What should a restaurant do with a lunch counter where history happened? Chef Rob Masone’s answer at Kounter in Rock Hill was to keep all of it.
The building was McCrory’s, where on January 31, 1961, nine young Black protesters sat at the counter for lunch and were jailed for a month. Masone, a Rock Hill native, began refurbishing the space in 2019. The long pink laminate counter stayed. The seats where members were removed by police are bolted to the floor in their original spots, each with an engraved plate. “We want to educate people about what happened here.”
The food is seafood and playful dishes, and a speakeasy-style lounge called Elsie’s serves cocktails, charcuterie, and caviar. It’s a local, chef-owned restaurant that treats a landmark as something to honor rather than a theme to sell.
135 E Main St Ste 101, Rock Hill, SC 29730
