Villa Verde & Harvey's
Great Food & Family Tradition
In a world of culinary diversity, there’s something truly special about the unassuming gems that dot our neighborhoods, offering authentic flavors and heartfelt experiences. Greenville is home to three restaurants that welcome the community into the rich tapestry of local cuisine and the warm embrace of family tradition Villa Verde and Harvey’s. Villa Verde, which translates to “Greenville” and shares its name with a town in the Dominican Republic, boasts a menu full of the vibrant essence of Dominican food. Harvey’s is a cozy breakfast spot that oozes mom-and-pop charm. Each dish served exudes homemade love.
In 2012, Jay Bastardo was working to support his family but felt that something was missing. A very purpose-driven individual, Jay wanted to make an impact and leave a legacy, and he knew that wouldn’t happen without action on his part. One night, Jay searched online for inspiration and found a food truck for sale on Craigslist. The following day, he discussed it with his wife, Eri, afraid she would think he was crazy, but her reaction was the opposite. Eri told her husband, “Let’s make it happen.” Soon after, Jay tapped into his 401K, and the Villa Verde food truck was born.
The food truck was an overnight success thanks to the students at ECU and social media. Jay created Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts that grew from 100 to 30,000 followers in a few weeks. Due to its popularity, Villa Verde moved to a brick-and-mortar location on 10th Street in 2015. Two years later, Villa Verde Dos opened on Arlington Blvd.
Villa Verde and Harvey's welcomes everyone in the Greenville area to visit the restaurants for delicious food and to support local Greenville businesses. 
A mouth-watering scallop dish welcomes diners at Villa Verde. Villa Verde’s menu of Dominican specialties includes Asopao, a hearty gumbo-style stew; Mofongo, mashed green plantains with garlic topped with a choice of meat or seafood; grilled Churrasco skirt steak marinated in pineapple juice and cilantro; and a surf and turf entree with filet mignon medallions and lobster.
In 2021, Jay and Eri decided to keep the momentum going by purchasing Harvey’s, an iconic breakfast diner that had been a Greenville staple since the 1970s. Harvey’s serves all your classic, hometown American breakfast favorites from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Monday through Saturday. Get your fill of hot cakes, French toast, hearty breakfast platters with ribeye or fried pork chops, or create your own omelet.
Cilantro and other fresh ingredients bring out the flavors of Dominican dishes. Jay and Eri are driven by faith to “be the gathering place where we honor our community through authentic food and heartfelt service.” Community is essential to them, and they resonate with businesses that share this value. This made it easy for them to choose TowneBank as their financial institution. Jay shares, “There’s this great guy who works there named Wes. We formed a relationship with him when he was with his previous bank. When we found out he was moving to TowneBank, we said we go wherever you go.”
Wes Barnes, senior vice president and commercial banker, joined the Towne family in December 2022. Jay continues, “TowneBank has been a great fit for Wes because you can see that Towne wants to be part of our community. It’s a bank, but it feels like a family. The people at Towne know my name; they know my wife’s name. I love the community mentality. I’m locked in for the long term.”
When asked if there’s anything he wants his neighbors in Greenville to know, Jay shares, “I was put here, in the best place on earth, to breathe life into my vision. Greenville changed my life, and I am incredibly thankful. The story of my family would not have happened anywhere else.” Before you stop by, check out the menus at MyVillaVerde.com and HarveysBreakfast.com.