular trip, but I can easily imagine the races that would take place. In addition to the playground, there are two ball fields and a picnic shelter.

This park will appeal to you for several reasons. There are two separate playgrounds. The one for ages 2-5 is simple and somewhat secluded. There are two covered shelters and a bathroom. Please note, I am using the term “bathroom” loosely. I’d suggest you make everyone go before heading to this park.

The upper playground, for ages 5-12, is pretty large. It sits beside a basketball court and two volleyball stations. Remember to bring balls to take advantage of these courts. There are no shelters, but several picnic tables and plenty of green grass with perfect spots to throw down a blanket.

Hagood Park is also the perfect place to bring your furry friends. There are two separate fenced-in parks for your dogs. You heard that right! One park is designated for pups, the other for larger dogs.

Picnic tables, a shelter, a concrete walking trail and trains are just a few of the features this park offers. If you have a kid who loves trains, this should be on your list of places to visit. And three cheers for a nice clean bathroom at Doodle Trail Park. Learn More About Having Fun on The Doodle Trail in Easley, SC

Alice Mill Park102 Nalley Street, Easley

Kings ParkOak Circle, Easley

Nalley Brown Nature Park380 Adger Road, Easley

Woodside Park200 South 8th Street, Easley

Check Out Our Guide To Spending A Day in Easley, SC For More Fun Things To Do

Our Favorite Parks In Pickens County, SC

I saved the best for last. Jaycee Park is located off Main St in Pickens. I was so excited about this park, I picked the boys up from school and drove all the way to Pickens a SECOND time so they could see it. With the price of gas, that speaks volumes.

I followed the GPS the first time to get photos and check it out. I immediately fell in love. The largest structure is wooden with a slide, ladders, and a bridge. It reminded me of Kids Planet. Everything else is made of tires. There’s a zip line, swings, balance beams, and even ladders made of tires. The boys were fascinated. The climbing wall was ocean-themed and the walking trail was paved. There was even a Born Learning Trail on the other side of the fence.

A gate from the playground leads to a shallow creek with a sand bar. If your children are into skipping rocks and wading in ankle-deep water, you could easily spend the majority of your time here. It wouldn’t hurt to throw water shoes and a towel in your bag. You might be sorry if you don’t – I may or may not be speaking from experience.

This is just a rough overview of some of the family parks in the Easley/Pickens area. A short drive from Greenville, you’ll enjoy checking out these new discoveries as much as I did.

Town Creek Bike Park545 State Road S-39-190, Pickens

The Town Creek Bike Park (TCBP), is an off-road bicycling facility with a number of features, including:

Check Out Our Guide To Spending a Fabulous Day in Pickens, SC For More Fun Things To Do

Looking for other parks and playgrounds in the Upstate? Be sure to check out our ultimate guide to parks near Greenville!

This article was originally written by Andrea Beam and has been updated by the Kidding Around Team.