Pictured | Chad and Travis Boswell
Twenty-five years ago, Chad and Travis Boswell took a chance on a weathered 100-year-old house in Cashiers and turned it into what would become one of the Plateau’s most beloved restaurants: The Orchard. With family roots deep in the hospitality business – their father ran the White Goose Café and Oakmont Lodge, and their grandparents owned a restaurant in Florida – the brothers brought complementary skills to their new venture.
They purchased the old residence, renovated it themselves, and opened The Orchard on May 23, 2000.
“We were fortunate to be busy from day one,” Chad recalls. “But we also had a lot to learn – especially about surviving the winters.”
The early years brought unexpected challenges, from the seasonal slowdowns to the limitations of operating in a dry county.
“We didn’t realize how much not being able to serve alcohol would affect the bottom line,” he observes. “We made it work – but those first couple of years were tight.”
May 23, 2000
Travis, who oversees the kitchen, adds, “Balancing work and family life was probably the hardest part, and it’s something we’re still figuring out.”
Today, Chad manages the dining room while Travis oversees the kitchen and events program. Though The Orchard has grown – adding a guest cottage and an event barn – their focus remains the same: honest food, warm service, and an experience that keeps guests coming back.
Chef Iwayan Sudiartama—a 20-year Orchard veteran from Bali—orchestrates a menu that’s both innovative and comfortingly familiar. Trout prepared four different ways, the legendary Orchard chicken stuffed with apple, sage, walnuts and cheese, and Boswell’s crab cakes (their father’s treasured recipe) remain perennial favorites.
“We’ve focused on doing what we know we can do best,” Travis emphasizes. “We always try something new but never take away the most popular items.”
May 23, 2000
Over the years, their connection to Cashiers has deepened.
“I’m proud to be part of this community,” Chad says. “Cashiers has grown a lot, and I feel like food and hospitality have played a real role in that growth. We’ve been lucky to be part of it.”
Travis agrees, adding, “It’s given me and my family a real sense of place – something I probably didn’t see in the beginning.”
Perhaps most telling of The Orchard’s impact: the restaurant now welcomes the grown children of their original guests and even employs the offspring of longtime staff members.
The Orchard Restaurant serves dinner Tuesday through Saturday, 5:15–9:00 P.M., continuing a tradition of Southern hospitality – now deliciously aged to perfection.
Reservations are a must.
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