Slurp’s up: Ramen, bubble tea spots planned for vacant Bi-Lo space on Hilton Head Island
Ramen, bubble tea lovers, rejoice: Two popular national franchises specializing in the delicacies may arrive in Hilton Head by December.
On Thursday, Wei Zhu, the owner of hibachi and sushi restaurant OKKO and several other Asian fusion restaurants in the area, announced plans to open locations of JINYA Ramen and Kung Fu Tea in Port Royal Plaza’s former Bi-Lo space. Neither chain currently has any South Carolina outposts, although Kung Fu Tea is slated to open Fort Mill and Greenville locations soon.
Zhu also plans to open an independent Cajun seafood restaurant, Angry Crab, in the space.
The restaurants would occupy 40% of the former Bi-Lo space; the other 60% was taken over by Planet Fitness after the grocery store went out of business in 2019.
Zhu noted he needs approval from the town to build out the space, which he hopes to receive by March so that construction can begin in April. He estimates the project would cost $1.6 million.
The plaza has received significant attention recently after a developer submitted, then withdrew, a request to rezone the old Sam’s Club building so it could be converted into storage units. The plan was strongly rebuked by town council members and community members, with some saying the 70,729-square-foot property would be better used for affordable housing.
But Zhu said he’s confident the restaurants will be received well on the island — he says that when tourists from major cities come to Hilton Head, they crave ramen and bubble tea, which are more widely available in metropolitan areas.
“We have a huge market for the tourists here,” Zhu said. “People from Atlanta, from Charlotte, from Florida — if you look at those cities, they all have ramen noodle and bubble tea.”
Angry Crab, he said, will be similar to his Bluffton restaurant Hook and Reel, which serves up seafood boils, oysters and po’ boys.
JINYA Ramen ladles classics, such as tonkotsu ramen — pork broth with pork belly and thin noodles — as well as multiple vegan and vegetarian options, including the spicy, creamy vegan ramen and the vegetable soup ramen. And Kung Fu Tea, with more than 300 locations nationwide, has gathered a cult following for its customizable bubble tea offerings and fruity flavors.
“When you have ramen noodles, you’ll want bubble tea to cool down your body,” Zhu hinted.
If the ramen and bubble tea combo is a success, he said he would like to open franchises in Charleston or Savannah.
“So far, we have almost 500 comments on Facebook,” Zhu said of the announcement. “I think people like it. When I look at that many reviews, I ‘m really shocked. I feel much more confident. I think ramen noodles would be popular here.”
