Happy Friday, Charleston! You tell me what you want, and I listen! 🤣

I just compiled the stats for my welcome page survey, the answers y’all give me when you subscribe. When I asked what coverage you’d like to see most, “Fun events around town” comes in tops at 50%!

That’s stayed pretty consistent since I started publishing. It set me off on a search for a robust calendar platform, one that is flexible, searchable and fast. I found it, and it’s HERE.

You’re able to search, filter, slice and dice…whatever type of event you’d like to know about—and wherever it is in the Charleston area—can now be found at our new events calendar.

I’ll continue to profile unique events around town, like I do below. But I think you’re gonna want to bookmark the new CHS Happenings events calendar site. 👈🏻 Let me know what you think.

In today’s newsletter:

• We love our Charleston restaurants! But the too-long list of closed restaurants in the past few years indicates just how challenging it is to sustain a long run. 🍽️

• Johns Island plans for a Jubilee. And this one’s got something for everyone. 🏨

• ICYMI. Innovation, influencers and infrastructure. Oh, and a few restaurants. 😀

Friday 87° / 74° 🌤️ 💧16%

Saturday 87° / 75° 🌥️ 💧8%

Sunday 88° / 76° ☀️ 💧6%

Friday, August 30

• Fiddler On The Roof I 7:30 PM I Dock Street Theatre, Downtown I This timeless production, celebrated for its humor and warmth, is a cornerstone in the musical theatre canon. Fiddler on the Roof won nine Tony Awards, solidifying its status as a universally acclaimed musical that has resonated with audiences worldwide.

• James Island Town Market I 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM I 1122 Dills Bluff Road, James Island I There will be vendors, food trucks, music, and family activities. We recommend bringing bottles of water and a lawn chair/blanket. 

• Tommy Brown FT. Chucktown Players I 9:30 PM I The Commodore, Downtown I Enjoy live music at one of Charleston’s best small venues.

Saturday, August 31

• Charleston Farmers Market I 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM I Marion Square, Downtown I Tons of local food, vendors and music. ‘Nuff said.

• Hot Beach I 10:30 AM - 6:00 PM I Lowcountry Artists Gallery, Downtown I Lowcountry Artists Gallery presents “Hot Beach - South Carolina Waterscapes” by Lyssa Harvey for the month of August.  

  Lyssa Harvey Ed.S, Teacher, Therapist and Artist is a South Carolina Watermedia Society Signature artist.

• Poho Night Market I 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM I Pour House, James Island I Shop goods from 40+ vendors including local artists, makers, vintage & vinyl collectors & more! Enjoy full bar service & live music on the deck + food from Jack of Cups Bebop in the container kitchen.

Sunday, September 1

• Lenoir’s Special Sunday Brunch I 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM I Lenoir, Downtown I For Labor Day weekend, chef Vivian Howard is serving up a special Sunday brunch at Lenoir, her downtown Charleston restaurant. The a la carte menu includes such favorites as Roasted Tomato Pie with onions, mayo, basil, thyme, fontina, mozzarella and the K-Town Burger with smash patties, chili, slaw and sharp cheddar on Texas toast.

• Wonder Jam I 2:00 PM I The Refinery, Downtown I Wonderjam is a thrilling two-day music festival over Labor Day weekend, curated for music fans of all genres. Immerse yourself in a diverse lineup featuring Charleston's most influential and sought-after bands, alongside the hottest DJs and unique local vendors.

• Charleston Riverdogs vs. Fayetteville Woodpeckers I 5:05 PM I The Joe, Downtown I The Dogs are in their normal lofty position in the standings. They need your support to close out the season and go for a 4th straight championship!

RESTAURANTS

Is Charleston’s Culinary Rep Enough?

When I speak to real estate clients that are relocating here, what often comes up is Charleston’s culinary reputation. It’s truly impressive our relatively small town punches far above its weight when it comes to food.

This isn’t new either. Visibility was heightened big-time as we continued our 12-years-and-running coronation by Travel & Leisure as the country’s top city. But we had excellent restaurants even before that buzz started building.

And boy do we enjoy hearing about and trying new restaurants. “Restaurant news” was the 2nd-most popular answer given by 25% of you in my welcome survey.

Is Charleston Immune From “That” Restaurant Statistic?

The one I’m referring to is a drumbeat we all have heard over the years: the % of restaurants that fail. The restaurant failure rate is difficult to track nationwide, but the National Restaurant Association estimates a 30% failure rate in the restaurant industry. In other words, one in three restaurants won’t survive their first year. 

I think you know where I’m going here. Even our celebrated town isn’t immune to the insanely difficult challenges encountered in operating a restaurant.

Just look at some of the restaurants/food establishments that have either closed recently or announced plans to shutter:

1. Brown’s Court Bakery

2. Butcher & Bee

3. The Daily

4. Chasing Sage

5. Harold’s Cabin

6. Sommba

7. Colectivo

The Challenges Are Plenty

Even given the crazy growth we continue to see in Charleston, we’re not immune. Every time a new restaurant opens here-or anywhere for that matter—it means new labor needs to be hired. Which typically means competing for staff from other restaurants.

Which in a high-growth market like CHS also typically means increasing hourly rates.

Another major expense component for a restaurant? Rent. Given our lack of available retail space, that’s resulted in rents continuing to increase steadily.

And we all know about food costs having risen sharply over the past few years.

The restaurant business is brutal, even when all the stars align. Throw in our unique challenges, and it’s resulted in an imperfect storm.

What’s The Answer?

A very poignant quote in an article I linked above drove this point home.

For me, it reinforces my desire to dine local. Applebees, Outback, Starbucks, P.F. Chang’s…they don’t need my business!! And their food can’t touch the quality of many of our excellent restaurants anyway.

That’s also why I often recommend the very lively Facebook group Lowcountry Eat Out. If you’re a Charleston local—or thinking of becoming one—and aren’t a member of this group, you need to get on board.

It’s where you go to get great recommendations and chat about locally-owned restaurants and what makes them great. To use just one example, it was here that I kept reading about the fabulous Donut Connection. Which now ranks as one of my best.

While I’ve never met the founder of Lowcountry Eat Out, it seems we’re kindred spirits. Christine England formed the group at the start of the pandemic. She’s said “the goal is always to talk about the places you love. Those spots that you would be sad if they closed.”

It’s clear her vision resonates. The group has over 100,000 members.

WHERE ARE WE?

I thought last week’s photo was a tough one, but Allie H. of West Ashley nailed it, and quickly I might add! It was Goldbug Island, and the landmark off in the distance is the Sullivans Island drawbridge.

Not only is Allie eagle-eyed, she’s a runner for a terrific cause. She’s doing the Kiawah Marathon in November, and is raising funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston. We know the great work this organization does, so please sponsor her! She’s very close to her goal, and 100% of funds raised goes to RMHC Charleston.

A fabulous bonus? You get your very own shout-out from Allie on her @allierunschs Instagram account. 😁

Before I get to this week’s challenge, I was reminded by my lovely wife, Kim, that I didn’t let you curious types know the location of our challenge from a few weeks ago is. Evidently, it was a tough one! It’s the Charleston-famous Pour House!

OK, let’s get to THIS week’s photo challenge. I know, it’s not in the Charleston area, but I couldn’t resist. I feel like I needed to make it easy this week. 🤪 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!

SPONSORED BY 633 PHYSICAL THERAPY

End your pain for good

Calling all Charleston athletes—and if we’re committed to lifelong movement, we’re ALL athletes: have you had pain that’s kept you from your tennis game? Your running or walking program?

You need a physical therapist that listens, evaluates with compassion, identifies the source and maps out an effective program. That PT is 633 Physical Therapy and Dr. Alison Berglund.

She understands how frustrating it is when healthcare professionals do not understand the deep desire of an athlete to move, train, and compete. 633 Physical Therapy’s treatment philosophy is to help you continue moving and modify training as needed to address your limitations and ultimately CRUSH your goals!

I met Alison several years ago through the CHS running community. Five of my running colleagues went to her for treatment of nagging injuries. All spoke of how quickly and effectively she diagnosed the source of pain, and devised a treatment plan that got them back on the road to feeling great and training again!

If you’re struggling to get back to your training plan because of an injury or pain, schedule an appointment with 633 Physical Therapy. Follow Alison on Instagram for therapy and training tips, too!

DEVELOPMENT

13-acre Hospitality, Restaurant & Retail Project Approved For Johns Island

I’ve written before about the terrific job New Leaf Builders has done delivering quality restaurants and retail to Johns Island in their Hayes Park project. It won’t be long before they get started on an even more ambitious project called Jubilee, located on Maybank Highway just west of River Road.

Jubilee will include a 75-unit hotel, 65 cottages, five restaurants and retail and office space, preserved wetlands, and community park and meeting spaces.

What I like so much about Hayes Park is New Leaf’s attention to high-quality design. I suspect Jubilee will reflect the same commitment. When reviewed by City planning, it was described as resembling the highly-successful Freshfields Village retail project at the southern tip of Johns island.

ICYMI

🎞️ Architectural Digest tells us why so many influencers are moving to Charleston. And it was all started by Southern Charm. 😁

🔬 Charleston’s economy increasingly much more than tourism. MUSC’s Innovation District will expand its influence even more with its purchase of the Roper Hospital downtown.

🐷 City discusses Piggly Wiggly site in West Ashley. I just really wanted the chance to type “Piggly Wiggly” today. Twice.

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FEEDBACK

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