Bellyfull by Tyger closes restaurant, picks permanent locations until summer
The Island News
The new year is bringing a fresh start for Tyger Snell, owner of Bellyfull by Tyger, a popular local food trailer. His food trailer also shares the name of his brick and mortar restaurant in Yemassee … for a couple more days at least.
The 46-year-old Snell, originally from Sheldon, cut his culinary teeth in local restaurants, as well as Technical College of the Lowcountry’s program, bouncing around as kitchen worker, a chef and sometimes manager for 22 years before being fired from a job.
It was then Snell decided to take a chance at doing his own thing.
Snell spent about $4,000 on a tent, a table, a deep fryer and a 6-foot-by-12-foot trailer. And Bellyfull by Tyger was born.
“I was scared to go out on my own,” Snell said. “That was really scary stuff. … COVID had just hit. … All I knew was that my food was good. My food was good, but I had to figure out how do I get my food out to the people.”
Snell first set up his trailer in a relative’s yard on Hwy. 21 in Lobeco.
He said the road hasn’t been easy; there were rough patches (fires, leagal issues, etc.). But he learned during his time in the local restaurants, that if you made good food, the community would support you.
Two years ago, Snell came full circle, opening a restaurant in Yemassee. While successful, Snell said it’s become uncomfortable simply because, between the restaurant and his extremely popular food trailer, he has been working seven days a week. It’s time to stop, he said
The last day his restaurant, located at 59 Salkehatchie Road, will be open (from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) will be Saturday, Jan. 24.
“People have told me they are disappointed, but they understand,” he said. “I’ll be around, though.”
Snell said he made good money on the weekends, but he has decided he’d rather spend those days traveling. He wants to take his truck and test the waters in other towns and other states.
He’s taken the truck to Columbia a couple times, and he’d really like to try Florida. But he thinks he won’t really dive into traveling until the summer.
In the meantime, Snell will continue to work most of the festivals in the area – Taste of Beaufort, Soft Shell Crab Festival, Gullah Festival, the Black Food Truck Festival, and the Shrimp Festival again next fall.
During the week, his new regular location will be at Winlectric at 245 Robert Smalls Parkway. And on Sundays, he’ll be at Farmers Furniture at 2421 Boundary Street.
And Snell wants to remind people, his catering business will continue, even though the restaurant is closed. He can be reached on Facebook at Belly Full by Tyger or by phone at 843-321-5343.
