May River Mattress Company owner Charlie Taylor with his kids and mattress testers.
So much news to share. Some newcomers to welcome.
Chic-Fil-A opens second Bluffton location: Dreams have been answered. Most of you probably didn’t even know it was in the works, but Chic-Fil-A has opened on the USCB campus off U.S. 278.
This is a bit different than you’re used to. No drive through here, this is walk-in customers only. The restaurant is located on the north side of the Campus Center building with designated customer car and golf cart parking.
The new location opened Feb. 8 and is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The restaurant will employ about 25 USCB students to start and will be overseen by Charlie Gancio, USCB’s Director of Auxiliary Services.
New General Store on Hilton Head: There is a new mercantile at the gateway of Hilton Head Island. Jarvis Creek General Store has opened at the corner of U.S. 278 and Spanish Wells Road.
The store is already spotlighting plenty of local vendors, including grab-and-go Boar’s Head sandwiches from Avocado Bleu, popcorn from Palmetto Kettle Corn, ground coffee from Hilton Head Island Coffee Roasters, dog treats from Diddybiteya, and craft beers from Lincoln and South.
Beer enthusiasts have already hailed the shop as a new hot spot, thanks to their variety of offerings. The store takes over a building that was previously a law office, but long-time locals that have stopped in have said the locale used to be a diner and donut shop back in the day.
JCGS plans to have a steady lineup of food trucks on site, including La Barria Loca. The hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 to 6 p.m. Sundays.
New boat club enters market: Destination Boat Club of the Carolinas has secured boat slips at Hilton Head Harbor Marina and plans to begin operations in March. The company has established locations at Lake Wylie in South Carolina, and Lake Norman, Wilmington and Outer Banks in North Carolina, and a newly opened locale in Savannah – all of which can be reserved anytime. They also have reciprocal privileges in Key West, Naples, Fort Myers and Cape Coral in Florida.
The company is currently running 50 percent off sign-up specials in Hilton Head and Savannah. Go to destinationboatclubscarolinas.com for more information.
May River Mattress opens: A new mattress company has opened in the Target plaza between Starbucks and Honey Baked Ham. May River Mattress Company (1060 Fording Island Road, Suite B, Bluffton, 843-836-2337, mayrivermattress.com) and is offering the best sleep products from industry leaders like Serta, Beautyrest, Stearns & Foster and Tempur-Pedic. Owner Charlie Taylor opened the doors in December and has already gotten involved in giving back to the community through involvement in events like the recent DJ’s Day of Giving.
Old Town doors opening: We’ve mentioned the business names coming into the Promenade, but now, we have some open doors to report.
Kelly Caron Curated has taken over the corner spot of the first retail building at 6 Promenade St. with a grand opening set for March 2. The store is the first brick-and-mortar location for the lifestyle brand extension of the popular Lowcountry interior designer. The store will offer resort wear including dresses, kaftans, tops and shorts, fashion accessories from footwear to earrings and homeware such as trays, coasters, coffee table books, stemware, lamps, tables and mirrors.
Next door, Dillard-Jones Builders has taken over the spot temporarily held by Absolutely Perfect.
Wine Time Bluffton is taking over the former Ben & Jerry’s location with Robert and Lauren Bazemore opening up the wine bar and charcuterie bar on March 10. WTB has introduced their general manager, Kevin, who has more than 25 years of experience in the food and wine industry – including a number of master level certifications from the Wine Scholar Guild and a diploma from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust in London.
Beyond the retail offerings and the bar, officials promise a place to come and learn about different wines, and a commitment to give back monthly to local non-profits.
Budding restaurant owner Brian Behnke hopes to be the next one on the grand opening list. His team is prepping the modern raw bar Crudo in the former Corks location at 14 Promenade St.
“We are getting close, we’re very excited to welcome the public in. We just need to get the permits and all the details to open the doors,” said Behnke, who is hoping to open by mid-March. The Minnesota native has lived in the Lowcountry for 23 years and previously ran restaurants in Minneapolis before his work as a wine and spirits distributor rep.
For the less informed, crudo is a dish of raw fish or seafood, typically dressed with oil, juice and seasonings. Behnke offered 167 Raw as a comparison for what diners can expect. The menu will be 80% to 90% seafood with seating for 42 diners and 15 at the bar. A collection of craft beers will be available, with more focus on craft cocktails and the wine selection. Crudo has a wine preservation system that works with carbon dioxide pumped into the bar area. Once bottles are opened, the CO2 is pumped in the bottle, keeping the wine and champagne fresh for 28 days.
The dress code will be business casual with no hats, tanktops or gymwear allowed. Behnke said Crudo will offer a Sunday four-course supper and Monday night wine specials. Lunch will be served Thursday through Sunday. For more information, visit crudobluffton.com.
Tim Wood is a veteran journalist based in Bluffton. timwood@blufftonsun.com.
