Runway Cafe to open at GMU

Slated to open this summer at Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) in South Carolina is the Runway Cafe.

“The Runway Cafe will serve a variety of food, as well as beer and wine. The aviation themed venue will be family friendly, affordable and feature a main dining area, outside seating, rooms for private groups and a large hangar for special events,” said Mike Bliss, owner of the Runway Cafe.

Bliss, who is a Clemson graduate, has been in the food and beverage industry for more than 16 years. He most recently worked with the Palmetto Bean Co., which has a location at the Hughes Main Library and had a cafe in the Open Book, which closed earlier this month because the local independent bookstore, in which it was located, went out of business.

Pilots will be able to use the pilot’s lounge with Internet access and “park” their planes right in front of the restaurant, he noted. The site is also convenient to a self-serve fuel pump. There will, of course, also be plenty of automobile parking for those who arrive by land, he said.

Beside the restaurant is some land where a free public park is planned. “We are looking for individuals and companies that would like to make a donation, in any amount, to enhance our community’s interest in aviation, while providing an activity-based outside space. We envision a set up similar to the one at the Peachtree Dekalb Airport (PDK) in Atlanta. It has picnic tables, a viewing stand and playground equipment. We would also love to have a walking exercise path around the space. Several park designs have been made. We are just waiting to see how much money we raise and whether or not a large sponsor would like to help make the final choice,” said Lara Kaufmann, public relations director for GMU.

GMU is the busiest general aviation airport in South Carolina. The airport is home to more than 25 aviation-related businesses creating 453 jobs that annually contribute more than $35.2 million to the Upstate economy.

For more information: GreenvilleDowntownAirport.com or 864-634-1380 or 864-242-4777.