Charleston Restaurant Report April 2018
ON THE MENU
1. Green Scene – THE STATE OF RESTAURANT SUSTAINABILITY 2018
2. Local Restaurant News – LOWCOUNTRY LOCAL FIRST INVITES YOU TO SHOW #HOWIEATLOCAL IN APRIL
3. Restaurant Openings, Closings and Coming Soon Lists!
4. National Restaurant Trends – HOW IS YOUR RESTAURANT BRAND WINNING OVER CONSUMERS?
GREEN SCENE
THE STATE OF RESTAURANT SUSTAINABILITY 2018
The National Restaurant Association released a report on the State of Restaurant Sustainability 2018 that summarizes the survey results of restaurant owners, operators and customers about sustainability practices. The report shows that environmental sustainability efforts tied to foodservice are much more than a passing fad. It also shows that there is still a lot of work that could and should be done to educate on the subject, strengthen efforts and increase participation. Here are a few highlights from the report:
1) 8 in 10 restaurants use energy efficient lighting.
2) 1 in 5 restaurants donate leftovers to charities.
3) 56% of restaurants buy compostable supplies.
4) 6 in 10 restaurants use equipment start-up/shut-down schedules to reduce utility usage. Download the report here…
LOCAL RESTAURANT NEWS
LOWCOUNTRY LOCAL FIRST INVITES YOU TO SHOW #HOWIEATLOCAL IN APRIL
LLF wants to encourage the lowcountry to Eat Local in April. They will be giving away restaurant gift cards to one lucky participant each week who takes a pic of him/herself engaging in one of the Eat Local habits listed on the LLF website. Take a look at the LLF's Eat Local habits list, get involved, support your local farmers/fisherman/restaurants, and maybe win some green!
The following Openings + Closings lists reflect 1st Quarter 2018 market activity (January - March 2018):
OPENINGS --
Betty’s Eatery (Mt. Pleasant – former Aya Cookhouse)
Bistro A Vin (Downtown)
Bitty & Beau’s Coffee (Downtown)
Cici’s Pizza (Goose Creek)
Commonhouse Aleworks (N. Charleston)
Daps (Downtown)
Dellz on the Macon (N. Charleston)
East Bay Deli (Mt. Pleasant – reopened)
Famous Toastery (West Ashley)
IHOP (Downtown – former Tsunami)
Jersey Mike’s (West Ashley)
Los Reyes (W. Ashley)
Miller’s All Day (Downtown – former Bull Street Gourmet)
Parcel 32 (Downtown – former Fish)
Playa Taco (Mt. Pleasant – former Burger Fi)
Poke Bros (N. Charleston)
Renzo (Downtown)
Saltwater Cowboys (Mt. Pleasant)
Uneeda Sicilian (Downtown – former Once Upon a Treat)
Wingstop (West Ashley)
CLOSINGS --
Bad Wolf Coffee (Downtown)
Butter Tapas (North Charleston)
Church’s Fried Chicken x 4 (Downtown + West Ashley + N. Charleston)
Foodies (West Ashley)
Sonic (Mt. Pleasant – damaged by fire)
The Sprout (Mt. Pleasant)
Upper Deck Tavern (Downtown)
Welkin Coffee x 2 (Downtown + Mt. Pleasant)
COMING SOON (expected to open in the 2nd quarter '18) --
Andolini’s Pizza (Summerville)
Balao (Downtown)
Chick-fil-a (Mt. Pleasant)
Fuji Sushi (Downtown)
Kickin’ Chicken (Summerville – former Caroline’s Lowcountry Kitchen)
LOWLIFE (Folly Beach)
Mario’s Peruvian Chicken (Mt. Pleasant)
Melfi’s (Downtown)
Mex 1 (Mt. Pleasant – former Star Taco)
Mozzo Deli (Downtown – former Nana’s Donuts)
Nimbo Pizza (Downtown)
Revival (Downtown – former Starbucks)
Tattooed Moose (West Ashley – former King Street Grille)
Uncork (Downtown)
...AND 50+ more openings in the next 4-15 months...
NATIONAL RESTAURANT TRENDS
HOW IS YOUR RESTAURANT BRAND WINNING OVER CONSUMERS?
Author Jenna Telesca tells restaurant operators in highly competitive markets to look beyond declining customer traffic trends and dig into what makes your restaurant worth visiting. With consumer spending on the rise for food purchased away-from-home, the real challenge is in capturing those dollars. Ms. Telesca boils it down to one of two choices in order to win in the ultra-competitive food-away-from-home marketplace: either 1) create more convenience or 2) create a better meal experience for the consumer. Take your pick. Read the article in Nations Restaurant News….