Saluda Whistle Stop Pizza & Wings closes after 7 years in business

SALUDA - Melisa and Jason Smith made the difficult decision in late November to permanently close their beloved restaurant Saluda Whistle Stop Pizza & Wings, which they had opened as a tribute to their late son, Adam Jackson.

The restaurant had been open since 2017, three years after their son's death, when the 24-year-old was hit from behind while riding his moped by a woman who was doing 89 mph in front of the GE plant in East Flat Rock, according to Melisa Smith. She said the District Attorney at that time, Greg Newman, had reduced the charge to failure to yield instead of felony hit-and-run.

"She was written a ticket for killing our son. My attorney recovered the black box from her car after Newman told us the car was destroyed," Melisa Smith said. "The black box told the story. She was doing 89 mph when she hit my son from behind and 93 mph when she hit the telephone pole up the road."

The Smiths sued the driver and won their civil lawsuit, she said. With that money, they wanted to honor their son by opening a pizza place, since they said their son had a love of cooking and was also a "master pizza craftsman."

Jackson's death came just two weeks after Melisa Smith had started her new business, the Saluda Gem Mine. At that time, Jason Smith was a police officer with the Hendersonville Police Department, but he had a change of plans.

"We decided life was too short and Jason wanted to spend more time with me and the boys since the police department consumed his life previously. He decided not to go back into law enforcement and help with the gem mine business, because spending time with myself and our sons was more important to him," Melisa Smith said.

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Over time, rising food costs and other unforeseen issues had the Smiths' expenditures increase beyond their means to keep the restaurant afloat. But they are holding their heads high as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.

"The Smith family will continue to be of service in one way or another as we all have servants' hearts," Melisa Sith said.

The birth of Saluda Whistle Stop restaurant

Back in 2017, with her husband helping with the gem mine business, Melisa Smith said they soon realized it was not making enough money through the winter months to pay the bills.

"We closed it, totally," she said. "We ended up renting a caboose behind the building that was the gem mine, and we moved the gem mine back there. We ended up building a kitchen in the original building on Main Street. We used the money from the civil suit to open up Saluda Whistle Stop Pizza & Wings."

Jason Smith brought his knowledge of running a restaurant as well as how to cook high-quality food. He used to live in Rochester, New York, and helped his aunt and uncle there run their Italian restaurant, Melisa Smith said.

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"It was a blessing, and we built a great crew, from Adam's school friends to local teens with fun personalities. Our sons were now 13 and 14 so they learned quite a few things growing up in the business," she said. "They learned social interaction with adults, how to communicate with people, take orders and prepare food. They took food-related classes in high school and were really enthusiastic about the service industry as a whole."

Things picked up in a hurry, and the building they were in had room for just three tables. Three years after opening, the Smiths were looking for something bigger.

On New Year's Day in 2020, they signed a new lease in a larger location just off Interstate 26. They had no idea their world was about to turn upside down with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

"For the next three months, we were building a kitchen in the new location. While the dumb waiter and hood were being installed in the kitchen, the world went sideways," Melisa Smith said, referring to COVID. "The governor said no indoor dining on March 17. I stood in the parking lot with Don Mintz and cried, asking what do I do now?"

Mintz replied, "Sweetie, you built it, they will come. Get your doors open ... the community misses you guys."

And that's what the Smiths did. On March 19, 2020, they reopened and did to-go orders only.

A sad goodbye

As food prices continued climbing into 2023, the Smiths faced a difficult decision. They had to close the restaurant for good, Melisa Smith said.

"We have until Dec. 31 to vacate the building," she said. "That means selling everything. We still have to finish paying Mr. Mintz for the dumb waiter and hood system installation.

Looking back on her career path since 2014, Melisa Smith said she likes focusing on the good times rather than the bad.

"As I reflect today, more smiles, laughter and good times, than anxiousness and stress come to mind, as time heals all wounds," she said.

In addition to her family and staff, Melisa Smith said she'll really miss her patrons.

"The people, our patrons, are truly like family. We had several that came in weekly (The Hayes, The Brookshire, and so many more in which their last names escape me, we appreciate you all. And we want to give a super special shout out to Mr. Harrill. He had a reserved seat at the end of the bar with a reserved seat sign, as he was in almost every day. The many conversations, to him getting first dibs on all specials, Mr. Harrill is one of a kind."

The Smiths are still selling equipment and other items from the restaurant. For details, call 828-691-9720.

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Saluda pizza restaurant closes after 7 years