Page 11 - Demo

Y ou can still find traces of the old Lowcountry if you look past the booming development along the South Carolina coast. It thrives in pockets of the Sea Islands and on the mainland east of I-95, and if you take a drive, you just might find a hidden treasure. One such gem sits at the corner of Highway 21 and Salkehatchie Road in Yemassee, a small town of roughly 1,000 people straddling the Beaufort-Hampton county line. As you pull into the parking lot, you%u2019ll likely see people congregating outside a take-out window, and when you step out of the car, you%u2019ll understand why %u2014 the tantalizing scent of fried shrimp and crab fills the air, warming an otherwise chilly winter day. This is Belly Full by Tyger, a restaurant that specializes in traditional Lowcountry cuisine, the seafood and soul food cherished by generations in this part of the country. And it isn%u2019t just any restaurant; it is the next step in chef Tyger Snell%u2019s heartfelt mission to create a gathering place for families and friends to enjoy delicious, homemade meals together. Tyger was born and raised in nearby Sheldon, where he says he was raised on the water and in the kitchen. His father, Daniel Snell Jr., frequently took his five children fishing and shrimping in the local tidal creeks and rivers, and Tyger practiced cooking at the side of his mother, Estella Snell. %u201cI learned to cook my favorites early on, dishes like shrimp and okra, and shrimp and grits,%u201d he remembers. %u201cI was the kid who always wanted to try different things, and who always wanted to lick the cake pan.%u201d %u201cWhen I went to college, I would call my mom to ask how to make things, and she would walk me through it on the phone,%u201d he adds with a chuckle. %u201cI knew I wanted to do this for a living. I wanted to have my own restaurant, a place where I could make the dishes I grew up making.%u201d After his 1998 graduation from Battery Creek High School, Tyger briefly attended Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, and then moved to Jacksonville, Florida. He had family in the area, he says, and he was eager to work. %u201cI wanted to get out of South Carolina and experience more of life and the world,%u201d he says. %u201cBut then I found out my mom wasn%u2019t doing well, so I came home.%u201d Tyger didn%u2019t give up on his dream, however. He enrolled in the culinary arts program at the Technical College of the Lowcountry and completed an internship at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island; he was ready to expand his cooking skills and learn as much as he could about the restaurant business. %u201cMy heart was just set on it,%u201d he says. %u201cI did learn a lot. My family cooked everything from scratch, so at the time, measuring was something new and different for me!%u201d The first big step in Tyger%u2019s restaurant journey involved the purchase of a deep fryer and a small 6x12 utility trailer, which allowed him to deliver to local businesses and also serve the public from a tent at various roadside locations. Word quickly spread. %u201cI would have cars lined up in the median, waiting,%u201d he recalls. %u201cIt came to an end when someone told on me. I didn%u2019t know it wasn%u2019t a legal setup and that I needed to get a trailer I could cook out of.%u201d Roughly two years ago, Tyger invested in a small food trailer he called the Belly Blesser. He put a deep fryer inside it, and for six months, he traveled the local circuit of festivals and special events. The response was overwhelming. %u201cPeople told me the food was unique and amazing,%u201d he says, smiling. %u201cSometimes I%u2019d have so many clients, I couldn%u2019t go past 5 p.m. I only had one deep fryer, and my grease would start burning! %u201cI made enough money to purchase a bigger Belly Blesser,%u201d he continues. %u201cThen, once I got the graphics wrap on the trailer, even more people found out about me.%u201d Social media helped fuel the rise in Belly Full by Tyger%u2019s popularity as well. Before he knew it, he says, his Facebook page passed the 100,000-follower mark. Tyger realized his dream of owning a standalone restaurant on March 30, 2024, when he opened the doors at 59 Salkehatchie Road in Yemassee, South Carolina. BeaufortLifestyle.com | January 2025 11Belly Blesser Platter Tygeranian Turkey Wings, Fried Fish, Shrimp and Grits Cabbage, and Yellow Ricewith Homemade GravyTygerqued Chicken, Red Rice, and Corn