Lowcountry Fresh opens this week. Here’s a sneak peek inside the Bluffton market and cafe
Yellow Post-it notes marked spots on shelves for jars and cans and bottles at the new Lowcountry Fresh Market and Cafe in Bluffton on Tuesday morning as employees unpacked boxes to get the long-anticipated business ready to open.
A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at 303 Bleecker St. along the Buckwalter Parkway. The store will be open for its first customers with regular hours beginning on Friday.
Lowcountry Fresh Market and Cafe is a new concept for Beaufort County. It includes a farmer’s market-like grocery store and gift shop under the same roof as a local-ingredient cafe with space enough to seat 49 customers, counting both indoor and outdoor tables. Windows surround the bakery, giving customers on the broad, screened porch the chance to watch.
Owners Andy and Cindy Rolfe have combined a nostalgic vibe with modern sensibilities: Their employees have paid health insurance and retirement benefits; solar panels are expected to cover about a third of the building’s power needs; and the inventory is as local as they could make it.
That hasn’t come easily or quickly, however.
“This is essentially an 11,000-square-foot custom kitchen,” Cindy Rolfe said of the detail that went into every part of the business.
An example of a small detail, among many that might be overlooked: A North Carolina maker of dog treats has custom packaged them to feature the name and photo of the Rolfes’ own dogs.
“There’s a ton of products that have really cool stories from all over the region in the store,” said Andy Rolfe. “It’ll be fun to talk to the customers about.”
The couples’ work started more than 2 years ago, when the Rolfes asked a question: What does the community need?
“There were a lot of different business opportunities, but the opportunity that felt like it was rooted here to us was helping the area farmers, particularly the Sea Island farmers in the African American community, have better markets for their products,” Cindy Rolfe said. “It really meant a lot to me that we were trying to help family farms.”
On Wednesday the public will get a first look at the results of that work.
“It amazes me how much stuff comes from South Carolina, how much amazing product comes from this area,” Cindy Rolfe said, listing blackberries and peaches along with hot sauce and Korean mustard.
The Rolfes sourced all the products themselves, visiting farmers and makers throughout the region.
“Our produce section will always have to have some things that aren’t from here,” Cindy Rolfe said. “You can’t grow everything here all the time. ... Our goal is to have as much as we can from a really close radius.”
More to come
Wednesday will be a soft opening for Lowcountry Fresh, so the business may close early if needed. Regular hours will start on Friday.
After an initial limited start, the cafe’s offerings will grow as the kitchen scales recipes to meet demand and managers can be sure quality is maintained.
Initially, for at least the first week, customers will be able to get pastries and coffee for breakfast as the kitchen builds up to offering hot breakfasts later. The lunch menu also will be expanded in the coming weeks.
A demonstration kitchen is part of the indoor seating area. Lowcountry Fresh will host reservation-only supper club events and cooking classes that will give customers the chance to interact with chefs, including culinary director BJ Dennis, a Charleston native and chef who was featured in Bon Appetit magazine and the New York Times as an ambassador for Gullah food and culture.
The Rolfes also are working on a plan to offer online shopping once the in-person business is running smoothly.
The menu
The starting menu for Lowcountry Fresh includes bagels, biscuits and scones, all made fresh on-site, along with yogurt parfaits constructed with house-made granola.
There are salad and side options built from local ingredients. The Seasonal Salad features pecans, carrots, snow peas and strawberries. Broccoli is steamed and tossed with benne seed dressing; the cole slaw is dotted with house-pickled jalapenos.
Nani’s Chicken Soup, house-brined fried chicken, and a sandwich made with brisket slow-cooked for multiple hours before being smoked with pecan shells are among the savory options. Desserts include carrot cake, key lime pie and brownies.
If you go
What: Lowcountry Fresh Market and Cafe
Where: 303 Bleecker St. along Buckwalter Parkway at the planned Washington Square development
Hours starting Friday, May 28: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Phone: 843-815-2780
Website: lowcountryfresh.com
Facebook: facebook.com/LowcountryFresh
Instagram: instagram.com/lowcountryfresh
This story was originally published May 25, 2021 at 5:13 PM.
