A restaurant serving tacos, fried chicken and burgers is now open for limited indoor and outdoor dining on President Street in downtown’s Westside neighborhood. Bodega Todo, a mashup of Semilla, Street Bird Westside and Charleston Burger Co. — all owned by brother and sister duo Macready Downer and Jill Schenzel — offers patrons the chance to place contact-free orders from each of the three concepts in one place.
The idea came to Downer and Schenzel post-pandemic, as restaurants scrambled to find business models that fit the times. The siblings found a use for the 218 President Street space that used to house Semilla, their Mexican eatery that was an extension of the popular food truck/pop-up that was a staple at the Charleston Farmers Market from 2017-2019. Semilla closed in June 2019 shortly after they launched Street Bird Westside, but Downer and Schenzel held on to the real estate and both concepts lived on through their two food trucks.
“We are operating both Semilla and Street Bird out of the old Semilla restaurant,” Schenzel told the City Paper this summer. “We actually have opened a third delivery option, Charleston Burger Co., so we are actually creating three concepts out of our storefront and both of our trucks right now.”
Downer and Schenzel used the restaurant space to prepare meals before delivering throughout the Lowcountry, sending their two food trucks out to different neighborhoods each week.
“The trucks really kept us above water,” Schenzel said.
Bodega Todo is a brick-and-mortar extension of this offering, serving tacos, fried chicken sandwiches and burgers under one roof. From Semilla, patrons can order burritos, rice bowls and tacos, including the renowned brussels sprouts taco. Fans of Street Bird Westside will be able to choose from seven different fried chicken sandwiches, and Charleston Burger Co. will offer several fully loaded burgers, salads and fries. All orders can be placed at a self-service kiosk that helps limit contact between restaurant staff and diners.
Schenzel described the concept as “a modern day bodega that offers everything.” Bodega Todo will do just that with its grab-and-go market featuring curated goods, retail wine and beer. Schenzel and Downer are still in the process of filling this with local products and will eventually feature some of their own creations like their homemade Semilla salsas.
Bodega Todo is now open for lunch and dinner daily from 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m., with limited indoor and outdoor seating available. The Semilla and Street Bird food trucks will continue to roam the Lowcountry, and all three concepts will still be available on delivery services like Grubhub, Schenzel said.
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