New restaurant plans on Daufuskie. Here’s what could be coming to Marshside Mama’s spot
A much-loved Daufuskie Island restaurant that closed over a year ago could reopen under new management after the Beaufort County Public Facilities Committee voted to move forward with a bid for the property Monday.
The committee received three bids to renovate and use the county-owned property that formerly housed Marshside Mama’s Cafe for a restaurant, according to its Monday agenda.
During the meeting, the committee voted to move ahead with a bid from Pointed Feather LLC.
“We want to have a family-friendly restaurant and hopefully be one of the first restaurants to now serve pizza (on the island),” Charles Huggins, the developer for Pointed Feather, said to the committee.
According to the proposal, Pointed Feather offered the county $900 a month for rent and $100,000 in capital investments to the building with a 10 year lease.
Huggins said he hopes to bring eight to 12 jobs to the restaurant depending on how busy each season is on the island.
The restaurant side of the business would be run by Huggins’ son, who said he has worked at River House, Buffalo’s, May River Grill and Fish Camp in Port Royal.
When asked Thursday for more information about the potential restaurant, Huggins declined to be interviewed until the process is further along with county council.
Marshside Mama’s, located at 15 Haig Point Road, closed its doors Jan. 1, 2018 after 21 years in business. The closing left the island with only two restaurant options until the Melrose Beach Club reopened in November.
“I have a very positive outlook going forward,” Leanne Coulter, co-chair of the Daufuskie Island Council, said Thursday. “ ... There’s not a lot of building stock here. The public property we have is very minimal.”
Coulter said her only concern in speak with Huggins about the property was that the island could still use it for Daufuskie Day in June, its annual Thanksgiving celebration the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and the island’s Christmas parade.
Those events were added into the contract the county will have with Pointed Feather if the project is approved.
The contract must now move forward with three readings and approval from county council before it is finalized.
This story was originally published March 7, 2019 at 3:15 PM.
.jpeg)