Charleston Restaurant Report OCTOBER 2021
ON THE MENU
1. Local Restaurant Scene -- STAFFING SHORTAGE
2. Restaurant Openings, Closings + Coming Soon!
3. National Restaurant Scene – RESTAURANT TECH INVESTMENTS RAMPED UP DURING PANDEMIC
4. COVID: Measuring The Damage -- AUGUST RESTAURANT JOBS DECLINE IN 27 STATE
LOCAL RESTAURANT SCENE
STAFFING SHORTAGE
Every Food & Beverage operator that I have spoken with in 2021 has expressed concerns about ongoing staffing issues and the operational problems that result from not having the right people in the right places. A restaurant after all can only be as good as its people. I read a recent industry mag piece that quoted a chef saying that lots of people still want to eat in restaurants (despite the pandemic), but not many people want to work in them anymore. So what's to do? Recruit harder? Create better working conditions? Offer better pay / benefits / flexible schedules? Employ more tech and less humans? Charleston restaurateurs were having staffing issues before 2020 and the covid pandemic made the problem even worse. In looking for solutions, there is only so much that new technologies can do. You still need humans to do the prepping, cooking, serving and cleaning until AI robots finally take over and run the show. Until a lot more humans decide the F&B world is where they want to work, there will continue to be a staffing shortage.
RESTAURANT OPENINGS, CLOSINGS + COMING SOON!
Openings + Closings list reflects 3rd Quarter 2021 market activity (July - September):
OPENINGS --
Athens Restaurant (James Island - relocated)
Big John’s Tavern (Downtown)
Blue Tequila Tacos & Grill (Goose Creek)
Brasserie le Banque (Downtown – former One Broad)
Buffalo Wild Wings (Summerville)
Bull & Finch Pub (Mount Pleasant)
Casa Fiesta Mexican Grill (James Island – former La Hacienda)
Chao Goiano (Goose Creek)
Chucktown Brewery (Downtown – former Kickin Chicken)
Chucktown Grub (Downtown – former Kickin Chicken)
Hero Doughnuts & Buns (Downtown – former Panera Bread)
Iggy’s Pizza Shop (Mount Pleasant – former Baroni’s)
J.L.’s Southwest Brisket Burgers (Downtown – former Juan Luis)
Lawrence’s Seafood Company (Isle of Palms – former Binky’s)
Lizzie’s Coffee Company (Johns Island)
Malika (Mount Pleasant – former Qdoba Mexican Grill)
Maya (Downtown – former Macintosh)
MOMO Riverfront Park (North Charleston)
Nauti Monkey (Mount Pleasant – former Pho King)
Off World Brewery & Taproom (Summerville – former Homegrown Brewhouse)
Park & Grove (Downtown – former Park Café)
Root Note (James Island – former Micho)
Shrimp & Grits Café (Moncks Corner)
The Honey Hive (Downtown – former HOM)
The Last Saint (Downtown)
The Longboard (Sullivans Island – former 450 Pizza Joint)
The Whale (Downtown)
Tropical Smoothie (West Ashley)
Tropical Smoothie (James Island – former The Hen & The Goat)
Vined the Vegan Experience (North Charleston)
Zia Taqueria (James Island – relocated to former Athens Grill)
CLOSINGS --
Binky’s Seaside Oyster & Liquor Bar (Isle of Palms)
Bistro Toulouse (Mount Pleasant)
Black Magic Café (West Ashley)
Butcher & The Boar (Mount Pleasant)
Dukes BBQ (North Charleston)
Ichiban (Mount Pleasant)
Micho (James Island)
Park Café (Downtown)
Yo Burrito (North Charleston)
COMING SOON --
The number of restaurant projects on the Coming Soon list is still over 70! The restaurant economy in and around Charleston is witnessing a lot of optimism....Finding enough employees to fill all those new shifts is gonna be tough!
NATIONAL RESTAURANT SCENE
RESTAURANT TECH INVESTMENTS RAMPED UP DURING PANDEMIC
Look at the big boys to see the latest technologies that are helping improve operational efficiencies and customer experiences. iPads in the drive-thru, App ordering, Reservation management software, Digital loyalty programs... The tech investments made by concepts like Chick-fil-A, P.F. Chang's, and McAlister's Deli have helped give them a big push through a short-staffed pandemic. These technologies can help the little guys too. Read more about it here....
CORONAVIRUS: MEASURING THE DAMAGE
AUGUST RESTAURANT JOBS DECLINE IN 27 STATES
According to the National Restaurant Association's research, 27 states, including South Carolina, lost restaurant jobs in August. This ended a 7-month winning streak for restaurant job growth. At the state level, despite a slight decline in August, South Carolina's total restaurant jobs number is back in line with where it was in March 2020 at just under 200,000 people employed in the F&B sector. Nationwide, the F&B sector remains about 1 million jobs or 8% below its pre-pandemic high mark. Dig deeper into the NRA's statistics here...