New restaurant is coming to a growing Beaufort area. Here’s what’s planned

A new Beaufort restaurant aims to be a hangout for local college students as USC Beaufort continues to grow.

Sand Shark Tank plans to open by August in Newcastle Square off of Boundary Street. The space at 1211 Newcastle St. was previously occupied by Herban Marketplace.

The cafe will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as coffee and other specialty drinks college kids like to carry, owner Zack Manley said. A new apartment complex on the adjacent block caters to students, and more units are planned, making the new business ideal for the area, Manley said.

“They are going to keep developing that whole corridor to make it student-friendly,” he said. “Right now there’s nothing in the area for a college kid who doesn’t have a car or a bike to get to too easily.”

Couches inside will allow people to hang out for extended periods, and picnic tables will offer outdoor seating. Manley also plans a copy room for students to work and a timeline of USCB’s history on the wall.

Manley said he envisions a menu of healthy food options and a place local residents and students can mingle.

He also operates Cracked Egg, a cafe with multiple locations in the area and another under construction in Beaufort Town Center. He also recently opened a smoothie shop in downtown Beaufort.

Manley said building owner Dick Stewart approached him about a concept for the Newcastle space, and the lease was finalized last week.

“I’ll do whatever’s needed there to give people what they want,” Manley said

This story was originally published June 10, 2019 at 11:27 AM.