Wood-fired pizza restaurant planned for downtown Beaufort

Brick oven-style pizza, anyone?

The minds behind two other Beaufort restaurants plan to bring the dish to downtown. Hearth at Saltus River Grill will serve up wood-fired pizza, per plans submitted to the city.

Hearth will share a building and name with upscale seafood restaurant Saltus River Grill at 802 Bay St. Hearth will face Bay Street, while Saltus opens out to Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.

The new restaurant is a project of Lantz Price, who owns Saltus and nearby Plums, and the restaurants’ director of operations Chip Dinkins. Price and Dinkins have declined to talk about specifics of the project while final regulatory steps are cleared before construction begins.

Plans for Hearth call for outdoor seating along Bay Street and a patio along the side of the building on Scott Street. A pizza bar with a wood-fired oven, regular bar and dining area are included in plans for the first floor.

Upstairs will include a game room and additional dining area.

The front of the building will be fitted with wood and glass doors, and large windows would be build above the patio area on the Scott Street side. The city’s historic review panel approved the work in August, according to meeting minutes.

The Saltus House building, also known as the Rhodes House, Habersham House and Belk’s, was built in 1796 by merchant Francis Saltus. It is significant as one of the tallest surviving tabby buildings, according to the Historic Beaufort Foundation plaque marking the city’s tricentennial.

This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Wood-fired pizza restaurant planned for downtown Beaufort."