A new Sandbar will open near Coligny Beach — one you can eat at

From beachgoers in their bathing suits to locals in button-downs and loafers, Erika Waronsky said there’s a seat for everyone at her new restaurant on Hilton Head Island.

Located in the Coligny Plaza shopping center near the traffic circle, the building where Bomboras Grill used to be is currently being remodeled into The Sandbar Beach Eats, a laid-back restaurant with an island feel, Waronsky said.

“The sort of look and feel of the project is very beach-oriented,” she said. “We’re going for a very relaxed Hilton Head beach experience.”

This experience will include an outside bar, covered outdoor seating, a cooking pit, live music, flip-flop-friendly atmosphere and even a pick-up window where customers can grab their order and head to the beach, Waronsky said.

But the comfort won’t stop there, according to the consultant on the project, Denis Lepine. The Sandbar will steer away from factory-style food that many restaurants in the industry make, he said, and instead focus on homemade food and even healthy choices for kids.

“We just want to make good, honest, homemade food,” he said. “Also making it with an international flair. It will be an exceptional dining experience.”

From bar mixes to the sauces in the kitchen, practically all options at The Sandbar will be homemade, Waronsky said.

The original opening date was set for St. Patrick’s Day, but due to delays from Hurricane Matthew, she said she now hopes to open sometime in May.

“Really now, our official timeline, we’re shooting for Memorial Day weekend,” she said. “Hoping to hit that first holiday weekend if possible.”

Waronsky said she was motivated to get her own piece of Hilton Head after working in the local food and beverage industry since she was 21 years old.

She said the first place she went out to eat at was Steamer Seafood, formerly in the Coligny Plaza. Within a week she scored a job at the seafood staple and worked there for 17 years until the restaurant recently closed for relocation in December 2016.

After Steamer Seafood’s closure, Waronsky said she had the time and found the space available for her own business in the shopping center.

“For me to have the opportunity to now do that on my own in the area that I love ... it was just a no brainer,” she said.

This story was originally published March 6, 2017 at 7:55 AM with the headline "A new Sandbar will open near Coligny Beach — one you can eat at."