Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka joined SERG Group and Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce officials to cut the ribbon at the new Nectar Farm Kitchen on Bluffton Road in Old Town. TIM WOOD
We have a full lineup of new businesses to share with you, as Lowcountry entrepreneurs are doing their darndest to make sure that business growth keeps pace with the ongoing population explosion. Here’s the latest on the newest shingles hung around town.
Tayble’s On The Move, 10953B N. Jacob Smart Blvd., Ridgeland, 843-949-0893: This food truck is anchored in the parking lot of Schooner’s Bar and Grill for now, as truck owners Starla Taylor and O’Neill Able get fully up and running (the name is a combination of their two last names). Taylor grew up in the restaurant industry and is the long-time manager of Schooner’s. She said their menu is all about freshness, nothing frozen. That includes hand-cut potato chips and deep-fried loaded potatoes with your choice of plain, BBQ, Philly and cheeseburger filling. The truck also offers Philly cheesesteaks, burgers (including an epic one-pounder), grilled or hand-breaded and fried chicken with garlic aioli and chicken tenders. The truck will be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday to start and will offer a home-cooked special on Wednesdays. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram @tayblesonthemove.
Stormy’s at Riverwalk, 61A Riverwalk Blvd., Ridgeland, 843-645-5544, stormys.cafe: The former home of Cheap Seats Riverwalk has a new owner, as Mike and Debby Comisac have taken over the space from their friend, Cheap Seats co-owner Rob Hummel. The couple are new to the Lowcountry but have big plans for the newly renovated space and have already made a splash since their early January opening by bringing Target the Band on as a Tuesday night fixture. The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner with a wide selection of American pub sandwich and wrap favorites as well as pizza, pasta entrees, wings and salads. Try the Philly cheesesteak – I had it on one of the eatery’s first days open and it was tender and juicy with a perfect blend of cheese sauce.
Nectar Farm Kitchen Old Town, 207 Bluffton Road, Bluffton, 843-706-2337, nectarfarmkitchen.com: The SERG Group eatery that has won consistent raves on Hilton Head for its farm-to-table freshness and outstanding customer service has opened in the former home of Fat Patties in Old Town. The official ribbon cutting was held Jan. 25. Head chef Christopher Carge and his team are serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, using ingredients sourced from more than 25 local farms and vendors. We have heard raves about the homemade cinnamon sugar and jam donuts, especially when paired with an egg, meat and cheese on a donut sandwich.
Lowcountry Shrimp and Knits, 181 Bluffton Road, Suite 1031 Building F, Bluffton, 508-864-0718, shrimpandknits.com: Tracy Winslow and her family turned their vacation home into their permanent home last year. Winslow, a former morning radio show host and current Spanish professor and tutor, was training for the Daufuskie Marathon when she got COVID in February 2020 and has been dealing with long-haul symptoms ever since, still unable to return to running. So she turned to her other passion, determined to build a local yarn shop for people to hang out, knit and learn. The shop offers heirloom-quality yarn for sale as well as classes for kids and adults and every level of knitter. The shop is located in Magnolia Village, behind Peaceful Henry’s. See the website for the full menu of classes, yarns and accessories.
Ice Cream Stop, 2700 May River Crossing, Bluffton, 843-757-7867, theicecreamstop.com: Bill and Gayle Pollard have become fixtures in Richmond Hill and Pooler with their warm and inviting ice cream parlors. Bluffton was the obvious choice for expansion as Gayle’s mother, Paula, lives in Sun City – and was the first customer to have their picture on the wall at the Bluffton location that officially opened Jan. 7. The pictures are a family tradition of filling the walls with photos of happy customers. The menu includes a wide variety of hand-scooped ice creams, non-dairy sorbet and Italian ice, chocolate and vanilla soft serve and a treat from Heaven known as Dole Whip. The fruity creation with a cult following among the Disney crowd is a gluten-free taste sensation. We suggest trying the Coconut Allman Joy – an ice cream named after the legendary singer Gregg, a frequent Georgia customer who recruited Bill as a groupie (a fact that has the true diehard fan Gayle feeling a bit salty). Check out their website for flavors of the month and new ice creams.
843 Sport, 139 Hartwell Ave., Ridgeland, 843-290-3638, 843sport.com: The new 8,200-square-foot training facility is the brain child of H2 Elite travel basketball founder Rob Benson. Billed as the “future of basketball and sports performance training in the Lowcountry,” the space offers basketball, volleyball and sports performance and Pilates training and indoor pickleball courts and instruction. Benson envisions the space as the kids’ “third place,” away from home and school, where they can meet fellow motivated athletes. The facility will be a melding of a number of different established programs. The H2 program has moved from Hilton Head to this new centrally located facility, as has the Marwin Kline Speed and Sport Academy, SeaSide Volleyball, Gunner Strength Club and Twisted Pilates.
Benjamin’s Food Truck, 843-707-2114, benjaminssouthernfriedpies.com: You better be ready for full-on guilty-pleasure gluttony when you visit the creation of chef Benjamin Watterson. The food truck offers Monte Cristo sandwiches with ham or turkey, loaded tater tots in BBQ pork, buffalo chicken and veggie varieties and soft pretzel, funnel cake pretzel and funnel cake Oreo bites. Did we mention it’s all Southern fried? We tried some of the creations when they made a stop at Cypress Ridge and all we can say is … mind blown. We haven’t even mentioned the six varieties of the main attraction pies – available in Lula Mae sweet potato, chocolate, lemon, Mub’s jalapeno popper, LJ’s Lowcountry boil and Bluffton blue crab – that have been winning raves on social media. Check out where they’re at next on Instagram @benjaminsfoodtruck.
Ehwa Electric, Bluffton, 843-505-7161, Master electrician Dan Ehwa recently relocated to Bluffton from Massachusetts with wife Diane and their family and is excited about carrying on his 20-year-old practice in the Lowcountry. Ehwa is fully licensed and insured to handle any and all residential and commercial, including Ring alarm and smart home installations. Email Ehwa at Daniel@EhwaElectric.com.
Travel By Steph and Dream Vacations, 843-816-4073, swise.dreamvacations.com: Travel agent Stephanie Wise has worked for brick and mortar agencies for more than 16 years, but has decided to hang her own shingle and put her expertise to use for adventurers looking to return to travel. Wise is associated with Dream Vacations and can plan any size itinerary to all corners of the world. In-person appointments available and Wise will travel to clients’ homes as well. She offers referral discounts as well first booking discounts to new clients.
Clist Café at the Culinary Institute of the South, 1 Venture Drive, Bluffton: The café is open at Technical College of the Lowcountry’s new 28,000-square-foot teaching facility in Bluffton’s Buckwalter Place. The café is offering an array of lattes, teas, coffee and hot chocolate and an evolving lineup of pastries and breads such as linzer torte, sour cream streusel muffins and potato herb rolls. The eatery is open 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and will also offer pop-up specials direct from the learning kitchens, like the fresh fruit gateaus offered last week. Check the TCL Facebook page for the latest menu additions.
Rumblings around town: Carrie and David Leffew have already put their own blueprint on the Lucky Rooster Kitchen + Bar, which they purchased from chef Clayton Rollison in early 2021. Now comes word that they’ve purchased the old Carrabba’s building at the corner of Folly Field Road and U.S. 278 on the island. Plans submitted to the town show the new venue’s working title is Lucky Beach Bar + Kitchen.
Social media was buzzing over the last couple weeks as word slipped that a Cinnabon food truck was headed to Bluffton. While we’re told the rumors are true and the truck will be anchored near the Bluffton post office on Johnston Way, the new owners want all the T’s crossed before they go any more public with details.
The Sea Pines Resort has begun hosting job fairs to hire more than 200 positions to staff the newly rebuilt Quarterdeck restaurant that is looking at an April re-opening.
We’re also hearing that both Tangerines Café and Bakery right outside the Sun City gate and Mama G’s Pizza Bistro & Bar the Moss Creek plaza are making progress toward mid-February openings.
Tim Wood is a veteran journalist based in Bluffton. Contact him at timwood@blufftonsun.com.
