Poinsett District growing into destination and community.

• Position: Poinsett District, Greenville County, South Carolina

Improving the Poinsett Highway corridor, also known as the Poinsett District, has been a focal point for Greenville County since initiatives to revitalize the area began a decade ago.

Ten years and nearly $4 million later, new and improved Greenville staples are popping up on the highway in addition to successful existing businesses. That means new streetscape, sidewalks, lighting, paving, parking and marketing for the district.

Bob Mihalic, Greenville County communications and governmental affairs coordinator, said the Poinsett District is an area that has received much attention and resources from the county.

"We also have a Faade Improvement Program to make business signage and frontage more attractive," said Mihalic. "We worked with the federal government to make areas of the Poinsett District an opportunity zone, and thus eligible for investment incentives. The goal was and remains to improve the location directly on the highway but also have a circular impact of reaching out into the communities."

Tommy's Ham House closed last year after nearly four decades of being an iconic Greenville restaurant located off Poinsett Highway. Lewis Barbecue Greenville Owner and pitmaster John Lewis seized the opportunity to expand from Charleston and open a restaurant where Tommy's once stood.

"It was the kind of spot where everyone knew everybody," said Lewis. "It was a place where presidents and presidential candidates came to join the locals, a community gathering place. We hope to keep that tradition going with homestyle-cooked food and Texas-style barbecue. There are a lot of positive changes on the highway with more new businesses opening."

Lewis Barbecue Greenville officially opened on Sept. 14, six years after opening their first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Charleston. Although it is within the in Greenville city limits, the restaurant signals the beginning of the corridor.

"Customers have told me they would take the trip from Greenville to Charleston just to eat here and now we are here for them and other residents," Lewis said.

And for good reason.

Lewis started the business by welding his own custom-designed smokers and waking up at the crack of dawn to tend to the fire. Long lines are no stranger to Lewis Barbecue, which offers Texas-style smoked pork spareribs, beef ribs, "Texas hot guts" sausage, oxtail and Lewis' signature beef brisket.

Growing up in El Paso, Texas, Lewis moved to Austin at the age of 18 to start his culinary...