Tree Servicein Mount Pleasant, SC

MOUNT PLEASANT — A year ago, Lucy Beckham quarterback Chalmers Ballard admitted he was a little nervous when the Bengals faced crosstown rivals Wando in front of 10,000 fans.

The junior quarterback had no such jitters this year.

Chalmers threw for 147 yards and two touchdowns and running back Stephen Segars rushed for 112 yards and added two more TDs as Lucy Beckham routed Wando, 43-0, on Aug. 25 before a standing-room-only crowd at District 2 Stadium.

The Bengals, who are playing in just their second varsity season, have beaten Wando both times the schools have faced each other. Lucy Beckham edged the Warriors, 8-6, a season ago in the first varsity matchup between the two schools.

Unlike the game last season, which featured two stingy defenses and little offense, the Class AAAA Bengals moved the ball at will against the AAAAA Warriors, scoring on five straight offensive possession in the first half.

“I didn’t do this all by myself, I had a lot of help from all of my teammates,” said Chalmers, who completed 13 of 19 passes on the night. “They’ve put in so much work in the offseason and we just get on the field and did the things that we’ve been practicing for the past four months.

“I think the final score shows that Beckham is here and we can play. We’ve worked so hard and it’s great to see it pay off with this kind of result.”

As good as the Bengals offense was, the defense was even better. The Bengals, under former The Citadel defensive coordinator Tony Grantham, limited the Warriors to less than 100 yards of total offense and only 26 rushing yards.

“We are a relentless defense,” said Lucy Beckham coach Jamel Smith, who used to be the defensive coordinator Wando. “We always preach finish plays, finish tackles, don’t assume that someone else is going to make that tackle. We swarm to the football and it showed tonight. They kids have bought into what we are doing.”

Keeping with tradition that started last year, the losing principal had to kiss “Billy the Goat” at midfield after the game was over.

Wando principal Chas Coker did the honors Friday night.

“My boss ain’t kissing no goat tonight,” Smith said with a chuckle.

Lucy Beckham grabbed momentum when the Bengals marched 80 yards in 11 plays to take an 8-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Chalmers finished off the drive when he hit tight end Bryce Rothwell in the end zone for a TD with 2:06 to play in the opening quarter.

Lucy Beckham running back Charles Byrd pushed the Bengals’ lead to 15-0 when he capped a 6-play, 65-yard drive with an 11-yard TD run with 10:10 to play before halftime.

Chalmers threw a 27-yard strike to Mason Ombres that took the ball down to the 11-yard line to set up Byrd’s TD run.

After a short punt, it took Lucy Beckham just two plays to go ahead by three touchdowns. Segars gave the Bengals a 22-0 lead with a 1-yard TD run with 7:33 to play before halftime.

Chalmers threw his second TD pass of the first half, connecting on a 7-yard TD to Henry Brosey to give the Bengals a 29-0 lead with 5:38 left before halftime.

Segars scored for the second time on the Bengals first play from scrimmage to start the second half. After a bad snap on a punt, the Bengals recovered the ball at the Wando 3.

Segars went around the right side untouched into the end zone to give Lucy Beckham a 36-0 lead with 10 minutes to play.

Robert Myers’ 23-yard TD run gave the Bengals a 43-0 lead with 3:14 left in the third quarter.

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A fondue restaurant chain plans to expand into the Lowcountry.

Bob Johnston, CEO of The Melting Pot, said the Tampa, Fla.-based company is looking to add two locations in Charleston and Mount Pleasant. He cited the Palmetto State’s strong tourism industry as a key reason for the expansion plan.

MONCKS CORNER — Cherry Collins probably knew her career path as a toddler.

She had devoured so many books by the time she reached kindergarten age, she was already at a fourth-grade reading level.

After a few odd jobs when she finished high school, Collins invested $4,000 to start a used bookstore called Dreamalot in Goose Creek. It eventually migrated to Moncks Corner.

Over the next few weeks, the business she has operated in three locations for the past 24 years will write its last chapter.

Dreamalot at 1013 Old Highway 52 is going out of business. The last day originally was set for the end of September, but the lease has been extended through October, according to Phil Rowe, a longtime friend from Connecticut who is helping her close the shop.

“It’s breaking my heart,” said Collins, as tears welled up in her eyes while waiting on customers in the 3,050-square-foot shop near a Big Lots discount store. “But I can no longer afford it.”

Her inventory of more than 100,000 books, along with games, puzzles, trinkets, pictures and some clothing, is all marked down 50-90 percent. Shelves and displays also must go. Items in a lending library in the back of the store are free.

Collins, who uses a wheelchair due to ailments, noted she tried to find a business partner to keep the business going.

“I wasn’t able to do that, and I can no longer do it by myself,” the 51-year-old said.

Dreamalot started on Aug. 1, 1999, in a small shop on Highway 52 in Goose Creek, where it operated for 18 years before moving up the street for a short stint. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, the business moved to the edge of Moncks Corner.

“This has been an excellent location,” she said. “My business doubled overnight after I moved here.”

Collins not only sells pre-owned books. She also donates supplies to jailhouses in Berkeley and Charleston counties and charter schools in the Lowcountry. She also tries to help the homeless as much as she can.

“I’m sad that I won’t be able to do it any longer,” she said.

Customers browsing the stacks Sept. 12 lamented the shop’s imminent demise.

“This has always been my place to come when I’m feeling sad,” longtime patron and retiree Penny Maguire said. “This is my happy place. You can come here and look and browse and find all kinds of things you didn’t know you were looking for.”

Dr. Morgan Glass glanced through the shelves for some fiction titles.

“It’s kind of sad that it’s closing,” the pediatrician said. “I bring my boys — 6 and 10 — here all the time. I don’t know what I’m going to do now. I will probably get back to the library more.”

Cane Bay resident Brandon Lorick is part of a group that tries to read at least one book each month, but he aims for two.

He used to shop at Mr. K’s Used Books in North Charleston before it closed last spring. He called the closing of shops such as Dreamalot “a shame.”

“You can get deals online, but you don’t get that personal experience when you go through the checkout line and they talk about the books you selected,” Lorick said.

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Rowe, Collins’ friend from Connecticut, called the clearance sale a huge undertaking.

“We have a lot of everything, and we have two storage units filled with books as well,” he said. “Everything has to go.”

He urged shoppers to bring boxes and bags and noted items will be sold in bulk at reduced prices near the end of the sale to help clear out remaining merchandise.

The shop is open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.

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MOUNT PLEASANT — Downtown Charleston’s Revealed Gallery has teamed up with Mount Pleasant’s White Gallery for an upcoming rock ‘n’ roll exhibit.

Scott Parsons, owner of Revealed Gallery, is one of the two artists being featured in the show, which will include portraits of famed classic rockers across a variety of media. The second participant is one of Parsons’ featured artists and friend Mauricio Sánchez Rengifo, who goes by Masáre.

Both will showcase their large-scale works at White Gallery, 709 Coleman Blvd., for the “TripLineDrop” art show from 7-10 p.m. Aug. 25. There will be food and drink vendors, as well as music by Paul Harris, Graham Whorley and DJ Moldybrain, on-site during the show.

Parsons grew up with a brother eight years older than him who loved comic books. He experienced art from an early age and started to attempt drawing his favorite characters at age 7. In middle school, he gravitated toward graffiti and was hired for his first mural in Washington, D.C., in 1997. He moved to Charleston in 2000 and started doing murals again after a hiatus. In 2010, he transferred from spray can to brush and canvas. He also experiments with acrylic pouring.

“My subject matter isn’t easily defined,” said Parsons. “I paint images that strike me when doing figurative work. ... The pouring paintings I do are experimenting with color and are very organic. I direct the paint to a certain extent, but then it’s kind of out of my control, which is very fun for me and I hope for the viewer as well.”

Parsons said he will be bringing a “whole lot of color” to this show, as well as new pour experimentations. This is the first time he has shown at White Gallery.

Masáre studied and graduated as an architect in Colombia in 2005. He spent six months locked in his studio painting some of the works that will be on display at this exhibit, including portraits of Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin.

His portraits are created from layered textures on rigid surfaces; he uses glass, fabric, wood, beads, plastic, metal, glitter, paper, petals and more. The materials used often coalesce with the story of his subject matter.

“Any material and medium the concept of who I am painting, life and work, dictates me to use,” he said. “For instance, in the Kurt Cobain paintings, there was a shotgun. Frida Kahlo, nails; Jim Morrison, fire and soot; Amy Winehouse, wine bottles and plastic roses.”

Masáre said he loves optical illusions and rock music. So this themed show was the perfect opportunity for him.

Among featured pieces will be a reimagined “Dark Side of the Moon” cover featured 16 video laser discs; hypodermic needles embedded into one work; and paintings of David Bowie’s ascending black neon star and Gustavo Cerati’s sidereal evolution.

He has been in Charleston since February. Both Parsons and Masáre have been featured muralists at the former D.B.’s Cheesesteaks on Savannah Highway in Avondale, West Ashley. Masáre has another upcoming mural along with eight other artists in Mount Pleasant.

A former chiropractor’s office has been transformed into a specialty market selling meat, sauces, seasonings, grilling accessories and more.

Owned by Maddy and Jeremy Park, Heights Meat Market is now open at 426 W. Coleman Blvd. in Mount Pleasant.

Prior to its July 1 opening, the Parks moved to Charleston from Florida, where the original three Heights Meat Market locations operate. The Mount Pleasant venue is the first to open outside of the Sunshine State.

With everything from classic pork chops to Australian wagyu filet, alligator tenders, duck and even kangaroo, the new specialty shop stands out while offering products across the price spectrum.

Mount Pleasant’s new butcher shop Heights Meat Market is now open on Saturday, July 1, 2023.

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Maddy Park and her husband Jeremy Park take a customer’s order at the now open Heights Meat Market in Mount Pleasant on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

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Kati Israel grills up samples at the now open Heights Meat Market in Mount Pleasant on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

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A variety of spices are seen at the now open Heights Meat Market in Mount Pleasant on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

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Charlie Henson, 7 (from left), Millie Henson, 8, and Jessica Henson look at the tasting bar at the now open Heights Meat Market in Mount Pleasant on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

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Kati Israel serves up samples at the now open Heights Meat Market on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

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A Japanese Wagyu beef cut is sold at the now open Heights Meat Market on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

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Alyssa Cleary and Shawn Cleary look at cooler at the now open Heights Meat Market on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

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Jeremy Park talks with a customer at the now open Heights Meat Market on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

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People try out sauces at the tasting bar at the now open Heights Meat Market on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

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Jeremy Park serves up chicken samples at the now open Heights Meat Market in Mount Pleasant on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

On the weekends, Heights’ employees are cooking up samples for customers, imparting some edible entertainment into the shopping experience.

“It’s a fun place to shop,” Maddy Park said. “If they come in on any weekend, they’re going to get some tasty treats.”

Heights Meat Market is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit heightsmeatmarket.com.

Restaurants serving oysters are plentiful in Charleston.

From casual counter service to white tablecloth fine dining, here are a few places to start your journey:

167 Raw

193 King St., downtown Charleston

In 2014, College of Charleston alumnus Jesse Sandole opened 167 Raw as an extension of his family’s seafood market at 167 Hummock Pond Road in Nantucket, Mass. The restaurant served lobster rolls, ceviche, raw and fried oysters, pastrami-style swordfish and more. It relocated to King Street in 2020. 167 Sushi Bar now resides in its old East Bay Street location.

Bowens Island Restaurant

1870 Bowens Island Road, James Island

It’s hard to argue with an evening at this spot five minutes from Folly Beach. Enjoy cold beer and fresh oysters picked from the waters surrounding the 13-acre island daily while watching the sunset.

The 75-year-old establishment, declared a James Beard Foundation American Classic, is an essential introduction to steamed oysters. But don’t expect white tablecloth service. At Bowens, piles of oysters are dumped onto half or full trays, and guests are handed oyster knives for self-shucking. This, and the unmatched setting, makes a meal here an immersive experience and prerequisite to a classic Lowcountry oyster roast.

Chubby Fish

252 Coming St., downtown Charleston

Chef/owner James London features what could be described as a locally focused oyster-on-the-half-shell offering, with four of the six options coming from South Carolina.

Developing strong relationships with local purveyors has helped London bolster his supply. Steamboat Creek Oyster Farm, Barrier Island Oyster Co. and Braden Oyster Farm are among the farms London works with consistently.

Delaney Oyster House

115 Calhoun St., downtown Charleston

Delaney’s offers a rotating selection of oysters that are refreshingly cold and without a speck of shell to pollute their cleanly shucked meat. Even better, the varieties are clearly labeled with tags affixed to bamboo picks. Delaney offers at least six types of fresh oysters, along with peel-and-eat shrimp and caviar and a variety of small and large cooked seafood plates.

Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar

186 Concord St., downtown Charleston

Fleet Landing is owned by Tradd and Weesie Newton and is housed in a 1940s-era naval debarkation building. It might just be the only downtown oyster-serving waterfront restaurant. Visited by the likes of celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern, Fleet Landing serves oysters on the half-shell with house-made cocktail sauce.

The burgeoning Mount Pleasant region will add another business to its lineup. Big Bad Breakfast, known for its custom-created meats, fresh biscuits and preserves and locally roasted coffee, will be moving into the former Cabana Burgers and Shakes at 2664 N. Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant.

Wayne Bumgardner, who accepted the job as chief operating officer of the company early this year, resides in the growing area and anticipates an August opening.

Working the way up through the ranks

Bumgardner touts a long history of restaurant work, starting in fast food as a teen, then later working at Ruby Tuesday’s, first as a line cook, then as a regional trainer and later as a general manager.

Bumgardner then moved to Outback Steakhouse, opening an eatery in Blowing Rock, N.C.

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“The company became quite successful and I became a joint venture partner in North and South Carolina,” said Bumgardner. After that, Bumgardner joined up with Dallas-based Raising Cane’s, a fast casual, chicken tender restaurant where he became franchise leader. “This too, was very successful and the company bought the franchise back,” said Bumgardner, explaining that industry connections led him to his latest partnership with Big Bad Breakfast.

“Fresh Hospitality based in Birmingham, Alabama approached me with the opportunity to partner with them in a Big Bad Breakfast located in downtown Charleston,” said Bumgardner, whose goal as COO is to grow the brand.

The Big Bad Breakfast brand

According to Bumgardner, the Big Bad Breakfast brand is comprised of 15 restaurants, yet each one is different and represents the local area where they are situated.

“The décor is regionalized and is unique from restaurant to restaurant. You wouldn’t know that we’re a chain by walking into any of them,” he said.

Big Bad Breakfast is the brainchild of James Beard award-winner John Currence, who is reported on the company website as always having a “love affair with breakfast.”

“We add a chef’s touch to everything that we do. Plus, everything is scratch made and our menu is what we call unapologetically Southern,” Bumgardner said.

Among the menu selections are fried oyster scrambles, Creole omelets topped with homemade tomato gravy, cathead chicken biscuits with gravy, huevos rancheros grit bowls and chicken and waffles. If all of that has you contemplating a nap afterwards, there are light choices as well.

“We make our own granola and add it to yogurt and our avocado toast is out of this world,” Bumgardner said. Big Bad Breakfast also touts a full bar, so customers can avail themselves of mimosas and other drinks to top off their meals.

As for staff, Bumgardner acknowledges the difficulty that restaurants are having reaching a full contingent of servers, but recognizes that Big Bad Breakfast, with its shortened hours, appeals to those seeking an acceptable work-life balance.

“Because we’re only open for breakfast, brunch and lunch, our staff works from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., which attracts all kinds of people who dislike working nights and that’s a big advantage to us,” he said.

As for opening up in the Mount Pleasant area, Bumgardner said that he’s delighted to be in his neighborhood and part of a fast-growing area.

“Mount Pleasant used to be a sleepy little town near the beach, north of Charlestown and now it’s a sought-after area that has exploded in growth,” said Bumgardner, adding that new people are moving to the area every day and the fact that they can be at a beach in just a few minutes just adds to the area’s appeal.

“We’re looking forward to being a part of the fabric of the Mount Pleasant Community and are looking forward to what the future brings.”

Stephanie Kalina-Metzger is a contributing writer for SC Biz News.