Lizard’s Thicket will celebrate 40 years in business with special deals

Starting next Wednesday, Lizard’s Thicket restaurants will kick off a celebration of the local family-owned restaurant chain’s 40 years in business by giving back to non-profit community organizations and offering limited-time customer deals.

A special 40th anniversary mug will be sold for $5 at each restaurant. Proceeds of sales of these mugs will go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Columbia, Sharing God's Love and Palmetto Place Children's Shelter. Coffee is free with the purchase of mugs, which are available while supplies last. Customers can also try Lizard's Thicket’s new coffee blend, which is roasted in the Carolinas and made exclusively for Lizard’s Thicket.

The restaurant chain is also celebrating by:

▪  Hosting 40 different school nights this fall. Schools have signed up to participate, and on their night at the restaurant, each school will receive a portion of the proceeds of sales from that evening.

▪  Offering desserts at all locations for .99 during Restaurant Week, Oct. 12-22.

▪  Offering a scholarship to a University of South Carolina College of Hotel, Retail and Sport Management student funded by The Williams family, who owns and operates Lizard’s Thicket.

▪  Celebrating the reopening of one of the chain’s busiest locations — the newly renovated Elmwood Lizard's Thicket at 818 Elmwood Ave., which will re-open this fall with greater parking, a fresh interior and exterior and a state-of-the-art kitchen.

Bob and Anna Williams opened their first restaurant on Broad River Road in 1977. Forty years later, Lizard’s Thicket is still owned and operated by the Williams family. Third generation Williams family members also work at Lizard’s Thicket. Today, in its 15 restaurants, Lizard’s Thicket has more than 700 employees and serves more than 12,000 diners at breakfast, lunch and supper each day.

“We’re proud to be a Columbia and South Carolina institution for serving great, fresh meals to families at a great price,” said Bobby Williams, chairman of Lizard’s Thicket. “It’s exciting to be celebrating this milestone in Lizard’s Thicket history. We’re thankful to our customers, as always, for their business and our dedicated employees. Good people and good food are the heart of our business and we’re looking forward to celebrating 40 years of business and many more to come.”