Hilton Head group to open a restaurant at the old Dockside in the ‘new’ Port Royal

A vision that has long been in the works for the revitalization of Port Royal is coming to fruition with the announcement of the first restaurant to open there.

Coastal Restaurants and Bars restaurant group, which runs eight restaurants on Hilton Head Island, announced its plan Tuesday to open a family seafood joint at the former Dockside restaurant.

“This will be on the 11th Street Dock, which is an iconic spot,” Abby Wirth, spokeswoman for the restaurant group, said. “The whole area is going through a major renovation and we will be the first to open.”

The yet-to-be-named restaurant is planned for an early spring opening, she said.

Other restaurants owned by the group include The Crazy Crab, Reilley’s Grill & Bar and Aunt Chilada’s.

Plans for the port — sold in September to Grey Ghost Properties— include waterfront condos, a hotel, restaurants and craft businesses such as a microbrewery, according to developers.

The former Dockside restaurant operated at the port for more than 25 years before closing in 2015 following a fire. The fire started in a nearby seafood market but caused damage to neighboring buildings such as Dockside.

It received further damage from Tropical Storm Irma.

Dockside owner Tom Oliva announced in July a desire to purchase the building and reopen his restaurant. Oliva declined to comment on CRAB’s announcement Tuesday.

The restaurant is a part of the 317 acres — 51 buildable acres — purchased by Grey Ghost Properties for $9 million.

The building is large, with more than 5,000 square feet of indoor space and extensive outdoor options, Wirth said.

This story was originally published November 7, 2017 at 2:32 PM with the headline "Hilton Head group to open a restaurant at the old Dockside in the ‘new’ Port Royal."