In 2019, we counted more than 115 restaurant openings around the tri-county. Did you get a chance to try them all? We’re still working on it ourselves – but in the meantime, 2020 is here, and with the new year comes a whole new class of incoming restaurants to keep an eye out for.
Here’s what has us the most excited:
☕ Saveurs du Monde Cafe will open a new location downtown on the ground floor of 22 WestEdge (near the new Publix). Beginning in Feb., the French eatery will serve breakfast + lunch just like the two existing locations in Mount Pleasant – but it will also offer up gourmet eats from its bar at nighttime.
🏝️ The Longboard, an island-inspired restaurant and bar highlighting fresh, local seafood, will open up in the former 450 Pizza Joint on Sullivan’s Island (2213 Middle Street) this spring. Spearheaded by Charleston natives Clint Gaskins and Tyler Beckstead, the Longboard has an existing location on the island of St. John in the Virgin Islands. Read more about plans for the Sullivan’s Island restaurant here.
🍜 Also this spring, the popular Vietnamese pop-up Pink Bellies will open a brick-and-mortar restaurant downtown. It will be located on the ground floor of Hoffler Place apartments (595 King Street).
🌭 Former Bar Normandy chef Alex Lira announced plans to open a new restaurant on James Island. Bar George, located right by Terrace Theater (inside the former Bowties JI Speakeasy), will offer a casual dining experience with menu items like hot dogs + oysters. We’re not sure when to expect this opening, but the restaurant’s Instagram page tells us it’s coming soon.
Scroll for every single restaurant opening slotted for 2020. And if we missed a spot, tell us in the comments (or email us at hello@thechstoday.com) so we can put it on our radar.
Spring
○ 1st Place | 570 King St. | Elevated sports pub
○ Bumpa’s | 5 Cumberland St. | Casual bar/restaurant
○ Carolina Crab House | 115 E. 5th North St., Summerville | Seafood
○ Chasing Sage | 267 Rutledge Ave. | ‘Herb-forward’ American
○ First Watch | 1236 Belk Dr. (inside Mount Pleasant Towne Centre) | Breakfast, brunch + lunch
○ The Longboard | 2213 Middle St., Sullivan’s Island | Seafood
○ Maudellz | West Ashley | New concept from the owner of Dellz Uptown
○ Pink Bellies | 595 King St. (below Hoffler Place apartments) | Vietnamese
○ The Tempest | 32-C North Market St. | Seafood
○ Vicious Biscuit | Nexton Square, Summerville | Biscuits
○ Victor Hoppenstein’s Brewlab | 2200 Heriot Street | Food + craft beer pairings
Summer
○ Island Provisions | 1801 Crowne Commons Way, Johns Island (Live Oak Square) | Coffee, baked goods + grab-and-go food | Early summer
○ Handy + Hot | 68 Wentworth St. | Coffee shop + bakery | Summer 2020
○ Lenoir | 68 Wentworth St. (adjacent to Handy + Hot) | Southern cooking + small plates | Summer 2020
○ Minero | Live Oak Square Shopping Center, Johns Island | Mexican
○ Poke Burri | 835 Savannah Hwy., West Ashley (in part of the former Children’s Cancer Society Thrift Store in Avondale) | Poke bowls + sushi burritos | Late summer or early fall
Poogan’s Southern Kitchen is coming to Nexton in March 2020 | Image via Nexton
Fall
○ The Loyal | 465 Meeting St. (groundfloor of the Greystar building) | Brasserie ft. dishes from the New York location as well as Southern-influenced dishes | Fall 2020
○ Poogan’s Southern Kitchen | Nexton Square, Summerville | Southern | September 2020
Opening TBA
○ Bar George | 1956 Maybank Hwy, Ste. E (former Bowties JI Speakeasy, next to Terrace Theater | Hot dogs, oysters + crudo | TBA
○ Biggby Coffee | 903 St. Andrews Blvd., West Ashley | Coffee, bagels, + other baked goods
○ Chatime Ice Cream | Nexton Square, Summerville | Ice cream
○ Coney Island Hot Weiner | 4258 Spruill Ave., North Charleston | Hot dogs
○ Come Back Shack | Bowman Place Shopping Center, Mount Pleasant (former Urban Cookhouse) | Burgers + sandwiches
○ DB’s Cheesesteaks | Nexton Square, Summerville | Cheesesteaks
○ Fuji Sushi | Nexton Square, Summerville | Sushi + hibachi
○ Jersey Mike’s Subs | 1585 Central Ave., Summerville (Shoppes of Summerville) | Sandwiches
○ Papa Zuzu’s Good Eats | Location TBA | Greek
○ Poke Stop | Citadel Mall | Steamed buns, noodle bowls, and sushi
○ Popbar | Locations TBA | Gelato on a stick
○ Saveurs du Monde Cafe | 22 WestEdge | French | TBA
○ SportsBook | Nexton Square, Summerville | Burgers
○ Tropical Smoothie Cafe | Nexton Square, Summerville | Smoothies
Now Open
○ 167 Raw | 193 King Street | Raw seafood + shellfish | Opened Feb. 3, 2020
○ Simply Seafood | 3406 Maybank Hwy., Johns Island (former JB’s Smokeshack) | Seafood | Opened Jan. 1, 2020
○ Fiery Crab Seafood Restaurant | 4951 Centre Pointe Dr., North Charleston | Seafood | Opened January 2020
○ Alfredo’s | 106 W. Hudson Ave., Folly Beach (former Witch Doctor) | Casual Italian | Opened Feb. 2020
○ The Café of Sweet Abundance | 1901 Ashley River Rd., West Ashley | Coffee, vegan sweets + small plates | Opened Feb. 2020
○ D’Allesandro’s Pizza | Nexton Square, Summerville | Pizza | Opened February 2020
○ Cabana Burgers & Shakes | 1801 Crowne Commons Way, Johns Island | Burgers + shakes | Opened on Feb. 23
○ Cafe Roux | 2213 Middle St., Building C, Ste. 2, Sullivan’s Island (former Pier 22) | Creole | Opened February 2020
○ Coastal Crust | 949 Harbor Rd., James Island (in the former La Tabella) | Pizza | Opened Feb. 2020
○ Galpão Gaucho | 167 East Bay St. (former Tradd’s) | Brazilian steakhouse | opened Feb. 7, 2020
○ Nosh | 466 Savannah Hwy., West Ashley | Coffee + smoothies | Opened Feb. 2020
○ Little Miss Ha | 915 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Mount Pleasant (former Betty’s Eatery) | Vietnamese | Opened Feb. 2020
○ Krispy Kreme | Ladson Rd. near Ashley Phosphate Rd., North Charleston | Doughnuts | Opened Feb. 2020
○ Rosalie’s Pizza | Food truck, follow their locations on Instagram | Round, grandma, + Detroit-style pizza | Opened Feb. 2020
○ Sipango | 209 East Bay Street (former Pawpaw) | Coastal inspired Italian with wood-fired pizza | Opened March 2020
○ Gale Restaurant | 601 Meeting St., Unit 104 (at Meeting Street Lofts) | Italian | Opened March 4, 2020
○ Pep Rolls | 976 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Suite L, Mount Pleasant | Pepperoni rolls, paninis, hot dogs, nachos, + more | Opened March 2020
○ Paisanos Pizza Grill | 1000 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. (Queensborough Plaza) | Pizza | Opened Feb. 5
○ BKed SHoP | 408 Nexton Square Drive, Summerville | Doughnuts, coffee + baked goods | Opened March 7, 2020
○ The Woodruff | 1803 Crowne Commons Way, Johns Island | Wine Bar | Opened Dec. 2019
Submit an opening
As always, we need your help being the eyes + ears of all things Charleston. If you’ve heard about an opening and don’t see it on this list, please let us know – either by dropping a comment below or by sending an email to hello@thechstoday.com – so we can ensure it’s on our radar.