Table of Contents
South Carolina is where Cook Out first left home, and it is also home to a NASCAR playoff race with the chain's name. The chain's first store outside North Carolina opened in Spartanburg on July 30, 2010, and South Carolina now has about 52 Cook Outs, 14% of the chain. Darlington Raceway has carried the Cook Out Southern 500 since 2020.
- ~52
- Cook Outs in South Carolina
- July 30, 2010
- First store outside North Carolina
- 8th
- Columbia-area store, if Roberts Branch opens
- 11.5%
- Highest meal tax in our guides
14% of the chain, second to North Carolina
Spartanburg, the chain's 74th
The State, July 20, 2026
Myrtle Beach city limits
How did Cook Out grow in South Carolina?
July 30, 2010
Spartanburg opens
The first store outside North Carolina.
2010
Clemson and Orangeburg
Both open the same year, per Wikipedia's company history.
End of 2011
Columbia
The state capital gets its first Cook Out.
2020
The Cook Out Southern 500
NASCAR announces the entitlement for the Darlington race.
January 2024
Newberry
The most recent opening listed by Wikipedia.
2025
West Columbia
A store on Charleston Highway, in an old Hardee's building, according to The State and the Post and Courier.
January 24, 2024
Carolina Forest permit
Horry County issues it, 20 months after the May 2022 request. The site cost $750,000 in 2019.
October 2025
Greenville marked coming soon
6175 White Horse Road, the one South Carolina site on the company's October 2025 list.
July 20, 2026
Roberts Branch Parkway
A former Steak 'n Shake at 1331 Roberts Branch Pkwy. in Columbia is converting.
Which South Carolina stores have guides?
| Store | What stands out | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Myrtle Beach | 11.5% city meal tax, 3:30 AM close | Myrtle Beach |
| Hartsville | In the county of Darlington Raceway | Hartsville |
| Florence | Pee Dee region | Florence |
| Conway | Near the Grand Strand | Conway |
How does the tax compare?
South Carolina charges 6% on a restaurant meal, and local hospitality taxes sit on top. Hartsville adds a 2% city levy for at least 8%, and Myrtle Beach reaches 11.5% inside the city. The Charleston area has had restaurants in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Summerville and Walterboro for years, according to an older report. Typical chain-wide prices, not posted store prices, put a Regular Tray at $7.98 with 8% tax and $8.24 with 11.5%.
The locations page lists every state, and the North Carolina guide covers the home state.