An Inside Look at Little Secret Greenville
You may have heard someone say, “Yeah, THAT Greenville” over the past few years, and it’s easy to see why the phrase works so well. Greenville, SC, is a small but mighty city, with a population of about 547,000 as of the 2023 census, making Greenville County the largest in South Carolina. As the city expands, so does its dynamic and evolving food scene, creating space for fresh ideas and culinary risk-takers.
One of the newest names making waves in the local food world is Chef Conner Hinderks, the force behind Little Secret, a pop-up residency kitchen that thrives on community partnerships, creativity, and accessibility. Sharpened by six years in New Orleans, Conner’s path to Greenville has created a menu truly worth seeking out.
Meet Greenville’s Rising Star: Chef Conner Hinderks
Originally from Kansas City, Kansas, Conner spent the first 25 years of his life in the Midwest, eventually heading south, and his move to New Orleans on Valentine’s Day weekend in 2019 was a poignant fresh-start moment. Drawn to its culture, warmth, and renowned restaurant scene, Conner landed a sous chef position at Maypop, a Southeast Asian-Southern fusion restaurant in downtown New Orleans. Maypop’s positive company culture encouraged him to experiment with new flavors. Conner embraced the city’s diverse food influences in areas like the Westbank, which is heavily influenced by Southeast Asian flavors and culture.
New Orleans was also where he met his partner, Christina, in a classic restaurant industry love story—working different jobs but frequenting the same after-work bar. After six years in New Orleans, Conner and Christina wanted a city on the rise—one with an exciting culinary future but not yet oversaturated like New Orleans or Charleston. Greenville offered an affordable cost of living and proximity to their families in both Atlanta and Daufuskie Island, SC.
For Conner, Greenville checked all the right boxes: a welcoming community, space to establish himself in the food scene, and the opportunity to bring something fresh and accessible to the community. With Greenville becoming their “forever city,” Conner and Christina are excited about the future—both for their lives and for the evolving food scene.
Inside Little Secret: Greenville’s Best Pop-Up
Instead of a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant, Little Secret is a pop-up residency kitchen—a newer concept that allows flexibility and creativity without the high overhead of a stand-alone restaurant. He holds a residency at Junto Coffee in nearby Taylors, SC, where he serves up a Friday-to-Sunday brunch that he affectionately refers to as the Big Badass Bangin’ Brunch.
Beyond brunch, Conner partners with local businesses like Bar Margaret and Six & Twenty Distillery, hosting monthly pop-ups that let him experiment with new dishes and engage with different audiences. These collaborations are the backbone of Little Secret’s success. As he puts it, “If I don’t have the goodwill, or the friendship with somebody who has a space, I don’t have a business.” This sense of community and building relationships drives Little Secret forward.
Conner takes pride in crafting a menu that is both creative and approachable, proving that fine dining flavors don’t have to come with fine dining prices. Every item on the menu is priced under $15, a deliberate choice to keep great food accessible. Unlike high-end restaurants with steep overhead costs, the pop-up format allows him to focus solely on the food—stripping away the unnecessary frills and letting the flavors speak for themselves.
His Caesar 2.0 Salad is a perfect example of this. Instead of a forgettable afterthought, as he considers most restaurant salads to be, his version is built for texture and flavor, using cabbage instead of romaine and a fresh sourdough crouton dust made with the fresh bread from Rise Bakery that ensures every bite has that perfect crunch. He also offers a bit of wisdom: use the restaurant’s salad menu as a litmus test. If they put care and attention into the flavor and flair of their salad, chances are they take a top-to-bottom approach to their entire menu.
Spotlight on Local Favorites
When he’s not cooking, Conner enjoys the simple joys of life, and James asked him about his favorites:
Favorite comfort food: Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and brown gravy.
Hangover cure: Peach juice and sparkling water with a classic bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich
Favorite Greenville restaurants: Jianna (Italian), Scoundrel (French brasserie), and Comal 864 (birria and Mexican food).
Favorite New Orleans spots: Paladar 511 (and its favored “waiting room” dive, Friendly Bar) and Porgy’s for seafood.
Advice for Aspiring Chefs
Conner never attended culinary school, but that didn’t hold him back. His success came from finding great mentors, working hard, and embracing every chance to learn within his career.. He warns against toxic kitchen cultures, advising young chefs to seek out nurturing environments that foster creativity and growth and fully believe in their employees.
Conner’s story demonstrates that there is more than one track to culinary success, and an aspiration to learn in each place you work, build community connections, and fully immerse yourself into the industry can set you up for a beautiful career, with or without a formal education.
What’s Next for Little Secret?
Greenville is continuously growing its restaurant scene, and Little Secret is right at the heart of it. Conner Hinderks has built a business that prioritizes quality, creativity, and accessibility, showing that food should be both delicious and welcoming, no matter the setting. His partnerships with local businesses, commitment to affordable fine dining in Greenville, and deep respect for community connections make him a chef to watch.
While the pop-up format allows him to explore and experiment, his ultimate dream is to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Greenville—one that maintains the heart of Little Secret while giving him a permanent space to grow. For now, Little Secret remains a hidden gem—but not for long. If you’re in Greenville, make it a point to track down one of Conner’s Big Badass Bangin’ Brunches or one of his next pop-up dinners.
Tune into our exclusive full conversation on the latest episode of Southern Character, where James and Conner talk about food, pop-ups, and the Southern grit and grace it takes to build something special. Subscribe and join the conversation—because good food and great stories are always worth sharing.