Sports Bar in Mount Pleasant, SC

MOUNT PLEASANT — After nearly a half century, Royall Ace Hardware, the barn-shaped landmark at a busy Mount Pleasant intersection, is changing hands.

The switch, set to begin July 1, was prompted by the retirement of proprietor John Royall.

Builders and DIY’ers need not fear — the iconic store at 883 Ben Sawyer Blvd. will continue to operate as an Ace-affiliate under the stewardship of another longtime family-owned retailer from Tennessee.

The new name of the store will be changed to Elder’s Ace Hardware.

The Chattanooga-based buyer has about seven more years under its belt than Royall’s business, which opened in 1976 after its namesake bought Willard Hardware. Elder’s has grown to 38 location in Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina, with three in Anderson and one in Florence, since its founding in 1969.

Elder’s will lease the 8,000-square-foot Mount Pleasant space from the Royalls and assume all of the inventory and assets. It will continue to stock a variety of tools, power tools, paint, nails, key-making services and an assortment of uniquely Lowcountry items, like oyster pots, local relishes and books of local interest.

Now nearing the cusp of its 50th anniversary, Royall Hardware Inc. has always been family-run under the leadership of Royall and wife Julia, along with their son William and John’s brother, Robert "Robbie" Royall. As one of the few locally owned hardware stores in Mount Pleasant, it sees more than 3,000 customers come through the doors each week.

The business became affiliated with the Illinois-based Ace retail cooperative by the mid-1980s and moved from its original smaller location into its existing site next-door in April 1990.

Customers still look forward to seeing the founder in the aisles, offering opinions in his trademark Lowcountry brogue on the right tool to handle any project.

It was that hospitality, in fact, that led to the sale of the business.

Royall said received a call from an old friend, Tom Glenn, who had taken over the Elder’s chain from his dad, whose first name was Elder. He asked Royall about a good place to stay in Charleston while on a trip with his wife.

“I got him lined up at the Doubletree at the foot of the bridge, told him to stop by the store after they had some breakfast at Page's (Okra Grill),” Royall recalled this week. “We were able to have a quick visit on a Saturday morning.”

About a week later, Glenn called back with a proposition.

“He expressed how much they enjoyed their visit to Charleston and also he wanted to buy Royall Hardware,” Royall said “Twenty-five or 30 years ago, when I first started working with Ace and going to shows, his dad, Elder Glenn, was the chairman of the board for Ace. We (saw) this as a great opportunity to sell to another very good Ace retailer."

Elder's is expected to retain all workers, saying on its website that many of its employees have been with the company for as long as 40 years, "and we believe the knowledge and experience that come with those years are important to our ability to create a shopping atmosphere centered around helping" customers.

The company added in a written statement Wednesday that it looks forward to expanding to the Charleston area.

"As we continue to grow, we remain committed to serving our communities ..." Elder's Ace said.

Royall's son William will continue to run the family's other Mount Pleasant retail venture, Sweetgrass Mercantile. Located at 3008 U.S. Highway 17, the onetime hardware store in the north end of town combines a cafe, garden center and 80-booth vendor market.

The Royalls also plan to continue to sell two enterprising products — their Carolina rice steamers and a fair-trade coffee brand called 43 Families that sources beans from growers in Nicaragua. Both items will continue to be available at the Ben Sawyer store after the sale is finalized.

“Tom and the Elder's hardware team are committed to honoring the culture and service model that make this store special," Royall said. "We look forward to the future and innovations they will bring.”

As for how the veteran Mount Pleasant hardware merchant will now spend his time, there are visits to New York to see his grandson and spending time in a family cabin in the mountains on the horizon.

But he still plans to make a few appearances at the store.

“When you’ve been doing something for 50 years, it’s definitely bittersweet to leave,” Royall said. “Over the years, I’ve enjoyed doing sharpening, of knives and lawnmower blades. There's a chance I might come back a couple times a week and do that kind of thing.”

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - Mount Pleasant leaders made a recent update to Tree Protection Zones to protect the town’s natural resources.

A recent update to Mount Pleasant Tree Protection Zones is expanding how town leaders measure areas of protection for trees. The protection zone covers the space in a circular area around the bottom trees. The newest rule covers a one-foot radius per one inch of diameter at breast height of trees.

Town of Mount Pleasant Planning Department Urban Forester Eddie Bernard says current codes list different tree protections based on the type of property. Tree sizes of eight inches and larger on commercial buildings, including schools, churches and recreation facilities, are protected. Residential properties with trees 16 inches or larger also see protections.

Bernard says the update places greater emphasis on protecting pine trees.

“Pine trees historically were not a protected species outside of special buffers,” Bernard says. “They are now protected at 24 inches and larger. So residential 16 inches and larger typically is a protected tree size, minimum size, so now pine trees are unique in that sense now that they are 24 inches and above.”

The new rule requires replacement trees to be planted if trees are removed from residential properties.

“Instead of a 4-inch minimum replacement tree, it’s gone down to a 2-inch caliper tree, which is smaller and easier to come by and cheaper. They’re more apt for a homeowner to be able to plant instead of a contractor.”

The update comes from the town’s first-ever Community Forest Master Plan that was created in 2023. The plan details the need for preserving the area’s healthy forestry as trees help mitigate environmental impacts such as flooding or stormwater runoff.

Town Planner Chris Lubert says the process of creating the master plan included consultants who identified recommendations on the tree protection ordinance. Lubert says the plan’s review found the town falling behind surrounding municipalities when it comes to tree protection limits.

“What we found was that we were protecting the least amount of area from the comparisons that they pulled out,” Lubert says. “And so we felt it was time to upgrade it, because science has changed, research has changed, and showing that roots are growing well beyond what we were protecting. So, if we want to feasibly protect these trees, we need to expand that tree protection zone.”

Lubert says the goal of expanding protection zones is to give trees the highest chance of survival. The planner says the plan has no intention of restricting development for homes or commercial businesses.

Leaders say the county council is considering a Tree Task Force with the hopes of overseeing tree ordinances and potential changes. Leaders say public meetings are expected if the idea moves forward.

The community has the opportunity to participate in three public meetings in June to discuss a five-year update to the town’s 10-year Comprehensive Plan. The plan identifies the town’s initiatives towards topics such as population, natural resources and economic development within a decade.

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Frank & Jack’s Restaurant on Ira will open at 1434 Ira Road in Mount Pleasant late this summer. The property is on just under two acres which its owners intend to utilize for a spacious outdoor area, restaurant and soft-serve ice cream shack.

As the project’s partners fleshed out the identity of the restaurant, project leader Stephanie Samuels said it dawned on her that the lot off U.S. Highway 17 North in Mount Pleasant was of such a magnitude that it might be able to fill a gap in the community — a spot that can handle large groups for birthday or graduation parties.

“I feel like we are such a big market that caters towards tourists and weddings and everything else,” she said. “There’s really not a lot for those small celebrations to happen outside of your home.”

With Frank & Jack’s, Samuels and partner Hunter Floyd Williams say they hope to offer a place for the kids to hang out as well. The restaurant is the first for hospitality group High Tide Provisions. Other partners include Alice Lewis and chef Jonathan Rohland.

Williams, who is helping with Frank & Jack’s design, branding and creative direction, said that its size of the lot adjacent to Abide A While garden boutique, gave them the ability to develop a “chameleon space” as long as the infrastructure was in place. The interior will feature an open floor plan with nostalgic accents in a contemporary space. Along the walls, visitors may find geometric patterns with wood paneling and polished brass.

Nostalgia has also inspired the menu, crafted by Rohland, who met Samuels while working at Nordstrom. The two were part of the opening team for its Canadian restaurant market, which influenced Frank & Jack’s menu.

“The poutine came about as a throwback to Jonathan and I working together in Canada [which is] how we met. We had poutine every night. We fell in love with it,” Samuels said. “So we just took that and made our spin on it and our twist with short ribs.”

A gathering space

Samuels and the rest of the High Tide Provisions team were looking for a gathering place with enough space for kids to run around — that could also satisfy folks looking for a child-free night out.

Leaning on restaurant real estate trends showing a desire for outdoor space and need to carve out a distinct identity, the team found what they needed in the two acre property off of Highway 17.

The team wanted to make sure there was ample parking for guests. The diverse space totals 88 parking spots with the hope of partnering with nearby businesses for additional parking after 5 p.m. The partners also plan to install a restroom attached to the standalone ice cream shack.

“We had this opportunity with this lot next to Abide A While,” said Samuels. “It’s a little under two acres and that’s kind of what Mount Pleasant needed.”

Samuels and Williams explained that there was some apprehension to building a little further from the peninsula.

The team loves the lot, understanding that a location further outside of downtown would allow for the space to hone in their vision, but they also recognized Frank & Jack’s would need to be eclectic.

Overall, guests can expect an enterprise that utilizes its space to envelope the community — and meet the needs of Charleston’s ever-growing suburban population.

MOUNT PLEASANT – A splash pad, exercise equipment and elements that nod to long-gone landmarks are features of the expanded Memorial Waterfront Park under the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.

Motorists can catch a glimpse of the park's basketball and pickleball courts when coming off the bridge into Mount Pleasant. For roughly two years, crews with Hill Construction worked to turn the swath of dirt and grass beneath the bridge into an extension of the "crown jewel of Mount Pleasant."

The area beneath the Ravenel Bridge on Harry Hallman Jr. Boulevard remained an undeveloped grass lot for years, primarily used for overflow parking during events like the Sweetgrass Basket Festival or the Blessing of the Fleet.

But on June 2, the park was almost finished as Special Projects Manager Steve Gergick walked through, chatting with construction crew members who fiddled with equipment and sealed light fixtures.

Save for a small field in the center blocked off with orange fencing to protect the sprouting new grass and four basketball backboards with no nets, the latest iteration of Memorial Waterfront Park appeared ready to welcome visitors.

After a series of permitting and construction delays, the $6.75 million expansion officially opened on June 4. Originally scheduled to open in 2024, the park expansion across from the pier and the Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Pavilion, will open the same day.

"We've been trying to cross that finish line for a long time," said Gergick. "We didn't want to open it up before it's in good condition for the public."

A piece of the Grace Memorial Bridge is on display at the front of the park, accompanied by a historical marker, a remnant of the Ravenel Bridge's predecessor that connected Mount Pleasant to Charleston. The Grace Memorial Bridge, along with the Pearman Bridge, were demolished in 2005.

MOUNT PLEASANT — Boats sat idle in Shem Creek around noon July 2, as diners sauntered into restaurants along the crowded strip to peruse menus featuring all kinds of seafood, from crab to flounder to grouper.

Shrimp, a hotly debated topic in recent weeks, is offered fried, boiled, blackened or piled onto grits at many of the establishments in this popular tourist section of the Charleston area.

Just beyond Shem Creek's restaurant row, manager Sarah Fitch assisted customers outside Mt. Pleasant Seafood, a family-owned retailer founded in 1945. The market currently sells three types of shrimp.

One is locally sourced. Two are imported.

Mt. Pleasant Seafood's signage does not denote its shrimp as local or imported, but the staff is transparent with customers about where it's coming from, Fitch told The Post and Courier within earshot of patrons waiting in line.

But not every local business is being open about its sourcing methods, members of the shrimping industry allege.

About six miles away at another popular tourist area in downtown Charleston, the S.C. Shrimpers Association and its lawyer announced they had added the names of 25 Charleston area restaurants to an existing lawsuit that accused 40 establishments of selling imported shrimp while advertising them as being local or wild caught.

The 25 restaurants cited by name extend from Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant to downtown Charleston, up to North Charleston and Summerville, across West Ashley and out to Folly Beach. Some are widely known, with others less so.

Addressing reporters in front of the Pineapple Fountain at Waterfront Park, Bryan Jones and Rocky Magwood of the S.C Shrimpers Association and the organization's attorney, Gedney Howe IV, criticized the practice of passing off imported shrimp as local.

"It's obviously the shrimpers, like myself, Rocky, and the entire fleet throughout South Carolina, that are affected when they're undercut by restaurants not buying our shrimp and then purchasing imported shrimp and selling it as local," Jones said.

Those claims met pushback from members of the seafood industry, including some of the restaurants that have been singled out — with many denying they have done anything to directly mislead customers.

The cost of imported shrimp is significantly cheaper, said the managers at Red's Ice House, Tavern & Table and Sunsets Waterfront Dining, all located along Shem Creek. At other establishments, including Mt. Pleasant Seafood, owners said cost coupled with a lack of local availability create a need for imported shrimp.

The release of restaurant names came weeks after 40 out of 44 restaurants tested in the Charleston area were alleged to be misleading customers with the sale of imported shrimp. In announcing the initial results in June, SeaD Consulting of Texas publicly identified the four restaurants found to be selling local or wild-caught shrimp, and accurately advertised as such. Left out were the names of the 40 other establishments.

SeaD's testing was commissioned by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, an industry trade association based in Tarpon Spring, Fla. SeaD officials declined a Post and Courier interview request.

The names of the remaining 15 businesses aren't expected to be released in the immediate future.

Owners spotlighted by the research firm largely refuted the claims that they mislead customers. Questions remain about how SeaD Consulting carried out its testing, as well as what criteria were used in determining which restaurants to test and how conclusions were drawn.

Ongoing litigation

Testing results culminated with the Shrimpers Association filing a federal lawsuit on June 13 against all 40 restaurants initially accused of selling imported shrimp. An updated complaint was filed July 2 to name 25 businesses, but not the remaining ones.

It's unclear what the association, as well as SeaD Consulting, consider to be fraudulent. Howe said the Southern Shrimp Alliance, the group that funded the study, provided the restaurant list to the S.C. Shrimper’s Alliance.

SeaD officials would not address how the 44 places were selected to be tested, nor what the company considers to be fraudulent. SeaD's testing took place in late May, about a week before the commercial trawling season opened.

The lawsuit accuses the restaurants of false advertising and violating South Carolina's Unfair Trade Practices Act and the Lanham Act, a federal law that prohibits false advertising. According to the lawsuit, restaurant defendants "falsely advertised shrimp served in their establishments as 'local,' 'Carolina-caught' (and) 'fresh South Carolina shrimp,' among other misrepresentations."

"The SeaD Consulting results that we've been provided do not specify … which of the specific rules may have been violated to indicate that that facility had a violation. We've checked on every one that we've named, and we found things that we believe violated with the state of federal law," Howe said.

These are restaurants that SeaD Consulting determined were not actively advertising their shrimp as local, Howe said. Following a thorough review of menus, restaurant décor and marketing materials, The Post and Courier found no indications that many of the 25 restaurants explicitly claim to be selling wild-caught shrimp.

Some of the restaurants may not be familiar to the average Charleston diner. But the testing results paint a broad picture of alleged deceit in a restaurant industry reliant on places serving seafood.

SeaD’s list featured Dockside Charlie's, a virtual kitchen operating out of O’Charley's. It is only available through online delivery services.

"We take the quality and standards of our seafood very seriously," a spokesman for Dockside Charlie's said in a statement. "We have yet to be served anything related to the lawsuit in question and, as such, cannot comment on something which we have not seen. If and when we receive more information, we will, of course, investigate it fully."

The complaint also listed Poseidon's Playground, a food truck in North Charleston, that serves shrimp tacos. Its menu makes no claim that they are made with wild-caught shrimp.

Teri Turner, manager of a Cajun seafood restaurant in North Charleston called Crab Du Jour, said they make no such assertion. The business does not sell locally sourced shrimp and doesn't claim to, she said. Their shrimp comes frozen from an outside provider.

Turner said the restaurant only claims to offer fresh seafood, so she can't figure out why the group was targeting them.

"I think it is unfortunate that they have to lie," she said. "We do good business here, and we are very honest with our customers."

Red’s Ice House lists "local peel ‘n eat shrimp" in its Lowcountry boil, even though the restaurant acknowledged they are sourced from outside the U.S.

"That should have come off our menu a long time ago," said Skipper Kress, a manager at the Shem Creek restaurant. "We don’t get local shrimp right now."

Hyman’s Seafood, a downtown mainstay which draws a line down Meeting Street most days, does not claim to sell wild-caught shrimp in marketing materials. Some of its social media posts in the past, however, have alluded to local sourcing. Hyman’s ownership recognized that those posts implied that “we were serving fresh shrimp, when in fact we were serving imported shrimp at those times."