Bad News:
Restaurants Closings
Each January we see a rash of restaurant openings and closings. It’s part of the natural business cycle. Some restaurants wait to see if the holiday season can help them survive and then close when the slowness of January creeps up on them. New restaurants open during January so they can use the slow months to work out kinks and get rolling by the time the tourists hit. It’s not so unusual, which is why the Chicken Littles on WTMA talk radio ought to stop raising the alarm bells. Sure, we’re in the midst of an economic crisis and maybe more businesses are closing than normally would this time of year, but the ones that end up closing are the ones that are either in a bad location or simply mediocre. Case in point: Conch Restaurant on Folly Beach. Our food critic gave a notoriously negative review to Conch last summer and they have already closed. The lesson here is: You can’t weather a bad economic storm by doing middling fare. Other recent closures: Miss Kitty’s on Morrison Drive, Cisco’s Cafe on Sam Rittenberg, and Terrapin Cafe on Folly Beach. —Stephanie Barna
Good News:
Restaurant Openings
The other big news is that there are many restaurants moving, expanding, and opening. Mia’s Pomodori on Rutledge, The Buccaneer in the heart of downtown, Farringdon Bistropub in Summerville, Carolina Crust Pizza Cafe in Hanahan, Boulevard Diner on James Island, and Bambu and Oink in Mt. Pleasant have already opened or will open soon. Then there’s the Kickin Chicken group, which is expanding with new concepts on Folly Beach, taking over the aforementioned Conch and Terrapin Cafe spots on Center Street (see above right for more). The Boathouse is opening in the old Mimi’s on James Island’s Ellis Creek after closing their East Bay location. Fiery Ron’s Hometeam BBQ is opening a second location in the old Bert’s Bar on Sullivan’s. And Ken Vedrinski of Sienna and Trattoria Lucca just announced yet another new restaurant venture (see below for details). Doesn’t seem so scary after all, now does it? —Stephanie Barna
Now that’s
more Italian!
Chef Ken Vedrinski has inked a deal to put an Italian seafood restaurant in the Cigar Factory on East Bay Street. Ristorante Introdacqua, named after his grandmother’s hometown, will seat 85 in the dining room and 25 at the bar — obviously a much bigger space than the tiny Trattoria Lucca on Bogard Street. We’re stoked to hear this little bit of tasty news, especially since the Cigar Factory is barely a mile from our offices. —Stephanie Barna
Folly Gets a Redo
Lots of changes going on out at Folly Beach. Chip Roberts from the Kickin’ Chicken tells us that he and his business partners are teaming up with John Davis for a couple of new restaurant concepts on Center Street. In the old Terrapin Cafe space they’ll open Rita’s, which will serve burgers, fresh salads, and other easy beach fare. “The menu will be small and limited, so we can focus on quality,” says Roberts. Across the street in the Conch space, they’ll be working with Reggie Gibson Architects to exorcise the previous tenant’s bad mojo and open Center Street Kitchen, a diner-style restaurant that will have a small menu focusing on comfort food. They haven’t finalized a concept or name for the second floor bar, but they will have a great back patio with couches and a casual, family-friendly vibe. Down the street, the waterfront Holiday Inn is also getting a major rehab with a new bar called Blu opening on the beachside. Suddenly, we can’t wait until spring. —Stephanie Barna
Sushi Haru X2
A new Sushi Haru recently opened in North Chuck, but some fans of the Mt. P location have been surprised to learn that the menus are different. After a bit of investigating, we learned that Tom Pham owns both locations, but they are managed by different people. The Mt. Pleasant location formerly housed Pham’s Pho Bac, which he’s since moved to North Chuck. He now rents the building out to the people who run what is essentially a completely different restaurant than the North Chuck location. So which is better? We suggest you check both out and see for yourself. —Erica Jackson
New Mt. P. BBQ
The expansion of northern Mt. Pleasant continues with a new barbecue restaurant called Oink BBQ and Bar, which is set to open Jan. 23. Managing partners Will Witsett (Fulton Five, Morgan Creek) and Tim Runyan (former owner of Bert’s Bar) have renovated an old building out past Highway 41 (3563 N. Hwy. 17) where they’ll be specializing in fresh Eastern North Carolina-style barbecue. They’ll also have ribs, chicken, burgers, and a full bar, and they’ll be focusing on using local products. Prices range from $5.95 for a sandwich to $18.95 for the most expensive entrée. Look for live music at least two nights a week. —Erica Jackson
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