Over 45 years ago, Anna and Bob Williams opened the first Lizard’s Thicket in Columbia, S.C. And while we’ve grown to multiple locations in the Midlands of South Carolina and in Florence, S.C., some things never change. Lizard’s Thicket is still owned and operated by Bob and Anna’s children and grandchildren, and we still pride ourselves on offering authentic regional Southern home cooking that families have enjoyed for generations.
Today Lizard’s Thicket is proud to have over 600 employees and 13 locations to serve you. At Lizard’s Thicket, we know that families are busier than ever, but our family is still committed to bringing your family home-cooked meals at a great value.
Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or supper, seven days a week, like our family has said since 1977, “y’all come!”
Take a look at our past 40 years!
1977
Bob and Anna Williams opened the very first Lizard’s Thicket in 1977 in a home on Broad River Road in Columbia, S.C. This location meant “home cooking” in every sense of the phrase! Just like today, all of our Lizard’s Thicket meals were based on Anna’s own recipes.
Lizard’s Thicket just wouldn’t be the same without our chalkboard menu. Take a look at the original, handwritten chalkboard below. We’re proud to still offer many of the delicious dishes we did 40 years ago.
1977 – Early 90s
Now our employees wear collared shirts with our Lizard’s Thicket logo, but we love looking back at our original waitress uniforms.
1980s
The iconic Lizard’s Thicket sign on Two Notch Road.
1983
We’re proud that Lizard’s Thicket is still owned and operated by Bob and Anna Williams’s children, and today the third Williams generation is employed in our corporate office and restaurants.
1996
Bob Williams and his sons Bobby, Jimmy, Mark and John. All four of these sons are still in our restaurants and managing our Lizard’s Thicket catering on a daily basis.
1998
Our Irmo restaurant is a great example of what today’s Lizard’s Thickets look like – warm and inviting with porches and plenty of room inside!
2012
In 2012 our 15th restaurant, and the first Lizard’s Thicket outside of the Columbia area, opened in Florence, S.C.
2012
Lizard’s Thicket turns 35! We celebrated by highlighting our employees and customers and by raising funds for many of the great non-profits in our community.
2017
As we’re rounding out 40 years of offering traditional Southern cooking at prices that folks can afford, Lizard’s Thicket and the Williams family are more focused than ever on being a place where families and groups of friends can gather for a hearty meal and catch up on their days. Many of our Lizard’s Thicket locations also have drive thrus so that we can quickly serve customers that are on the run. Though we serve thousands of customers daily, we still offer so many of Lizard’s Thicket favorites, all listed on our famous menu boards, of course!
2022
We’re celebrating our 45th anniversary and while some things have changed, our Lizard’s Thicket traditions are stronger than ever. Many of our restaurants might feature wi-fi access and offer our full menu to-go in the drive-thru, but serving our customers’ needs while offering comforting food at a reasonable price has been the focus of our family’s business from the very beginning. With 13 locations in South Carolina, still serving breakfast, lunch, and supper every day, really, the more things change, the more things stay the same at Lizard’s Thicket.
