Saint Alban might need to call on Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, because the restaurant is about to pack its bags and move across the street.
Owner Brooks Reitz says in an email that “We’ve decided to move Saint Alban to a smaller space at 721 King St. (across the street) where we can capitalize on the morning/early afternoon success in a space better suited (i.e. smaller) for our needs.”
The original location, Brooks says, will become Little Jack’s Tavern, a pub with classic cocktails, and “a lot of Rolling Stones being played” — “Jumpin Jack Flash,” we presume.
But why change a good thing? Saint Alban has been going like gangbusters for breakfast and lunch since opening. But the dinner hour, put on hiatus after opening and only restarted back in May, hasn’t seen the same success.
“It became clear that Charleston thinks of Saint Alban as more of a coffee shop,” writes Reitz. The change up is an effort to remedy that — Little Jack’s will be a full-service bar and restaurant serving lunch and dinner seven days a week. Reitz has yet to confirm whether Saint Alban’s Chef Ari Kolender, a recent James Beard Award semi-finalist, will head Little Jack’s Tavern kitchen.
For now Saint Alban will keep dishing up hard boiled eggs and cappuccinos from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. as the renovation of the space takes place. Reitz says they’ll be adding “upholstered banquettes, new chairs, new art, a number of small interior touches, and an addition to the bar” along with 12-15 additional seats.
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