Auto MechanicNear James Island, SC

Get your quarters ready. Aldi is opening its newest Lowcountry store Oct. 2.

The discount grocery chain, which requires a 25-cent deposit for shopping carts, will replace a former Bi-Lo supermarket at 865 Folly Road on James Island.

Customers can get a sneak peek of the store Oct. 2 and shop the complete store for their favorite items. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held the next morning at 9 a.m., 30 minutes before the store opens.

The first 100 customers on Oct. 3 will receive a Golden Ticket that could be worth up to $100 and a free bag of Aldi products. Throughout the day, Aldi employees will also be giving away tote bags.

Business

Founded by the Albrecht family in Germany in 1961, Aldi now operates 2,356 locations in the U.S. as of February, including stores in North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Goose Creek and two in Summerville. The company, headquartered in Illinois, plans to add 800 more shops by 2028.

Krysta Cearley, divisional vice president, told The Post and Courier earlier this summer the goal was to open the Folly Road location by the end of the year.

“Bottom line, we look for convenient locations for our customers that can support high traffic volume daily,” she said.

Aldi has leased 22,000 square feet — a little more than half of the 40,000 square feet the Bi-Lo previously occupied, according to Mark Hoffman, director of development for New Jersey-based Garden Communities, which has owned the 4.5-acre retail center since 1994.

Closing time

PizzaVola Express on James Island announced on Facebook it will close its doors Sept. 29. But the storefront at 1041 Folly Road won't stay empty for long.

Kevin Ray, the restaurant's general manager and head chef, will be opening Ray's Pizza in its place Oct. 1.

Two more area restaurants have also closed recently, including The Fillin' Station Diner, which shared on Facebook Sept. 17 "with a heavy heart" it would shutter its Hollywood eatery.

Colectivo at 2901 Maybank Highway also announced its closing on social media.

"Maintaining the quality of food and service that you deserve has become unsustainable for our staff and families," the post said. "We are incredibly grateful for the support you have shown us over the past year."

Back in business

The North Charleston Walmart Supercenter is the latest in the chain's Lowcountry locations to get a makeover.

The store at 4920 Centre Pointe Drive at Tanger Outlets, which received a fresh coat of paint inside and out, has updated floors throughout, an upgraded bakery and deli areas, a new dollar section, a "Grab & Go" at the front with lunch and deli items and expanded online, pickup and delivery services.

Walmart also added more manned registers, digital menu boards and expanded self-checkout options.

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“This remodel is not only an investment in the store but also in our customers and city,” Kyle Lovely, store manager, said.

At the ribbon cutting, Lovely presented $10,000 in grant money to local nonprofits, including $2,500 each to the City of North Charleston, My Sister's House, MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital and the South Carolina chapter of Honor and Remember.

Like the previously renovated Walmart Supercenters on James Island and in Moncks Corner, the Tanger store now has a mural reflecting the local community. Charleston artist Sang Oh painted the image.

News

Face it

A skincare clinic has entered the Charleston market and chosen to put down roots at The Morrison Yard building on the peninsula.

Skin Pharm Charleston is a modern beauty brand that offers aesthetic skin care clinics and medical-grade skin care lines. The Charleston clinic is its 10th location, with others in Nashville, Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas and other Texas cities. It's open 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 pm. weekdays only, and patients can book appointments online.

Business

Suit up

Global custom apparel company Indochino has added five new showrooms to its portfolio, including one in Charleston.

The Holy City outpost is open at 206 King St., joining other locations in Texas, New York, Utah and California.

Indochino offers custom suits, shirts and casual wear, with each showroom tailored to the style of the local community.

"Each location represents a unique opportunity to connect with the community they serve, offering local customers a perfect fit, and process to build a one-of-a-kind suit, shirt, and more — whether preparing for a special occasion or simply wanting to elevate their everyday wardrobe," CEO Drew Green, said in written statement.

Business

Far-flung lease

The owners of the Mexican restaurant Azul Cantina worked with a local real estate firm to help launch a new location — but not in the Lowcountry.

North Charleston-based Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented Azul Cantina Inc. in the lease of 4,680 square feet of retail space more than 1,000 miles away in Sterling, Ill., the self-proclaimed "Hardware Capital of the World."

Azul Cantina owns and operates more than 35 restaurants in the U.S., including local establishments: Azul Park Circle, Azul James Island and Azul Summerville.

Published: Nov. 13, 2024 at 1:50 AM PST|

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The South Carolina Department of Transportation is working to improve safety on Folly Road.

In May 2023, SCDOT did a road safety audit of Folly Road and after studying the data, they were able to present improvement concepts to the public. Now, the department is seeking input from the community.

In the SCDOT presentation, they revealed data from a 5 mile section of Folly Road. They looked at the area from Old Folly Beach Road to Maybank Highway. From 2018 to 2022, this small area experienced over 2,103 car accidents, 15 pedestrian accidents and 21 bicycle accidents. 525 of these accidents resulted in injury and 6 of them were fatal.

SCDOT is proposing some road safety improvements for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians including the addition of elements like high visibility crosswalks, relocating bus stops, adding landscaped medians similar to those on Highway 176 in Goose Creek and new pavement markings.

Several residents in the area shared their concerns with the safety of Folly Road. Many said they are excited to see change being made.

Some elements that residents expressed they would like to see added to Folly Road include more crosswalks, more lights and wider roads.

Joyce Ballard has been a resident of James Island for eight years. She suggested more traffic lights and more crosswalks because this road is so frequently utilized, but it isn’t safe enough for the volume of traffic they see.

“It has to be safe because it’s the only road that we have, but I don’t think it’s safe,” she said.

Bobbi Butler moved to James Island two years ago. She said that change needs to happen and she is eager to see what comes of this project.

“Anything that they could do, even for the bikes or pedestrians or cars, Folly Road definitely needs some attention to take care of things on the road,” Butler said.

Kathy Mehrzad moved from Virginia to James Island in 2014. She compares the traffic to Washington D.C. and claims she would rather drive in D.C.

Mehrzad said when she first moved to James Island she would walk and bike on Folly Road, but that ended very quickly.

Now that both she and her family members have gotten in accidents on Folly Road, she tries to avoid even driving on the road. She limits her walking and biking to nearby parks and trails where she feels safer. She said that if pedestrian safety was prioritized on the road, she would use it, but not in the state that it’s currently in.

“I have witnessed many an accident. After my husband and daughter and I moved down, we each had an accident - not our fault - been hit from behind. In fact, [my daughter] had to have rehab,” Mehrzad said. “No, I don’t feel safe on Folly Road. There’s just too much traffic… people come in every which direction, and most are not giving signals, not paying attention. So, I pick and choose when I come out.”

SCDOT is looking to begin construction on these improvement projects in 2026. In the meantime, they are accepting public comment on these proposals so anyone can weigh in with their feedback.

All comments are due by Nov. 22. A link to submit public comments can be found here.

Representatives with the department say that all new sidewalks will be added at specific locations, which are detailed in the project’s concept mockups. More information about these proposals can be found here.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - James Island will soon offer a new way for residents and visitors alike to learn about its connection to the Revolutionary War.

South Carolina 250, which the state General Assembly chartered in 2018, provided a $12,000 grant to the town, which will use it to create a new historic driving tour.

“The interest in that history and the founding of our country, and so much of it started right here it just really important to focus on that. And a lot of folks don’t know about it, and a lot of history can be lost so we want to preserve it,” Mayor Brook Lyons said.

The tour includes eight different stops around the island.

“There’s so many special places on James Island of historical significance, and this is a great way to highlight eight of the most significant ones,” Lyons said.

Lyons and the History Commission Co-Chair Michael Williams saidthey hope to educate locals and tourists with this historical information.

“It preserves history and its educational and it just a real tribute to our staff and committee members how we can all pull together,” Lyons said.

The process of coming up with and executing this concept took about a year. Williams said the grant made it possible for them to move so quickly.

“They took the bull by the horns and went forward and got a grant and found some fantastic people to help with the project,” Lyons said.

The town held a private event with over 60 people attending, honoring the voice actors and those who made the tour possible.

Williams said this will be a game changer for their town. People will be able to scan a QR code on their brochure, for free access to the audio recordings while driving around to see the different stops.

He said this will help those who may not be able to access walking or carriage tours like they may offer in the peninsula.

“You know over here you got Charleston across the Harbor, but this is James Island this is where the stamp act, or where the stamps were torn up which was a precursor to the Revolutionary War,” Williams said.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.