A new tavern is heading to Port Royal built for Marines, by Marines. Here’s what we know
It started the way many great ideas do — two friends, a beach and a pair of cigars.
Two months ago, Zachary Green and Roy Dakroub were talking about life in the U.S. Marines, fatherhood and the future when the conversation turned, unexpectedly, towards destiny.
Dakroub, who currently serves as an officer in the Marines, was standing at a professional crossroads, wondering what the next chapter would hold. After years of service, he was searching for a new mission.
After the next wave and pull from the cigar, the idea hit.
“We should open a bar,” he said.
Green, a Marine veteran and long-time entrepreneur, who had already created a Marine-themed bar in his own home, didn’t need convincing.
From that moment, Belleau Wood Tavern took shape — a place built by Marines, for Marines, just steps from where every Marine begins their journey.
What’s in a name?
The tavern’s name pays homage to one of the most defining moments in Marine Corps history.
In June 1918, the 4th Marine Brigade faced German forces in the dense French woods of Belleau during World War I, where they were dubbed the nickname “Devil Dogs.”
The battle cost the Corps more casualties than in its entire existence up to that point, but it also was a defining moment for the Marines.
“It captures what America depends on its Marines to do,” Dakroub said. “As Marines, we draw a lot of courage even in modern day from that.”
Carrying the torch
The pair broke ground for the bar on Nov. 10, the 250th anniversary of the Marines. They said the project is a bridge between the past and the next two and a half centuries of Marine tradition rooted at Tun Tavern.
Located in Pennsylvania, Tun Tavern is often referred to as the birthplace of the Marines, where Captain Samuel Nicholas set up the first recruiting headquarters.
For Green and Dakroub, Belleau Wood Tavern is where the next 250 years of history will begin. But it’s more than a business, it’s a homecoming and a calling.
“Belleau Wood Tavern is our way to give back,” Dakroub said. “To carry the Marine title comes with a sense of duty, and we want to celebrate that heritage and share it with others.”
Finding a space to call home
When the pair began scouting for a location, they didn’t have to look far.
“We wanted it to be within what could be seen as the ancestral home ground of the Marine Corps,” Dakroub said, making the Port Royal area a natural choice.
After searching online, the duo finally came across the vacant space at 7 Marina Boulevard. Hopping in the car to take a look, Dakroub didn’t even have to second-guess.
“I got out of the car and said, ‘this is our bar. Nobody knows it yet, but this is the bar,’” he said.
To get there from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is even more convenient. The directions, Dakroub said, are simply, “leave base, first right.”
The bar will feature a tavern, beer garden and outdoor spaces designed to reflect both Marine history and Lowcountry charm.
What Belleau Wood Tavern will offer
Food wise, the tavern will offer locally-inspired food and a robust drink menu blending French and American traditions — a nod to the Champagne region where Marines fought more than a century ago.
“We’re promising an indulgent experience at a very modest price,” Dakroub said. “You’ll never leave hungry or broke.”
Inside, visitors will find original artifacts from Marines who fought in WWI, handcrafted design elements built by Marines themselves, and even an Ascension Bar with carvings of wheat and poppies to honor the fields where Marines fell and as a symbol of remembrance.
“We’re going to lace the tavern with endless Easter eggs that will make every single trip different,” Dakroub said. “It will be crawling with symbolism, and every time you come in, you’ll notice something new.”
Belleau Wood Tavern also aims to be more than a bar.
Located at the footsteps of Parris Island, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and the Naval Hospital, Green and Dakroub plan to host workshops and mentorship opportunities to help Marines and other service members turn military discipline into business leadership.
Even with its focus geared toward Marines, Green and Dakroub note that Belleau Wood Tavern is intended to be a space for everyone.
About the owners
For Dakroub, the idea for Belleau Wood Tavern came at a moment of transition.
“I was getting ready to go to law school,” he said. “Kind of that ‘what do I want to do when I grow up’ feeling, but deep down, I always knew I wanted to open a bar.”
Once the idea came to fruition, the two men — friends for four years and bonded by service — knew they’d finally found a project worthy of their shared vision.
Both men trace their roots to the Midwest — Dakroub from Michigan, Green from Ohio — but it was Parris Island that brought them together.
Dakroub arrived through a change of station during active service. Green, now retired, moved south and enjoyed giving back to Marines stationed nearby.
“I remember Zach was always on base volunteering, mentoring, giving speeches,” Dakroub said. “When I first met him, I thought he was a drill instructor’s dad; turns out, he’s just a Marine who loves being around Marines.”
What’s next?
Now that shovels are in the ground, Dakroub and Green are focused on bringing the space to life and anticipate opening the doors in the spring of 2026.
For more information or the latest updates, visit the Belleau Wood Tavern website or Facebook.
