The Latest In Charleston Restaurants & Retail
Charleston Happenings Vol. 55
Update On Union Pier
Charleston may be a small town, but we have some financial heavy hitters here.
Bob Faith, founder of locally-based but global real estate powerhouse Greystar, is on Forbes’ list of the richest people in America. And Ben Navarro, Chairman of local firm Beemok Hospitality, stacks right up there with Faith.
Navarro’s firm purchased the local landmark hotel, Charleston Place, for $350 million in 2021. Beemok also recently became majority owner of the new Cooper Hotel, a 209-room “younger, cooler sister to Charleston Place”. He also owns Credit One Stadium and the fabulous Sorelle restaurant downtown.
Now comes word that Beemok reached an agreement to buy the Union Pier redevelopment site.
I’ve raved about the attractiveness of this development site before. And I think it’s terrific news that a local firm like Beemok will shepherd the development of this superb piece of real estate.
New Locally-Owned Bookstore Opens Downtown
That headline is literal music to my ears. I’m the kind of guy that reads REAL paper-and-glue bound books.
I also love to let serendipity guide me when I visit bookstores, only the locally-owned kind. I never enter with a list.
I have a new option now that happens to contain a bar and serves food. Paradise…
“Unauthentic Italian” Debuts Downtown
Ever heard of a meatball smashburger? How about saltimbocca baby back ribs? Or wings in a Calabrian chili Buffalo sauce?
Me neither. But it makes me want to run, not walk, to Chef Michael Toscano’s latest offering.
Click below to find out.
Never Doubt King Street
I recall walking King Street as we were coming out of the dark days of COVID. Businesses were re-opening and things seemed just a bit more normal.
But as I walked the street, I noticed many businesses weren’t re-opening. They weren’t able to survive, and so many windows were covered with “For Lease” signs.
I remember thinking “Wow, this is gonna be a long, uphill slog”.
I was wrong. Click below for the latest.
