Happy Friday morning, Charleston! If you follow us on Instagram, I posted a hint for this week's Where Are We on Wednesday. I'm not even sure why I was so generous. Y'all have been MONEY on your responses lately, even when I think they're tough. Ah, but I think this week is gonna test you. 😆👇🏼

Congrats to John M. of downtown, who was the 1st to guess correctly in our “Where Are We” segment last week! Our photo was Geechie Seafood on Shem Creek. I not only got a quicker-than expected response, but from numerous people!

Please follow us on Instagram. When we get to 1,000 followers, we’ll do a $50 giveaway to a local restaurant!

In today’s newsletter:

• CHS donut choices are dwindling. Our best-named shop closed this week.

• What’s a Giannone? Charleston’s about to find out.

• ICYMI. New soft-serve, where the Barbie bathroom is, and a new design district.

Friday 74° / 61° ⛅ 💧7%

Saturday 73° / 63° ☁️ 💧7%

Sunday 72° / 62° 🌧️ 💧58%

Friday, March 28

• Charleston Bluegrass Festival 2025 | 5 - 11 PM | Woodland Nature Reserve, 4279 Ashley River Road, Charleston | The Charleston Bluegrass Festival returns March 28-29, 2025, at The Woodlands Nature Reserve, a hidden gem in Charleston, South Carolina. This family-friendly camping event offers a weekend of boot-stomping bluegrass from top-notch performers. Relax under the stars with premium camping options, indulge in local food and craft vendors, brews from presenting sponsor Commonhouse Aleworks, and enjoy outdoor adventures like kayaking, biking, and more—perfect for all ages!

• March Music Bingo | 7 - 9 PM | Firefly Distillery, 4201 Spruill Avenue, North Charleston | FREE ADMISSION | Please RSVP Below. Brought to you by MOR=Memories On Repeat. Join us for a fun night of games and cocktails for our winter series Music Bingo that blends "Name That Tune" with "Bingo" for prizes! You'll identify the songs and cross them off your sheets. Limited spots for Music Bingo in the Firefly Room, so make sure to RSVP in advance!

• Tiffany Haddish: The Funny & Fearless Tour I 7 PM | Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St, Charleston | Haddish chose comedy as her passion. At school, she got into trouble because, until high school, she was not able to read well but improved after tutoring from a teacher. She faced hurdles in high school despite her award-winning participation in the drama competition “Shakespearean monologues.” Her social worker forced her to get a psychiatric therapy or join the Laugh Factory Comedy Camp. Due to her love for comedy, she chose comedy at the age of 17, in 1997.

Saturday, March 29

• Let's Have a Ball | 11 AM - 6 PM | The Charleston Place, 205 Meeting Street, Charleston | The Market Street Circle Pickleball Court is back for its third year in a row. In partnership with Short Court, we will be offering guests the opportunity to play pickleball on our custom court with the sport's best. Short Court will be offering small clinics as well as free play time each day of the Credit One Charleston Open. While guests play pickleball, they will also be able to watch the tournament on our large screen throughout the day.

• Spring Artisan Market | 1 - 4 PM | Daniel Island Waterfront Park, 1 River Landing Drive, Daniel Island | Join in at The Waterfront on March 29th when they bring together local artisans and vendors at Waterfront Park for an afternoon of community, food, music, and fun. Shop local makers and shops, enjoy live music, and nosh on yummy bites! Kids and furry friends are welcome. Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn more about the Waterfront community and the third collection of homes.

• TGCC 89th Springtime in Charleston House & Garden Tours | 1 - 5 PM I Historic Charleston districts, Varies, Charleston | The Ansonborough- Wraggborough Tour is on Saturday, March 29, 2025, 1pm-5pm, with a Hospitality area at the Joseph Manigault Garden. These tours include private houses, kitchen houses, and gardens with wonderful floral arrangements in the houses, as well as music and plein air artists in many of the gardens. TGCC docents and street marshalls be on hand at all locations to make the experience informative and enjoyable.

• BEEPLE STUDIOS presents SELECT START A CELEBRATION OF ART+GAMING | 6 - 11:59 PM | Beeple Studios, 2325 Charleston Regional Parkway, Charleston | Join Us for a Night Celebrating the Intersection of Art and Gaming! Video games have had a profound impact on digital art—shaping everything from aesthetics to the tools and workflows. This event will explore how these two dynamic mediums have influenced each other.

  We’ve got an immersive live video game tournament, an artist showcase, live art competitions, game art exhibitions, live everyday art, and so much more!!

  RSVP is free for everyone on website, and we’ll be sharing more details soon, including the call for art and tournament info.

Sunday, March 30

• Curling lessons | 7:30 - 10:15 AM | Carolina Ice Palace, 7665 Northwoods Blvd, North Charleston | Learn how to play the Olympic sport of CURLING from the members of Charleston Curling! We provide all equipment, and every body can learn! NO SKATES NEEDED!

• Beetlejuice (Touring) I 1 PM | North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center, 5001 Coliseum Dr, North Charleston | Based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes.

• U.S. Navy Band in Concert | 4:30 - 6 PM | Charleston Southern University, 9200 University Blvd, Charleston | The United States Navy Band will perform at Charleston Southern University as part of their 100th anniversary and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy. They will perform numerous pieces, from well-known hits to classic military/patriotic tunes. This is a family-friendly event meant to connect with the local community to help spread awareness and appreciation of our armed forces, particularly the Navy.

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

BAKERIES

Charleston Loses Another Donut Shop

Man, this one hurt. And it’s not because I have an unhealthy obsession with donuts.

Or that my Instagram profile says I’m a Donut Savant.

When Joey Bag A Donuts announced they were closing this week, I was struck by how poignant the announcement was.

They’d been open in Mount Pleasant since 2009, an eon in the retail/restaurant business. Think about getting up before the crack of dawn, at least 6 days a week, for 15 years. Making an insane variety of delicious donuts, and all it entails.

It’s a brutally challenging business, one which you have to possess a deep passion to sustain.

That’s 3 of Charleston’s finest donut shops that have closed in the past several years—Glazed on King Street, Hero Doughnuts on Marion Square and now Joey Bag A Donuts.

Charleston still has some great donuts. BKED and Donut Connection are several I’ll continue to go to. I’m sure there’s other greats I haven’t visited (you MUST let me know which ones).

So the next time you're tempted to go to Starbucks or heaven forbid Dunkin, please consider whipping that U-turn and visiting one of our many great local bakeries, patisseries, or donut shops.

That business owner—someone who may live in your neighborhood—will appreciate it.

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!

WE’RE STARTING A NEW SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

Y’all are part of something that’s growing. You evidently like what you’re reading. And I’m one happy guy.

Since the middle of February, CHS Happenings has grown over 300%! And you’re a super-engaged lot, too.

There are 2 metrics that really matter with newsletters: open rate and click-through rate (CTR). These measure how interested or engaged a subscriber is in the emails they receive.

According to this newsletter guru, our open rate of 61.65% over the past 4 weeks is considered World-Class. He’d also say our CTR of 9.7% is Excellent.

I’m not sharing this to crow about our accomplishments.

I’m announcing our sponsorship program, which will be rolling out in early-June. At that point, we’ll have over 5,000 highly-engaged subscribers just waiting to hear from locally-owned businesses.

And I’ll say it loud and proud: CHS Happenings will only EVER accept sponsorships from local Charleston businesses.

If Starbucks or Barnes & Noble come money-whipping me, I’ll simply say NEXT.

So if you’re a butcher, a baker or a candlestick-maker—and you’re selling your wares here in the Charleston area—click on the button below and fill out our short form.

I’ll reach out and share all about our new program when it’s ready to go.

RESTAURANTS

Coastal Crust Owner Introducing New Concept

The owner of Coastal Crust and Vintage Coffee Cafe is clearly a busy man nowadays. But that's nothing new for Brian Piesner.

He first came to the area in 2001 when he was signed by the Charleston Battery. Before then, he played for the fabulously-named Atlanta Silverbacks for a year.

After playing for 3 years, he retired and coached youth soccer for a bit. The restaurant business was always in his blood, though. His grandparents owned a bakery on Long island, where he grew up.

Piesner opened Vintage Coffee Cafe in Mount Pleasant in Fall of 2015, and Coastal Crust on the same property a short while later in early 2016.

Since then, he's steadily opened other restaurants:

• 2019 - Coastal Crust in Greenville

• 2023 - Coastal Crust at Wild Dunes Resort on Isle of Palms

• 2024 (January) - Coastal Crust in Travelers Rest

• 2024 (May) - Vintage Coffee Cafe in Greenville

Now he's planning a new concept in Mount Pleasant named Giannone. The opportunity developed when Oyster Candle Company closed their Scott Street location last October. It's adjacent to Coastal Crust.

I noticed the banner on Simmons a few weeks ago. It's definitely designed to create curiosity—"Sip - Shop - Dine". What is going here?!

My curiosity got the better of me, so I reached out on Instagram and asked "What is Giannone?" I wasn't surprised to receive a quick, friendly response that I'd simply have to cool my jets, be patient and enjoy the anticipation.

Which, well…sometimes I'm not a patient guy. 😐

I won't rat out the employee or their role—it could have been a server. Then again, maybe a busboy. Or a pizza-flipper.

But I was told it's going to be a wine and charcuterie bar, with a bakery element. Thank you to Mr. Piesner's grandparents. 🙏🏼

ICYMI

🍦 Just in time for the warmer months. James Island gets a Blizzard.

☕ One of my favorite places celebrates 1 year. A warm and welcoming cafe with great drinks, delicious food and a Barbie bathroom.

🏠 West Ashley is the new Nexton. And doing its part to bring a lot more housing options.

🛋️ Navy Yard debuting new design district. It'll include designer showrooms and a rooftop restaurant.

🦀 Imagine eating a sandwich with legs coming out the side. It's soft-shell season in CHS.

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FEEDBACK

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