MUSC breaks ground on College of Medicine building that aims to enhance medical education
The project marks the first time in more than a century that the university’s flagship college will have a dedicated building.
Old Li’s Restaurant now open
Old Li's Restaurant, which opened in West Ashley in 2021 and closed in July 2024 due to a move to a bigger space, is now open again. The Chinese restaurant is now located at North Charleston.
Dog park & bar now open
Broken Leash, a dog park and bar, is now open. Located at 8811 Old University Blvd, North Charleston, Broken Leash offers day passes ($10-$15/per day per dog) and monthly memberships ($30/per dog). Puppies must be older than 4 months to enter off-leash areas and there are specific zones for puppies under 25 lbs and under 6 months old. Check out the requirements here.
Makan plans to close
The Malaysian restaurant announced that its final service will be December 21st. Makan, which means "to eat," is owned by chef James Wozniuk, who opened the first location in Washington, D.C. in 2020, receiving a Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since 2021, along with other accolades. The Charleston location opened just six months ago.
Boeing to expand Charleston County operations
Boeing plans to invest $1 billion in infrastructure upgrades at its existing site and create 500 new jobs over the next five years.
The Mason Jar by Fatboys reopens
After being closed for nearly two months due to a car driving through the restaurant, the spot offering classic Southern food announced it will reopen tomorrow.
New Mexican spot opens
La Minerva Cocina & Tequila, a modern Mexican cuisine, has officially opened its doors. The restaurant, located at 8811 Dorchester Road Suite 107, is owned by Raul Salazar and Alondra Ramirez, who also own Rio Chico in Summerville, James Island, and West Ashley.
Credit to this Facebook user who had a good time.
By the Way is now open
The new restaurant and bar from Uptown Hospitality Group and Southern Charm's Craig Conover and Austen Kroll, is now open. The restaurant is located at 45 1/2 Spring St. and will stay open until 2 AM.
Walgreens in talks to sell itself
Walgreens is in talks to sell itself to a private-equity firm in a deal that would take the pharmacy chain off the public market after its shares have been sliding for nearly a decade. Walgreens’s market value reached a peak of over $100 billion in 2015 but has since shrunk to around $8 billion. In October, it was reported that the company, which reported a net loss in fiscal 2023 of $3.1 billion, intends to close 1,200 stores. Today, Walgreens has over 12,000 stores across the US, Latin America and Europe.
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Krispy Kreme suffered a cyber attack in November that impacted portions of its business operations, including placing online orders. According to a message on its site, the company is working to restore online ordering.
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Pizza chain Hungry Howie’s is opening a new location in SC, currently looking for a space in either Summerville or Goose Creek. The brand, which has been around for ~50 years, has over 530 stores in 21 states. In SC, the chain has four active locations in Myrtle Beach, Greenville, and Carolina Forest.
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Multifamily developer Lifestyle Communities announced LC Ingleside, a North Charleston development that will initially feature 451 multifamily apartment homes, complemented by an array of hospitality-focused amenities. The first units are expected to be delivered in September of 2025, with completion of the first phase anticipated by the end of 2026.
New addition to CHS airport
Global hospitality and entertainment company Delaware North has launched Ashley Cooper Provisions at the Charleston International Airport as part of the company’s 10-year contract extension. The 50-seat venue features Charleston-inspired bites and cocktails. Ashley Cooper Provisions replaces and expands on the space where Harvest & Grounds was previously.
Coming soon
The Trader Joe’s shopping center that's connected to Towne Centre will get two new retail stores – discount furniture store Homesense and golf clothing and equipment store Golf Galaxy. Both stores will come online sometime in the first half of 2025. [Post and Courier].
Bearcat restaurant closes
Bearcat has closed after 13 months. Rising costs and mediocre patronage were reasons for the closure of the West Ashley restuarant. "Opening an independent restaurant in 2024 is really hard these days," chef/owner George Kovach told The Post and Courier. "We were just unfortunately slow."
Polestar begins US production of the Polestar 3 LR
Polestar has started US production of the Long range Single motor variant of its flagship SUV, the Polestar 3. The production of Polestar's most affordable ($67,500 vehicle starting price) and longest-range EV is taking place in Polestar’s shared Volvo plant in Charleston.
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Gaming services studio PTW has opened a new location in Charleston, featuring "state-of-the-art amenities designed for next-gen game testing." The Japanese company, which was founded in 1994 and has 8,500+ employees, expects to create hundreds of jobs for the Charleston area over the next few years. PTW offers a variety of services for gaming companies including art production, game development, and quality assurance.
New Italian restaurant coming to Hanahan
Chef Mark Bolchoz plans to open Italian restaurant Cane Pazzo in spring 2025 in Hanahan. Cane pazzo is an Italian phrase that translates to crazy dog.
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Beginning April 4th, Avelo Airlines is launching nonstop flights between Myrtle Beach International Airport and Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.
Roundabout project moving forward at Mount Pleasant
Town leaders are taking the next steps in installing a roundabout at the intersection of Park West Boulevard and Stockdale Street. The construction, which will cost around $9M, is set to begin in Spring 2026. The project also includes the construction of about 2.5 miles of multi-use paths along parts of Park West Boulevard, Park Avenue and Carolina Park Boulevard, which is part of the Mount Pleasant Way project.