Squat & Gobble owner to open tapas restaurant in Bluffton

Dino Riganas kept his eye on the building behind his Squat & Gobble restaurant in Bluffton for almost a decade.

Three or four months ago, he pounced, purchasing the place and launching plans to open a second restaurant there.

Riganas is calling his new place Under The Oaks and hopes to open it in about three weeks.

Located at 8 Pin Oak St., it will be a tapas-style restaurant similar to those found in Greece, his family's homeland.

The restaurant will use fresh, organic ingredients and serve wine and appetizer-sized portions of a variety of different foods.

Riganas described the menu as "international, kind of gourmet cuisine without the gourmet cuisine price."

There will be both outside and inside seating, with couches and coffee tables inside.

Riganas hopes to eventually install a wooden dance floor outside.

He plans to use all the talents of his chef.

"He's like the 'iron chef,' " Riganas said. "He knows ho to cook everything."

OTHER BUSINESSES

Other recent business openings, closings and changes in the area:

• The Squat & Gobble began operating 24 hours a day this week, and Riganas said business has been better than expected in the wee hours.

Riganas, who made the switch at the suggestion of his father, said he thought it would take a few weeks for word to spread.

As it turned out, staff called a bleary-eyed Riganas out of bed on Monday to help meet demand.

The restaurant, which previously closed at 9 p.m. on week nights and 3 p.m. on weekends, is already making enough money overnight to turn a profit, Riganas said.

The restaurant has capitalized on diners leaving Bluffton's bars late at night and on early risers headed to work, Riganas said. He attributed the success of the switch to the scarcity of late-night dining options in the area.

"I thought we were going to be dead," Riganas said. "I'm just really surprised it's been this good this quick."