Daufuskie’s iconic Marshside Mama’s has sat vacant for years. Residents want it open
Marshside Mama’s Cafe, the iconic watering hole frequented by locals and tourists on Daufuskie Island for two decades, has sat vacant for three years.
In its heyday, patrons would stop by, grab a drink and a round table and swap stories. Some stayed so long they watched the sunrise.
Retired Island Packet columnist David Lauderdale wrote in 2017 that the rustic bar “defined the edgy vibe” of the remote island. It was a place where people could come by boat for a bowl of gumbo or a “rocking night of live music,” he wrote.
Three years after longtime owner Beth Shipman closed the bar’s doors in 2018, the building is expected to open under new management — with a new name — this spring. Bluffton resident Charles Huggins said he plans a soft opening for “D’Fuskie’s” — a restaurant and combined general store on the property — in March, with a grand-opening Easter weekend.
But progress has been slow and controversial.
Animosity has been brewing among some island residents since 2019, when Beaufort County, the landlord of the property, granted Huggins the lease. Residents accuse the county of circumventing its purchasing process and giving a “sweetheart deal” to Huggins over island locals. It’s been over a year since he signed the lease for the restaurant and general store, and both are still closed.
Some argue that Huggins isn’t familiar enough with Daufuskie residents’ needs. They worry about the future of the famed restaurant.
“The guy that came over didn’t understand Daufuskie,” said Bill Scott, an island resident who also bid on the lease. “After 14 months you should have the store and the restaurant open, and it just sits there. You can blame Beaufort County and the Daufuskie Island Council. They didn’t do their homework.”
The bidding process, he said, ”was bad news.”
Leanne Coulter, chair of the Daufuskie Island Council, said the COVID-19 pandemic has likely played a part in the business’s delay.
“I think the people that won the bid have worked in good measure to try to have the building open. I think COVID stopped everybody,” she said. “There were hurt feelings, I understand that, but I do think things are moving forward. I don’t think it’s solely on their shoulders. I think it’s partially circumstantial.”
Huggins remains optimistic about the restaurant and store’s progress. He said he understands the disappointment of the residents who bid on the property, but said no one has approached him with any animosity.
It’s taken awhile to get through the permitting process — he experienced a few “hiccups” — along with significant renovations, he said. COVID-19 also “slowed everything down.”
“The county had guidelines that we had to go through, and we met all those guidelines,” he said. “Everything’s good. Everybody’s excited. The county and I have a good relationship. We’re pleased with everything.”
Huggins added he doesn’t “have any fingers to point at anybody.”
“Our main concern is to get a good store for the citizens that they need over there,” he said. “We’re hoping that when the restaurant opens, it will ease a lot of needs of people that live on Daufuskie Island. They will have access to milk, bread, daily sandwiches and supplies that they’re in great need of right now.”
‘Extremely unusual’
When Shipman closed Marshside Mama’s in 2018, she said it was time to move on, and she had no one to blame.
She added that she could not continue to work on a month-to-month lease with Beaufort County, the building’s owner.
Tyler Gerow, a Daufuskie resident who was affectionately called “Dockside Daddy” when he worked at Marshside Mama’s, said the island is quiet without the energy and nightlife that the popular restaurant provided.
“Let’s get something open,” he said Thursday. “We all need some place else to go.”
In 2019, Beaufort County Council awarded Huggins and Pointed Feather LLC a lease to the restaurant through a request for proposal. Pointed Feather offered the county $900 a month for rent and $100,000 in capital investments to the building with a 10-year lease.
Months later, Beaufort County amended the lease, effectively giving Property Management Company LLC and Huggins control of the adjacent general store as well as the restaurant for no additional money.
That decision drew the ire of several Daufuskie residents, including Chase Allen, owner of The Iron Fish Gallery & Studio and Tour Daufuskie LLC.
Allen, who wanted to bid on the general store, said it’s “extremely unusual” that the county didn’t put the general store out for bid. “They just gave [Huggins] the property,” he said.
Now, more than a year later, he said the tourists who visit the island are left wondering what happened to the popular restaurant.
“There’s not a restaurant there, the [outdoor] restrooms are not open and available for public use, and, of course, we have no store,” he said. “The property has been vacant for two years.”
The restaurant
The 10-year lease between Beaufort County and Huggins was officially signed on Oct. 1, 2019.
The lease states that the premises have to be used and occupied “exclusively” as a restaurant called “Marshside Mama’s 2” and a general store.
“Neither the Leased Premises nor any part thereof shall be used at any time during the lease term by Tenant for any purpose other than as Marshside Mama’s 2 and the general store,” the lease says.
Called Friday, County Attorney Kurt Taylor said the name of the restaurant “seems to be pretty specific in the lease.” He said if Huggins wanted to change a part of the lease, he would need to submit a proposal to the county.
The lease also includes several provisions related to the “special character” of Daufuskie. It requires Huggins to make the property available for Daufuskie Days celebrations, community Thanksgiving dinner and the community’s Christmas Parade and Santa event.
Huggins said most of the renovations of the property have been to the general store. His team also renovated the porch to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The restaurant will sell pizzas and daily sandwiches, he said, adding the he’s looking to sell food “a little more on the healthy side.”
Allen said his hope is that someone runs a “reputable and thoughtful” business at 15 Haig Point Road. Something the island can be proud of.
This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 4:40 AM.
