Happy Friday morning, Charleston! Whew, last weekend was something, wasn’t it? The Bridge Run numbers were huge at 36,500 runners, the Flowertown Festival was in full bloom, and The Charleston Open crowned a new champ. Roads were busy and so were restaurants and retailers. On to (maybe) a bit more mellow weekend?

Congrats to Jake J. of downtown, who was the 1st to guess correctly in our “Where Are We” segment last week! Our photo was from the inside of Fort Moultrie on Sullivans Island. If I was a stickler, I may have asked you to be quite specific.

I was atop the WWII-era Harbor Entrance Control Post, a part of the old fort I had never visited. I was fascinated to visit the Radio Room, Message Center and other functions inside the structure. HECP’s main objective at that time was to defend the mines laid in the harbor from enemy minesweepers.

In today’s newsletter:

• Is downtown truly experiencing a “death spiral”? That was a headline in an article-gone-viral this week, so we take a look at facts, fiction and in-betweens.

• A popular downtown cafe is adding a 3rd location. In the shadow of the college.

• ICYMI. Harbor “beach” to get re-named, the newest brunches and Food & Wine weighs in on another fantastic CHS restaurant.

Friday 75° / 52° ⛅ 💧24%

Saturday 68° / 50° ⛅ 💧6%

Sunday 70° / 57° ☀️ 💧3%

Friday, April 11

• 2025 Kiawah Art & House Tour | 1 - 5 PM I Kiawah Island | The tour by Arts, etc is held annually in the spring. This self-guided tour features five homes, each displaying unique architectural and design features, impressive art collections and notable island views.

• Brewery Blast Laser Tag at Holy City Brewing | 5 - 9 PM | Holy City Brewing, 1021 Aragon Ave, North Charleston | Get ready for an electrifying adventure with Brewery Blast - exclusively at Holy City Brewing! Step into an urban battleground where the air crackles with excitement and the pulse-pounding beat of adrenaline fills the air.

• Charleston Race Week 2025 | 9:30 AM - 9 PM I Charleston Harbor Tours, 10 Wharfside St, Charleston | Join us for premium yacht racing on the stunning Charleston Harbor, where Mount Gay Rum will flow freely everyday aboard the USS Yorktown, and the warm southern hospitality and fine-dining of Mount Pleasant and Charleston awaits you back on shore.

Saturday, April 12

• Charleston Farmers Market | Marion Square, Charleston | 8 AM - 2 PM I . Dedicated to supporting Lowcountry farmers and growers, the CFM provides a diverse array of local produce, plants, herbs, fresh-cut flowers, eggs, milk, meats, cheeses, bread, and more.

• Easter Egg Hunt Family Fun Event at the Dill Sanctuary | 10 - 11:30 AM | The Dill Sanctuary, 1163 Riverland Dr., Charleston | Get egg-cited to have a hoppy Spring! Join us at our 580-acre nature preserve, the Dill Sanctuary, for a morning of crafts and activities followed by an Easter Egg hunt.

• Adult Egg Hunt | 11 AM - 2 PM | Firefly Distillery, 4201 Spruill Avenue, North Charleston | Relive the joys of your youth! Grab a drink and hunt for hundreds of hidden Easter eggs. Prizes range from candy and gifts to exclusive GOLDEN EGGS with prizes valued up to $400! Grab some yummy food from one of our food trucks.

• MTV Spring Break Block Party | 12 - 10 PM | Commonhouse Aleworks, 4831 O'Hear Ave, North Charleston | Live 90s Music from Flash Mob and Bring The Hype, an epic Vendor Market and Block Party! Geared towards 21+ 12pm to 6pm and open to all ages from 6pm and on.

Sunday, April 13

• Pickers Hullabaloo Flea Market | 11 AM - 4 PM | Firefly Distillery, 4201 Spruill Avenue, North Charleston | Join us for a day of treasure hunting, good food, and live music. Shop from 100+ leading vintage dealers and artisans boasting an eclectic array of furniture, housewares, nostalgic collectibles, rugs, jewelry, vintage clothing, and more!

• Isle of Palms Songwriters Festival | 2 - 8 PM | The Dinghy, 8 JC Long Blvd., Isle of Palms | To benefit local philanthropy (Lowcountry Orphan Relief, Girls on the Run Coastal South Carolina, and the Lowcountry Music Scholarship ($1000. Scholarship awarded to high school senior winner of songwriting contest) and share great local and regional songwriters/performers with the community.

• Blues by the Sea at Freshfields Village | 3 - 7 PM | Freshfields Village, 165 Village Green Dr, Johns Island | Join us for the 19th Annual Blues by the Sea, head to The Village Green for a complimentary blues concert perfect for the whole family.

For a COMPLETE list of events in the Charleston area, bookmark the site below!

RETAIL

Is Downtown In A “Death Spiral”?

The socials are abuzz about an article published on Medium earlier this week. Titled “The Downtown Death Spiral: Charleston’s Best Businesses Are Closing — And It’s Not Their Fault” and written by a writer named Peyton Steele, virtually all of what I saw posted reflected a collective “Yes!” head-nod.

I, too, agree with most of the points made in the article. You’d have to be on a Charleston media diet—or not getting out much—not to know restaurant closings in particular accelerated throughout 2024 and into this year.

As I was reading the article, I did something I always do while reading opinion pieces—try to learn more about the writer so I can understand their background, experience and point of view.

I consider myself a very good Internet sleuth. I’m pretty intuitive and know where to dig to provide as complete a picture as possible.

I struck out when it came to Peyton Steele. She (he?) has no profile photo, which is generally the case on publishing platforms. Not a hint of a social media presence under the name. Neither Google, ChatGPT or Perplexity—don’t sleep on Perplexity as an AI tool, BTW—could dig up anything.

Some might say “Why should that matter?” when it comes to evaluating the points made in the article, and her take. By the way, I’m just gonna go with “her”, as the only Peyton I’ve ever met is my 2nd cousin.

I think it does matter. Is the writer a longtime native of Charleston? Does she live on the peninsula or in the ‘burbs? Is she in the field of urban planning or real estate development? Is she simply a concerned citizen who lives and works here and has a stake in Charleston thriving?

These factors don’t affect her credibility as a writer. It’s a well-written piece. I would simply like to have a fuller picture of what brought her to write this.

These Points Are Compelling

She does an excellent job of breaking down the numbers and showing how difficult it’s become for small businesses to be profitable. Especially in our era of continually rising rents, cost of food and labor, and the completely ridiculous cost of liability insurance for restaurants that sell liquor.

It reminded me of 2 stellar pieces I read a few years back that expertly broke down the cost of operating a restaurant titled “Why Restaurants Are So F#cked” and “Why Restaurants Are So F#cked Part II”.

The point she makes about rents on King Street being unsustainable and exceeding $60.00 per square foot? She’s actually low according to conversations I’ve had with some of my commercial real estate pals!

She’s also spot-on when it comes to the housing affordability crisis in Charleston, and how it’s a major hindrance to finding and retaining staff.

Umm, Maybe Not So Much

I completely get why the headline was framed the way it was. It’s Copywriting 101. I’ve marketed for a living my entire career. And the reaction it received tells me “job done”.

But I must admit I started a tad skeptical when I read “The Downtown Death Spiral”.

She seems overly-focused on Airbnbs as the culprit when it comes to lack of affordable housing. The peninsula does have fairly stringent requirements for short-term rental (STR) operators.

By doing so, she completely ignores a much bigger problem: the lack of affordable long-term rental housing. I hear this all the time from many of our daughter’s friends and young people I meet. Charleston apartment rents have approached big-city numbers.

Which made me spit out my coffee when I read this article titled “Charleston Tops the List as Best City for Renters for a Second Year”.

I’m also not on-board with her argument that tourism volatility contributes to the pronounced problems small businesses are facing. Counting out the COVID years, tourism has been steadily increasing over the past 10 years, going from 5 million in 2015 to over 8 million in 2023.

What’s Next?

Charleston gets a ton of great press, and if it seems like it may be getting a little tedious being named the Best Small City In The Country for 12 years running, well, I can empathize.

There’s a reason, though, the article resonated with so many people, particularly with Milennials and Gen-Zers.

It’s become damn expensive to live and operate a business here. And there are no quick fixes.

What we can do is what I’ve preached here since the beginning and will continue to do: shop local and dine local.

Bezos doesn’t need your money. Neither does the Green Siren.

Seek out those great local restaurants and retailers. Charleston has plenty.

Interested in being a sponsor?

CHS Happenings has a fast-growing and super-engaged subscriber base. We’ll offer local Charleston businesses the opportunity to reach this lively audience soon.

If you’re interested, click below and we’ll reach out in the next 30 days.

WHERE ARE WE?

Each week, watch this space for a random snap from somewhere in Charleston. Where are we? Only true locals will know. DM your guess on Instagram, or email me here. The first person to guess correctly will get a shout-out at the top of our issue next week!

Get a FREE registration for the #Race4Wanza!

We wrote last week about the upcoming #Race4Wanza, a 5K walk/run—and a Doughnut Dash!—in West Ashley on April 26.

The Farrell Group is sponsoring the race, so here’s your chance to win a free registration.

The first 2 people to email or DM me will be the BIG winners to this terrific, family-friendly race. What’s not to like about running or enjoying a leisurely walk PLUS Krispy Kreme donuts, FREE?!

RESTAURANTS

Babas Is Coming To The Neighborhood

There’s a crass old saying about spouses and significant others, and how they shouldn’t work together. Which definitely does not bear repeating here.

And it’s not true in many cases! Ask my wife, Kim—to whom I’ve been married for 33+ blissful years—if our work union of the past 4 years isn’t the essence of harmonious.

That’s definitely the case for the husband-and-wife team behind Babas On Cannon and Babas On Meeting. Edward Crouse and Marie Stitt opened Babas On Cannon in 2018 and followed that up by opening Babas On Meeting in partnership with goat.sheep.cow.

They’ve become beloved local spots with unique offerings like aperitivo hour, inspired by Italian traditions. Both locations are known for their warm atmosphere and carefully curated menus, which include coffee drinks, cocktails, and small bites.

They’ll be opening a new Babas—Babas On Wentworth?—at 115 ½ Wentworth Street, on the edge of the College Of Charleston, between Coming and Pitt Streets.

The building was formely used by Grace Church Cathedral as offices, but it appears it hasn’t been occupied in a while. This will need serious renovation.

With a building footprint of only 600 square feet, it won’t be a huge cafe. They plan to use both floors and will construct a patio on Coming Street.

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ICYMI

🍸 Have you visited a rooftop bar/restaurant lately? Here’s a great option, one with 10 years’ staying power.

🍻 We all know insurance companies exist to take in premiums and NOT pay out, right? In CHS, restaurants that serve liquor are being forced out of business by insurance premiums. Now the state legislature is looking to do something about it.

🏖️ If you’ve been on a boat in the harbor around Fort Sumter, you’ve noticed some lively activity on “No Name Beach”. Officials with National Park Service are hoping a rename of the beach will “help curb the rowdy behavior that staff have reported witnessing”. Umm…🤣

🍽️ This downtown restaurant sometimes goes under the radar but it shouldn’t. Food & Wine magazine agrees.

🧇 Everyone says breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I think brunch needs to be considered.

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FEEDBACK

Got 15 seconds? Let us know what you thought about today’s newsletter by voting in the poll below (you’ll be done MUCH faster than cars on Johnnie Dodds at 4:00 PM on a Friday). 👇