Happy Friday morning, Charleston! Only the eagle-eyed among you—or graphic designers—will notice the subtle design tweaks I’ve made to the newsletter. Let me know if you do.

Congrats to Steve R. of James Island, who was the 1st to guess correctly in our “Where Are We” segment last week! I thought it would be easy, but a number of you got tripped up. We were on the campus of The Citadel, in front of McAlister Fieldhouse where the Cadets play basketball. Most of you guessed we were at the football stadium, where Boo The Bulldog stands guard.

The Bulldog Monument is a memorial dedicated to Maj. Sam M. Savas, Jr., 1951, who died in Vietnam in October 1965. He also served as a Citadel tactical officer from 1962 to 1965. It’s made from brass belt buckles, waist plates and breast plates contributed by cadets.

In today’s newsletter:

• CHS flexes its culinary muscles again. We get our first Israeli restaurant.

• Old Days Inn recedes farther into memory. The Four Seasons Hotel & Residences has an opening date.

• ICYMI. Another killer smashburger, Johns island spot makes the cut, and does “Dr. Beach” rate us?

Friday 88° / 75° ⛈️ 💧38%

Saturday 89° / 75° ⛅ 💧23%

Sunday 86° / 73° ⛈️ 💧48%

Friday, June 6

• That BIG Books Sale | 9 AM - 7 PM | Omar Shrine Auditorium, 176 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant | I's time for Charleston FRIENDS of the Library's signature event - That BIG Book Sale!

• 5th Annual Park Circle Pride Festival | 5 - 11 PM | Commonhouse Aleworks, 4831 O'Hear Ave, North Charleston | Park Circle Pride returns June 3rd through the 8th, with six days of celebration throughout the Park Circle neighborhood of North Charleston, SC. The majority of the events are free with a few select ticketed events.

• Vampire Weekend ‘Only God Was Above Us' Tour Part 2 I 6:30 PM | Firefly Distillery, 4201 Spruill Avenue, North Charleston | This is an outdoor general admission venue. The show will take place rain or shine.

Saturday, June 7

• Birthday & Bourbon Bash | 12 - 8 PM | Striped Pig Distillery, 2225 Old School Drive, North Charleston | Join us for our third annual Birthday and Bourbon Bash! It's our birthday and we're celebrating with a bourbon release!

• 2025 Scottish Performing Arts Classic | 1 - 7 PM | South Carolina Society Hall, 72 Meeting Street, Charleston | The Clan Donald Trust for the Gaelic Performing Arts andThe Robert Burns Society of Charleston are proud to Present 2025 Scottish Performing Arts Classic.

• Lucinda Williams at Spoleto Festival USA I 9 PM | College of Charleston, 66 George St, Charleston | Lucinda Williams continues to inspire with her unwavering creativity and a new album of captivating renditions of songs by The Beatles.

• High Tide Festival | Riverfront Park, 1061 Everglades Avenue, North Charleston | (21+) Join us for two unforgettable days, Friday, June 6th, and Saturday, June 7th, as we kick off summer proper! Experience Charleston’s best House Music festival.

Sunday, June 8

• Sunday Brunch Farmers Market | 11 AM - 3 PM | Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston | An all-local market, featuring more than 40 vendors that include local farmers, makers and artisans.

• Shakespeare on the Steps | 2 - 3 PM | Charleston Library Society, 164 King Street, Charleston | CLS is honored to partner with CofC’s Department of Theatre and Dance to present the third annual Shakespeare on the Steps.

• Yo La Tengo at Spoleto Festival USA I 9 PM | College of Charleston, 66 George St, Charleston | Indie rock band Yo La Tengo, known for their melding of elemental guitar and captivating melodies, brings their unique sound and improvisational spirit to the Cistern for Spoleto Festival USA.

For a COMPLETE list of events in the Charleston area, bookmark the site below!

RESTAURANTS

Charleston To Welcome Israeli Cuisine

A longtime seafood staple is making way for something entirely new in West Ashley. Mazal, an Israeli restaurant from brothers Gal and Tal Alhadef, is moving into the former Crab Shack space at 1901 Ashley River Road, with a July debut on the horizon.

This won’t be your garden-variety hummus and gyro joint. Tal, a 20-year chef, is cooking up the kind of Israeli street food that had tourists lining up back in their home country—think falafel, shawarma, kebabs, and pillowy housemade pita.

The vibe? Fast-casual with homemade everything. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner service, counter orders, and—if Gal gets his wish—a concept ready to multiply. It’s the first Israeli restaurant in the Charleston area, and yet another sign our food scene has range.

Home(s) Of The Week

Wow. Just, wow. That was my reaction when I learned the starting price point of these homes.

$2.5 million for what are huge townhomes. There’s 2 models—one is around 3,800 square feet and the under just under 3,200 square feet.

No judgment. Yet. Just hoping at that price they have heavily-insulated windows.

REDEVELOPMENT

New Four Seasons Hotel Opening Sometime In 2028

One of Charleston's most buzzed-about hotel projects just circled a date on the calendar: 2028. That’s when the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences will officially open its doors at 155 Meeting Street, replacing the forlorn Days Inn that’s been haunting the corner near the City Market. It’s South Carolina’s first Four Seasons, and yeah—it’s arriving with serious swagger.

The mixed-use project will blend 139 guest rooms with 36 ultra-luxe condos, starting at a cool $5 million. Expect floor plans stretching from 2,000 to 3,700 square feet, private entrances, concierge service, housekeeping, and all the perks of hotel life—including access to four bars and restaurants, a rooftop conservatory, spa, and even poolside cabanas. Basically, it’s your dream vacation—every day.

Behind the scenes, the money and muscle come from Strategic Property Partners, a Florida firm backed by Bill Gates. They snagged an extra floor through the city’s “merit” review and are pushing forward after years of planning.

Between the city’s Southern charm and Four Seasons’ gold-standard hospitality, this one’s not just another fancy hotel—it’s a global brand staking a flag in the Holy City. Legacy, meet upgrade.

Interested in promoting your local business?

CHS Happenings has a fast-growing and super-engaged subscriber base. We’re going to start offering local Charleston businesses the opportunity to reach this audience soon.

If you’re interested, click below and we’ll reach out in the next 30 days.

WHERE ARE WE?

Each week, watch this space for a random snap from somewhere in Charleston. Where are we? Only true locals will know. DM your guess on Instagram, or email me here. The first person to guess correctly will get a shout-out at the top of our issue next week!

3 MOST-CLICKED FROM LAST WEEK

• Sweat On The Ship 2025. Fitness on the USS Yorktown.

• Our events calendar. Keep checking it out-it’s nice and easy to filter, sort, slice-and-dice.

• AAPI Night Market. Held at the newly-renovated Storehouse 8 and Storehouse 9 buildings at Navy Yard Charleston.

ICYMI

📻 Former Barsa now boasts outdoor patio, DJ and a breezy vibe. Plus Charleston’s newest delicious smashburger.

🏖️ Wondering if we made an acclaimed rater’s list of Top 10 Beaches? None other than “Dr. Beach” says we did.

🍽️ Johns Island restaurant makes prestigious list. Southern Living’s Top 20 Best New Restaurants includes an open-air restaurant getting a lot of well-deserved buzz.

🥐 West Ashley entrepreneur serving up multiple new ventures in same shopping center. One includes a popular new cafe.

☕ New coffee shop with drive-thru opens in north Mount Pleasant. New operator to town plans another “nearby” opening on July 26.

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FEEDBACK

Got 15 seconds? Let us know what you thought about today’s newsletter by voting in the poll below (you’ll be done MUCH faster than cars on Johnnie Dodds at 4:00 PM on a Friday). 👇