King Street Grille to Open at Laura Trio Location.

[river4340]

A sports bar from Charleston, S.C., will join Courtyard by Marriott as residents of the Laura Street Trio downtown.
Steve Atkins, who heads the Southeast Development Group, made the announcement Thursday night at the Cultural Council Arts Awards which was being held in the Marble Bank building, also a part of the Trio.

King Street Grille, founded in Charleston 10 years ago, will occupy the first two floors of the Bisbee Building, according to Atkins and Eddie Phipps, part-owner and attorney for the sports bar. The first King Street Grille is on King Street in the city's historic district. Since then, its owners have opened five more locations, all along the coast of South Carolina.

A seventh is opening soon.

One of the partners in the chain is Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Phipps said.

http://members.jacksonville.com/entertainment/food-and-dining/2014-05-01/story/high-end-charleston-sc-sports-bar-will-occupy-part

[Steve]

If he can really break ground on this by the end of the year, that would be amazing. I'm still a little skeptical.

Nonetheless, seems like a great tenant.

[thelakelander]

Hmm...bar and Big Ben go together like gas and bleach. Just joking. Love the concept. I've been looking for a good sports bar since I moved to town.

[Steve]

Lake, you're fine...just maybe use the restroom next door.

[brainstormer]

If Pho and the Volstead can hang in there until the Trio and Barnett open, this development is going to add to the nighttime vibrancy of Laura Street.  With residents of the Barnett, the Carling, WA Knight Lofts, Chamberlin's apts, and the Marriott guests you will have a small core of folks living at the intersection of Laura and Adams.  I'm hoping this may spur a local franchise like a Firehouse Subs, Larry's Giant Subs, Five Guys, etc. to also open in the area as a fast-casual option.  Maybe the project across the street from the Carling will be completed with apartments and a ground floor restaurant. 

[ben says]

Wow...
Spent 5 years going to King St Grill weekly. Great place.

[Elwood]

Agreed. I visit Charleston every August and King Street Grille is always on my agenda.

[AuditoreEnterprise]

I think this will be really cool. Now I can grab a lunch wrap at chamblins.... catch a game and snacks at the bisbee and hit the volstead for a cocktail before going home. Working downtown just got better

[GatorShane]

That is awesome. Will also add another bit of nightlife to DT.

[vicupstate]

I thought Atkins was still looking for incentives and/or private funding? 

There have been so many ups and downs with these buildings, I have to take a 'seeing is believing' attitude, but in terms of the uses and tenants with these four buildings (including Barnett), Atkins seems to be getting the perfect blend.

I've said ever since the DIA started that nothing else they can do matters more than getting these four buildings occupied.  Let's hope the city's help either isn't needed or they come through this time.

[mtraininjax]

I've said ever since the DIA started that nothing else they can do matters more than getting these four buildings occupied.  Let's hope the city's help either isn't needed or they come through this time.

Not just occupied, but with residents living there, paying taxes, consuming resources local to downtown. Bars and restaurants are nice, but what downtown needs are more people living and consuming. More restaurants and bars will surely come, but the residents have to come first.

Anyone know the progress of the building to the West of Farah and Farah? Last I saw it they were adding windows at the speed of a snail. If this Adams/Laura area were to add 1000 new people this year, that would be huge for downtown and provide more momentum to do more of this downtown. All developers want to see is a constant demand, not a one time event that happens every April and talks about "what could happen".

I'm all for more growth downtown, but the residents should be the top priority. When this happens, we get cool properties like 11E, the Carling, and Churchwell Lofts. I'd like to see more of this in the next few months to show that downtown is serious about growing. Pictures of dinner inside the Barnett or FNB building at 200-300 bucks a pop, do nothing for me, they are just one and done and show what could be.

[thelakelander]

If this Adams/Laura area were to add 1000 new people this year, that would be huge for downtown and provide more momentum to do more of this downtown. All developers want to see is a constant demand, not a one time event that happens every April and talks about "what could happen".

LOL.  That area won't add 100 residents this year. The Trio/Barnett will only have 80 residential units and it will take a year or two of construction, once construction starts. It will be closer to 2016 than 2014 when those residents start moving in. The larger impact will be the hotel, IMO. 131 units housing people in town that spend money everyday. However, that's still a few years off as well.

Anyone know the progress of the building to the West of Farah and Farah? Last I saw it they were adding windows at the speed of a snail.

There hasn't been any activity on that building in a few years. Its 16 units were originally supposed to completed back in 2007.

[vicupstate]

Hotel occupants are ideal in many ways in terms of creating demand for restaurants and bars.  They are usually on their company's dime, and therefore spend more and spend each day they are there.  It also can be a quasi-vacation of sorts for some, and e all spend more while on vacation than during a normal work week.

No one disagrees that more reidents are needed. That's a no-brainer, but if there is nothing there to attract people, no one will want to live there in the first place.  It is a chicken and egg situation, therefore you take whatever 'demand' you can get (tourists, office workers, drive-in locals, etc.) until the residential base required fills up over time.   

[river4340]

You've got 600 apartments that will be finished on Riverside one mile from the Trio.

[thelakelander]

and 75k-100k residents living within a three mile radius. While more residents in the Northbank is important, we should not use its lack of residents as an excuse for not being able to achieve great things. We have more than enough to work with already.