Pressure Washing in Mt. Pleasant, SC

MOUNT PLEASANT — A longtime family-owned seafood market on Shem Creek named in a federal lawsuit this month reached an agreement with the South Carolina Shrimpers Association on July 10.

Owned and operated by the Fitch family, Mt. Pleasant Seafood has served the town for over 75 years. The retailer was one of 25 named defendants in a lawsuit filed by the S.C. Shrimpers Association on June 13 that alleges area restaurants are falsely advertising imported shrimp as local or wild-caught.

The litigation arose following a private research firm's genetic testing study of 44 Charleston-area restaurants. The study, conducted by SeaD Consulting and funded by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, an industry trade organization, claimed the shrimp served at 40 restaurants were imported and likely farm-raised, and not a wild-caught product.

Mt. Pleasant Seafood is the second defendant to reach an agreement with the Shrimpers Association.

"We're happy to have this resolution. We've been selling local shrimp since we started. I think we did about 2,500 pounds last month," said Sarah Fitch, vice president of Mount Pleasant Seafood. "Just hoping to keep getting them in and keep selling them, and just happy to keep rolling along."

The seafood market sells both local and imported shrimp. Signage at Mt. Pleasant Seafood previously did not denote whether the shrimp was local or imported, though staff are transparent about its origin if asked, Fitch recently told The Post and Courier.

Going forward, Fitch said the market will be increasing its signage and educating the public as they stop by. On July 11, there were four types of shrimp for sale at the small store on Shem Creek.

"We're just working on finding ways that we could be more clear and ... educating customers about what we've got," Fitch said.

A statement from the South Carolina Shrimpers Association applauded Mt. Pleasant Seafood's "willingness to engage in open dialogue" about labeling their products.

"We are grateful for their support and look forward to continuing to work side-by-side to preserve and promote the South Carolina shrimping industry," the statement from the S.C. Shrimpers Association read.

Mt. Pleasant Seafood's agreement came a week after the owners of a well-known seafood restaurant in Charleston reached a resolution in the lawsuit.

Owners of Hyman's Seafood previously told The Post and Courier that an outside marketing team shared social media posts that implied Hyman's was serving local shrimp.

On July 3, the Shrimpers Association announced the update with Hyman’s, whose owners "reaffirmed their commitment to transparency."

"While we understand the concerns raised, we've also listened, learned, and made the decision to do more, because we believe in doing right by our customers, and by our community," owners Victor and Tobias Hyman said in a July 3 press release.

MOUNT PLEASANT – A splash pad, exercise equipment and elements that nod to long-gone landmarks are features of the expanded Memorial Waterfront Park under the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.

Motorists can catch a glimpse of the park's basketball and pickleball courts when coming off the bridge into Mount Pleasant. For roughly two years, crews with Hill Construction worked to turn the swath of dirt and grass beneath the bridge into an extension of the "crown jewel of Mount Pleasant."

The area beneath the Ravenel Bridge on Harry Hallman Jr. Boulevard remained an undeveloped grass lot for years, primarily used for overflow parking during events like the Sweetgrass Basket Festival or the Blessing of the Fleet.

But on June 2, the park was almost finished as Special Projects Manager Steve Gergick walked through, chatting with construction crew members who fiddled with equipment and sealed light fixtures.

Save for a small field in the center blocked off with orange fencing to protect the sprouting new grass and four basketball backboards with no nets, the latest iteration of Memorial Waterfront Park appeared ready to welcome visitors.

After a series of permitting and construction delays, the $6.75 million expansion officially opened on June 4. Originally scheduled to open in 2024, the park expansion across from the pier and the Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Pavilion, will open the same day.

"We've been trying to cross that finish line for a long time," said Gergick. "We didn't want to open it up before it's in good condition for the public."

A piece of the Grace Memorial Bridge is on display at the front of the park, accompanied by a historical marker, a remnant of the Ravenel Bridge's predecessor that connected Mount Pleasant to Charleston. The Grace Memorial Bridge, along with the Pearman Bridge, were demolished in 2005.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — The South Carolina Shrimpers Association and Mt. Pleasant Seafood announced Thursday a resolution of "all claims" related to the ongoing "shrimpgate" matter.

The involved parties have yet to release details surrounding the resolution to the matter. And this agreement only pertains to Mt. Pleasant Seafood. Other parties implicated and named in "shrimpgate," as businesses that allegedly misrepresented the shrimp they served to customers, are still part of the ongoing legal matters.

"We appreciate Mt. Pleasant Seafood's transparency, responsiveness, and the constructive conversations we've had throughout this process," the shrimp association said through its lawyers. "They have been longtime allies of the local shrimping industry and their willingness to engage in open dialogue and take proactive steps should be applauded."

Mt. Pleasant Seafood, locally owned and operated for 80 years across four generations, was highlighted when members of the state's Shrimpers Association in July named 25 Charleston-area restaurants that allegedly defrauded consumers by claiming they sold locally sourced shrimp.

The "Shrimpgate" saga began in May 2025 when an investigation by SeaD Consulting revealed genetic testing on shrimp dishes from 44 Charleston-area restaurants reportedly showed only 10% of them were selling their shrimp as advertised.

Not long after the list was released, Hyman's Seafood, a classic restaurant in the heart of downtown Charleston, reached a resolution with the South Carolina Shrimpers Association.

Now, Mt. Pleasant Seafood has joined in reaching a mutual agreement.

"We are proud to stand with the Shrimpers Association and our local fleet," the restaurant said in a statement. "We've sourced from these hardworking men and women for generations, and we remain committed to telling their story and selling their shrimp."

Frank & Jack’s Restaurant on Ira will open at 1434 Ira Road in Mount Pleasant late this summer. The property is on just under two acres which its owners intend to utilize for a spacious outdoor area, restaurant and soft-serve ice cream shack.

As the project’s partners fleshed out the identity of the restaurant, project leader Stephanie Samuels said it dawned on her that the lot off U.S. Highway 17 North in Mount Pleasant was of such a magnitude that it might be able to fill a gap in the community — a spot that can handle large groups for birthday or graduation parties.

“I feel like we are such a big market that caters towards tourists and weddings and everything else,” she said. “There’s really not a lot for those small celebrations to happen outside of your home.”

With Frank & Jack’s, Samuels and partner Hunter Floyd Williams say they hope to offer a place for the kids to hang out as well. The restaurant is the first for hospitality group High Tide Provisions. Other partners include Alice Lewis and chef Jonathan Rohland.

Williams, who is helping with Frank & Jack’s design, branding and creative direction, said that its size of the lot adjacent to Abide A While garden boutique, gave them the ability to develop a “chameleon space” as long as the infrastructure was in place. The interior will feature an open floor plan with nostalgic accents in a contemporary space. Along the walls, visitors may find geometric patterns with wood paneling and polished brass.

Nostalgia has also inspired the menu, crafted by Rohland, who met Samuels while working at Nordstrom. The two were part of the opening team for its Canadian restaurant market, which influenced Frank & Jack’s menu.

“The poutine came about as a throwback to Jonathan and I working together in Canada [which is] how we met. We had poutine every night. We fell in love with it,” Samuels said. “So we just took that and made our spin on it and our twist with short ribs.”

A gathering space

Samuels and the rest of the High Tide Provisions team were looking for a gathering place with enough space for kids to run around — that could also satisfy folks looking for a child-free night out.

Leaning on restaurant real estate trends showing a desire for outdoor space and need to carve out a distinct identity, the team found what they needed in the two acre property off of Highway 17.

The team wanted to make sure there was ample parking for guests. The diverse space totals 88 parking spots with the hope of partnering with nearby businesses for additional parking after 5 p.m. The partners also plan to install a restroom attached to the standalone ice cream shack.

“We had this opportunity with this lot next to Abide A While,” said Samuels. “It’s a little under two acres and that’s kind of what Mount Pleasant needed.”

Samuels and Williams explained that there was some apprehension to building a little further from the peninsula.

The team loves the lot, understanding that a location further outside of downtown would allow for the space to hone in their vision, but they also recognized Frank & Jack’s would need to be eclectic.

Overall, guests can expect an enterprise that utilizes its space to envelope the community — and meet the needs of Charleston’s ever-growing suburban population.