GREENVILLE — The Michelin Guide has set a date and location for the first awards ceremony honoring restaurants in the American South region.
The ceremony, in which South Carolina restaurants could be awarded Michelin stars for the first time, will be held Nov. 3 at The Peace Center.
Greenville was chosen over other culinary destinations in the new American South Guide, including New Orleans, Nashville and Charleston. The Upstate city has a storied connection to the French-based tire company, having been home to Michelin North America’s headquarters for 50 years.
“We are excited to honor and celebrate the talented culinary community of the American South in just a few months,” Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, said in a statement. “South Carolina is home to Southern staples, fresh seafood and a homegrown culinary community full of passion and innovation, making it the perfect place to celebrate the region’s culinary talents. Our anonymous Inspectors look forward to finally sharing their discoveries with the world.”
The news comes two months after the Michelin Guide announced it would extend its historic restaurant awards coverage to the American South.
The newly-created American South Guide encompasses South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. The Atlanta Michelin Guide, created in 2023, is also part of what became the first ever regional Michelin Guide when it was announced.
Michelin recently added another regional guide — its Northeast cities edition — featuring incumbents Chicago, New York City and Washington, D.C., plus Michelin newcomers Boston and Philadelphia.
Tourism agencies in both of those Northeastern cities paid for their newly minted partnership with Michelin. Such was also the case in the American South region, where each participating state agreed to pay to bring the Guide south, noting its boon to tourism.
South Carolina tourism agencies will pay the tire company $350,000 annually over three years. Visit Greenville is contributing $61,000; Visit Myrtle Beach, $58,500; Experience Columbia, $42,250; and Visit Hilton Head, $26,250. The state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism is paying the remaining $100,000 yearly balance.
Despite the payment arrangement, Poullennec emphasized the Guide’s autonomy in an e-mail interview with The Post and Courier in April.
The announcement of the ceremony in South Carolina and especially the city of Greenville carries particular significance, said Heath Dillard, President & CEO of VisitGreenvilleSC, in a prepared statement.
“This is more than a culinary celebration — it’s a proud moment for a community that has long shared a meaningful connection with Michelin,” Dillard said, noting the city’s growing food scene.
“We’re honored to welcome the Michelin Guide ceremony to a destination that truly values culinary craftsmanship,” Dillard said.
The 2025 Michelin Guide American South Awards will be held Nov. 3, at The Peace Center in Greenville. Event details will be announced in the coming months. Attendance is invitation only.
Parker Milner in Charleston contributed to this report.