Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially this morning. Potential for heavy rainfall. High 86F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..
Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue plans to open in the spring in Centre Pointe near Tanger Outlets in North Charleston. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue/Provided
The Front Porch Coffeehouse and Creamery will welcome customers Feb. 7 in The Bend at Carolina Park across from Costco Wholesale in northern Mount Pleasant. Warren L. Wise/Staff
Webb Cheshire, co-owner of The Front Porch Coffeehouse and Creamery, points out platters that will display the new business's cookies and other sweets when it opens Feb. 7 in The Bend at Carolina Park in northern Mount Pleasant. Warren L. Wise/Staff
Kiki & Rye restaurant in Mount Pleasant is now offering all-day hours and a new menu. Kiki & Rye/Provided
The Beaufort Bonnet Company will open a new Charleston-area store in the spring. The company also has a signature store called Little Palmetto Pearl at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre. Beaufort Bonnet Co./Provided
Temporary signs such as this popped up in downtown Charleston during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic to clear parking spaces for those picking up food from local restaurants, such as Monza on King Street. Monza announced it closed Feb. 1. File/Robert Behre/Staff
Italian restaurant Monza announced on social media Feb. 1 that the King Street pizza eatery is now closed. Monza/Provided
Freshfields Village Shopping Center between Kiawah and Seabrook islands is welcoming several new shops. Ellis Creek Photography/Provided
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L&L Hawaiian Barbecue plans to open in the spring in Centre Pointe near Tanger Outlets in North Charleston. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue/Provided
Webb Cheshire, co-owner of The Front Porch Coffeehouse and Creamery, points out platters that will display the new business's cookies and other sweets when it opens Feb. 7 in The Bend at Carolina Park in northern Mount Pleasant. Warren L. Wise/Staff
Temporary signs such as this popped up in downtown Charleston during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic to clear parking spaces for those picking up food from local restaurants, such as Monza on King Street. Monza announced it closed Feb. 1. File/Robert Behre/Staff
A long-running Aloha State-based restaurant chain is bringing its first South Carolina location to the Charleston area.
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue plans to open at 4950 Centre Point Drive next to Carolina Crab House in the Shoppes at Centre Pointe near Tanger Outlets.
The new North Charleston restaurant tentatively plans to open in mid-April, but a spokeswoman said the opening timeframe depends on deliveries and any unforeseen delays.
L&L has been serving "plate lunches," Hawaii's version of comfort food, since 1952. It began offering franchises in 1991 and now has more than 210 locations. Its home office is in Honolulu.
South Carolina franchise owners are Kalvin E. Nutt and Sofia V. Buenviaje-Nutt of Charleston. Kalvin, an Army veteran, works for Boeing SC in quality assurance. Sofia, originally from the Philippines, recently left her job as a cashier monitor in Global Financial Disbursing with the U.S. State Department to concentrate on the new dining venture.
They hope to add more restaurant sites within a couple of years.
L&L's closest locations to the Lowcountry are in Concord, N.C., and Jacksonville, Fla. Plans are underway to open in Savannah, according to the company's website.
Italian restaurant Monza announced on social media Feb. 1 that the King Street pizza eatery is now closed. Monza/Provided
A popular downtown Charleston restaurant with Italian fare has turned off its ovens after a 13-year run.
Monza at 451 King St. announced on Facebook that it is now closed.
"After 13 years of business, Monza's time has come to an end," the restaurant posted on social media late Feb. 1. "Thank you, Charleston, for your enduring support and goodwill — it was a joy to serve so many customers over the years. Though our ovens have served their last pizza, we won't soon forget all of the incredible memories made within these walls."
Last fall, the restaurant noted its staffing shortages in a Facebook post and said it would be closed "until such time as we are able to staff the restaurant in a manner commensurate with the quality experience we strive to provide."
The restaurant did not elaborate on the staffing problem in its closing statement.
The Front Porch Coffeehouse and Creamery will welcome customers Feb. 7 in The Bend at Carolina Park across from Costco Wholesale in northern Mount Pleasant. Warren L. Wise/Staff
A new eatery is ready for its debut in Mount Pleasant.
The Front Porch Coffeehouse and Creamery will open Feb. 7 at 3510 Park Avenue Blvd. in The Bend at Carolina Park across from Costco.
The Front Porch, the new home of Charleston Pops, is a veteran-owned venue that specializes in artisan frozen, baked and custom desserts. Owners Diana and Webb Cheshire, a Marine, share a combined 20 years of experience in the restaurant and catering business with culinary training in France.
The dining spot also offers take-out and dine-in options, as well as catering services and a place for parties and other social gatherings.
It will be open 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays, 7 a.m-7 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.
The Bend will include five buildings for retailers, restaurants and service-industry providers when it is completed. Three of the structures have been finished.
The Beaufort Bonnet Company will open a new Charleston-area store in the spring. The company also has a signature store called Little Palmetto Pearl at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre. Beaufort Bonnet Co./Provided
A new children's clothing shop is coming to the Lowcountry.
Lexington, Ky.-based Beaufort Bonnet Co. plans to open its second corporate store in the spring, It will be in the Harris Teeter-anchored Freshfields Village Shopping Center between Kiawah and Seabrook islands.
The 850-square-foot shop will offer a mix of baby and children's apparel, in addition to its signature bonnets and bucket hats.
The retailer's hallmark bonnet originated from a generations-old pattern in Beaufort on the South Carolina coast.
Last fall, Little Palmetto Pearl, one of the company's four signature stores, opened in Mount Pleasant Towne Centre. Other locations are in Georgia, Kentucky and Virginia.
The company's flagship store recently opened in Miramar Beach on the Florida Panhandle.
Beaufort Bonnet’s products are carried in about 400 retail locations, including a half-dozen specialty shops in the Charleston area.
Freshfields Village Shopping Center between Kiawah and Seabrook islands is welcoming several new shops. Ellis Creek Photography/Provided
Also on the way or recently opened in Freshfields are several other new shops, with one expanding.
Jewelry, clothing and handbag shop Spartina 449 and Salt Marsh Animal Hospital are now welcoming customers.
Coming soon are Café Eugenia with dining and a gourmet market, and two clothing and accessories shops: Luminary and Johnny Was. Opening dates have not been announced.
Athletic apparel retailer Lululemon plans to relocate to Freshfields Drive between Cantina 76 and Village Optical, nearly doubling in size to 2,331 square feet.
“Unique, upscale brands are finding that resort retail enclaves, like Freshfields Village, have turned into year-round shopping experiences," said Ward Kampf, president of Northwood Retail, the shopping center's operator. "With evolving remote work models, these properties are no longer simply seasonal destinations."
A downtown Charleston restaurant wants to expand slightly.
Chubby Fish at 252 Coming St. wants to expand to 254 Coming. The move would displace one on-site parking space and add 234 square feet of outdoor space and 586 square feet of inside space without providing five additional parking spaces.
Kiki & Rye restaurant in Mount Pleasant is now offering all-day hours and a new menu. Kiki & Rye/Provided
A Mount Pleasant-based restaurant group that is adding a new venue on the peninsula now offers longer hours and a new menu at one of its East Cooper locations.
Kiki & Rye, part of Free Reign Restaurants owned by Ryan and Kelleanne Jones, is now open continuously from late morning until the evening and offers a new all-day menu that caters to more casual dining, according to spokesman Jesse McCann.
The restaurant, at 656-G Long Point Road in Belle Hall Shopping Center, previously was closed during the afternoon, but its new hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday with menus for brunch and regular offerings. It's closed on Monday.
The restaurant also has a new head chef. Dominique Hase was formerly sous-chef at sister dining venue Community Table in I'On in Mount Pleasant.
Free Reign Restaurants plans to open a new concept called Southbound at 72 Cannon St. beside Ladles in downtown Charleston.
Originally targeting February as the tentative launch, the owners are now looking at the spring for an opening after delays and staffing shortages brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, McCann said.
A former West Ashley cafe is being transformed into a veterinary practice.
Charleston Animal Eye Specialists plans to open in the spring at 1716 Ashley River Road where Black Magic Café closed last fall.
The locally owned and operated ophthalmology practice will exclusively treat pet ocular conditions, according to veterinarian Dr. Hannah Visser.
Do you know a retail business that is opening, closing, expanding or in the works? Reach Warren L. Wise at wwise@postandcourier.com. Follow him on Twitter @warrenlancewise.
Warren Lance Wise covers retail, real estate and Charleston International Airport for The Post and Courier. A graduate of the University of South Carolina, he holds nearly 50 local, state and national awards for journalistic excellence.
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