The last time I had dinner at Boulevard Diner was before a Wando football game last fall. There was a slight chill in the air and the greasy spoon burger felt fitting for the night out — a little American Grafitti-esque. But that retro landmark — one of the few places that hinted at Mt. Pleasant’s pre-boom past — is no more. Boulevard Diner has closed. The property owned by Sal and Andrea Parco’s Dine with Sal group will be sold this week.
Andrea says Sal’s decision to sell has been in the works for awhile.
“A few years ago we sat down to figure out his goals and those were to offer service and food and the price point he wanted and to make sure that that’s what’s happening. He decided having a bunch of restaurants isn’t the way to go,” she says. In 2013 Sal, who at one point owned nine restaurants, sold three. Now, with only three remaining — Village Bakery, Mustard Seed, and Long Point Grill — Sal plans to do some renovations. He’s enlisted architect Dan Sweeney for the project to give Long Point Grill and Mustard Seed a facelift.
Andrea says Sal is enjoying the downsize. “I heard him say he might take a little bit of a break. He’s looking at it like ‘I’m in retirement,'” she says.
The busy business owner even went so far as to sleep in until 9 a.m. yesterday. “He’s been to work by 8 a.m. for seven days a week for years and years,” Andrea says. “I said ‘Sal 9 o’clock is not sleeping in.'”
Andrea could not share the name of the buyer of Boulevard Diner at the time of this posting.
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