13 Hilton Head businesses are moving for storage units. Here’s where they’re going

Chuck Lobaugh, who prints banners for a living, will soon print one at his shop on Hilton Head Island’s north end that announces a local business moving: his.

Curry Printing is moving away from the Triangle Square strip mall at 55 Mathews Drive, and moving to 157 William Hilton Parkway — also on the island’s north end.

Between 13 and 15 locally-owned businesses at the strip mall were given 45 days to leave by the building’s landlord.

Due to individually-negotiated extensions, most now have until mid-summer to move out of the mall so Public Storage — which is located in the mall and has storage units behind it — can build more storage units.

In the last three months, business owners have scrambled to find rentals elsewhere on the island. Some face the reality of closing, whether temporarily or indefinitely, due to the move.

Though most have found places to move on the island, two are moving to Bluffton and three are still in limbo.

55 Mathews Drive area is located in an “opportunity zone,” where investors in the project can get federal tax incentives if they stick with the development. Opportunity zones are based on census tracts identified as “economically-distressed” in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Public Storage has not confirmed whether investors will benefit from the opportunity zone in this specific project, and did not return four calls for comment for this story.

Here’s a list of where most of the businesses are going:

New Locations

Parks Auto Parts: Relocated to a strip mall storefront at 1476-A Fording Island Road in the Moss Creek area in Bluffton, according to manager Kim Burroughs.

The Barber Shop: Moved to a store at 102 Buckwalter Parkway, unit 3C in Bluffton in May, according to shop owner Rick Tramuta. The store opened June 5 at 9 a.m.

Pan Fresco Ole: Moving to a new store at Northridge Plaza across the street, according to manager Katherine Solano.

Although the bakery has not decided a moving date, Solano said it will announce the move on its Facebook page and place a poster in the window when it does.

Luis Quintero Jewelry: Moving to a store in the Port Royal Plaza in June, Luis Quintero told The Island Packet in mid-April.

Low Country Mercantile: Moved across the street to Northridge Plaza in June, owner Millie Burke told The Island Packet in May.

Nail Tech: Moving to a storefront on Mathews Court near Goodwill, according to nail technician Helen Ta.

Ta said the space will be much smaller, and she’s not sure if the salon’s seven pedicure chairs will fit.

Nail Tech will be out of its space on Mathews Drive by the end of July, Ta said.

“If we don’t work we don’t get paid,” Ta said. “We mostly have a regular clientele and we already told them that’s where we’re going to move, but we may lose clientele because the new shop is not ready.”

Habitat for Humanity: Moving to a new office at 90 Main Street on Hilton Head, Lobaugh, who works with the nonprofit, said in May. He said the staff was moving June 3.

Stephens Compounding Pharmacy: Moving to a new office north of the strip mall at 60 Palmetto Parkway, suite A, according to a representative from the pharmacy.

Dayweb Tech Service: Moving to a new office at 117 William Hilton Parkway near Memory Matters, Lobaugh told The Island Packet on behalf of owner Steve Rosselin.

Curry Printing: Moving July 1 to 157 William Hilton Parkway, Lobaugh said. He bought the building, which he said puts his mind at rest.

“Purchase was a better solution for us than the going rate for leasing situations,” Lobaugh said. “Most importantly, we control our own destiny and we can’t be thrown out.”

Unsure about where to go

Other shops haven’t had as much luck in finding new locations.

Healthy Habit: The cafe didn’t have a plan in place on June 3.

Healthy Habit announced a second location at Park Plaza on the south end in May 2018. That location is set to open later this summer, and manager Hope Yeung said Monday it may be the only location for a while.

“We’re basically going to pull everything out of here and put it in that one,” she said about the second location.

The cafe on Mathews Drive will close July 31, she said, and the hospitality group is “looking into a few options” for stores on the north end.

Good Health Unlimited: The health foods store has not found a new location yet either, according to owner Linda Herczegh.

“It’s not as easy to find a place as you think it is,” she said.

While Herczegh is looking for rental space under $20 per square foot, she said she’s finding spaces that are too big for her store and between $30 and $45 per square foot.

“If I can’t find a place, I’m just going to close down,” she said of the store, which has been at 55 Mathews for 28 years.

Express Wok: The family-owned Chinese restaurant has not found a suitable home yet either.

“We’ve been here for over 20 years and now we’ve got to move in the peak season,” manager Jason Wan said Monday.

He said the family may take a break while they look for a new restaurant.

Express Wok’s last day at 55 Mathews Drive will be July 15.

This story was originally published June 3, 2019 at 2:27 PM.