From Peninsula Grill's farewell dinner to babas on meeting inheriting Rodney Scott's King Street address, September arrives with a packed dispatch.
This past month handed Charleston a rare cluster of consequential news: Peninsula Grill announced it will close as Planters Inn begins renovations, ending nearly three decades of white-tablecloth service; babas on meeting signed a lease for the 1011 King Street address Rodney Scott's BBQ vacated amid co-founder Nick Pihakis's $44 million bankruptcy filing; and Two Blokes Brewing quietly opened a Cannon Street taproom that gives the lower peninsula its first proper production brewery. Meanwhile, the International African American Museum remains open through a serious financial crisis, and the Lowcountry Jazz Festival celebrates its 20th edition at the Gaillard.
The Post & Courier confirmed what regulars had been dreading: Peninsula Grill will close as the Planters Inn embarks on renovations, ending a run that began in 1997. Chef John Ondo — a Charleston native who once worked the line here before coming back as executive chef — is the right person to see it out; go before the door locks.
Three separate Post & Courier reports confirmed that babas on meeting has signed a lease for 1011 King Street, the prominent address Rodney Scott's BBQ vacated — a closure tied to co-founder Nick Pihakis's personal bankruptcy filing listing $44 million in debts. The Italian-leaning café's daytime format will be a significant departure for one of upper King's most-watched storefronts.
Both the Post & Courier and Charleston City Paper covered the August opening of Two Blokes Brewing's Cannon Street taproom — the downtown peninsula's newest production brewery, run by operators already familiar to the local bar scene. It's new enough that lines haven't formed; go on a weeknight.
The Lowcountry Jazz Festival returns to the Gaillard for its 20th edition on September 5–6, making it one of the longer-running annual music events on the peninsula. Charleston City Paper called it a legitimate local institution — two decades of jazz, soul, and R&B at one of the Southeast's best mid-size rooms.
The IAAM has been navigating one of its most serious operational challenges since opening in 2023: a significant financial shortfall that triggered six-month staff and leadership furloughs starting in July, even as the museum has confirmed it will remain open. Charleston City Paper's coverage was direct — go, spend money in the gift shop, book group tours.
PURE Theatre opened its 24th season with a world-premiere production that Charleston City Paper called "a searing sendup of Southern sanctimony" — sharp timing for a city that traffics in performative piety. World premieres at a house this intimate don't linger; check the run dates now.
The Post & Courier reported that the owners who revived Big John's Tavern in 2021 are now facing multiple lawsuits from investors, vendors, and the owner of a brewery they acquired — alleged debts exceeding $600,000. The bar remains open, but regulars should watch whether the legal picture affects operations.
Winslow Hastie announced his retirement after nine years leading Historic Charleston Foundation — a tenure defined by intensifying development pressure on the peninsula and some of the city's most consequential preservation fights. Charleston City Paper's editorial singled out his leadership; the question of who follows him carries real weight for how demolition reviews unfold.
The Post & Courier ran a full retrospective on how Home Team BBQ became a South Carolina fixture over 20 years — a milestone for a brand that now spans four Lowcountry locations and helped define what a Charleston neighborhood sports bar could be. The dry-rub wings that built the reputation haven't changed.