Julius Tolbert and client OMally Mitchell. Photo courtesy of Julius Tolbert.
If you have ever attended a local spring festival called ‘The Taste of Black Spartanburg,’ you may have met organizer Julius Tolbert during food tastings, youth scholarship presentations, or just in passing to say ‘Hi.’
But if you own a flagging restaurant or need help in starting your own restaurant of any type or size, you might want to see if Tolbert’s experience can help turn your business into a winner.
Because as he will tell you, part of his original motivation was to prove that “a black-owned hospitality company from Spartanburg could compete at the highest level while creating jobs, developing leaders, and helping revitalize downtown.”
“Growing up, I wanted to build businesses that our community could be proud of – places where people felt welcomed, celebrated, and inspired,” said Tolbert, who owns and operates Cornbread Consulting Firm. “Restaurants have a unique ability to bring people together regardless of background.”
Part of his expertise comes from owning his own restaurant, Euphoria Kitchen + Cocktails in downtown Spartanburg, which he opened in 2025.
But Tolbert pointed out that its creation came only after years of consulting restaurant professionals, studying hospitality, and learning what creates memorable guest experiences.
“For me, it was never just about opening a restaurant,” he said. “It was about creating a place that represented excellence.”
For example, Tolbert determined from his research and the advice of other business professionals that the kind of restaurant he was looking to open needed more than just good food.
Considerations included:
How about Southern comfort food such as lamb chops, Cajun Chicken Alfredo, and soul rolls?
What if we offered it with handcrafted cocktails?
Should we offer dinner only? Or will we have enough business to justify lunch, brunch, and dinner?
Should the food be standard cuisine or come with the option of chef-driven specials?
Will our patrons want food and drink only or would they be more apt to come and stay longer if we added live music?
All of this accumulated knowledge – and a lot more that happens behind the scenes – is what drives Tolbert to not only run a tight restaurant business, but to help others do the same.
“Business owners started reaching out because they saw the systems I was building and the results we were producing,” he said. “Over time, I realized many restaurants don’t fail because the food isn’t good. They struggle because of leadership, systems, financial management, marketing, guest experience, and operational discipline.”
To this end, Tolbert assists restaurant owners with an array of business approaches including leadership training, service standards, and sustainable growth strategies.
But before any plans are ever discussed with a client, Tolbert comes to the table understanding that their dream, and the work needed to make it happen, is going to be unique to them – which is the main part of why he likes his job.
“I’m passionate about helping owners build businesses that don’t depend on them being there every minute,” he said. “A successful restaurant should be a well-run company, not just a talented chef working long hours.”
