In the year Hurricane Ian, South Carolina’s first since Matthew in 2016, spared Charleston-area restaurants much damage. Most, including those in flood-prone areas, were able to reopen on Oct. 1.
Downtown Charleston’s Little Line Kitchen and Provisions opened for breakfast at 176 Line St. on Oct. 1, just 12 hours after the larger Line Street units — anchored by President Street and Ashley Avenue — were under water.
The West Side daytime restaurant did not see any obvious damage, owner Wendy Gleim said, although it reported drainage issues later in the day that may have been related to the flooding.
Other Peninsula restaurants were back to normal service less than 24 hours after Ian passed through Charleston.
Steps away from Little Lane, Daps Breakfast and Imbibe reopened the morning after the storm.
Workers outside Melfi returned the restaurant’s sign to its normal hanging position as a precaution. The restaurant was uninjured, co-owner Brooks Ritz said.
Huger Street was another downtown thoroughfare that found itself underwater on Sept. 30, but that’s Renzo, 384 Huger St. And that didn’t stop Berkeley’s from opening the next day at the corner of Huger Street and Rutledge Avenue.
A handful of Charleston-area bars and restaurants decided to stay open through the storm, including Franny and the Fox, Que Fay, Stems and Skins, Share House and the Blind Tiger.
Matthew Conway, who owns Tippling House Wine Bar with his wife Carissa, said they never considered closing. The couple and Tippling House chef Shane Clinton live within walking distance of the wine bar, so Conway knew he could open it without putting his staff at risk.
“It was our biggest foodie night ever,” said Conway, who had to start turning people around late in the night. “I’ve found in my work that those are the nights where you bond with the community. It’s just the camaraderie you feel with the people who come that night.”
Chef and restaurateur Nico Romo hopes to provide customers with the same atmosphere at his new Summerville restaurant Laura. But soon after bringing in the kitchen staff in the morning, Laura decided to close it, along with two other restaurants – NICO Oysters + Seafood in Mount Pleasant and Bistronomy By Nico Downtown.
Chef Nico Romo decided to close Laura, his restaurant in Summerville inspired by the culture and cuisine of his maternal grandmother Laura, along with two other restaurants — NICO Oysters + Seafood in Mount Pleasant and Bistronomy By Nico Downtown — on September 30 when Hurricane Ian blew through. File/Brad Nettles/Staff
“I didn’t even know Summerville and I didn’t expect them to be flooded,” Romo said.
It may have only been one night, but the decision to close Friday was a big one for Romo’s and other Charleston restaurants. Especially those who rely on local seafood (NICO) and homemade pasta (Laura).
“They don’t want to waste any product, and the product is already there,” Romo said. “You have to be open as long as you can.”
The most serious of Romo’s restaurants was Bistronomy, which was closed every Tuesday and Wednesday.
“So now (for) a five-day week, I’m only getting sales for three days,” said Romo, who knows it could be worse. “You always have to look at the positive side. In some ways, we take risks to live on the coast.
