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A fondue restaurant chain plans to expand into the Lowcountry.

Bob Johnston, CEO of The Melting Pot, said the Tampa, Fla.-based company is looking to add two locations in Charleston and Mount Pleasant. He cited the Palmetto State’s strong tourism industry as a key reason for the expansion plan.

The chain already has a presence in Columbia, Greenville and Myrtle Beach. It said it hopes to have 15 locations in South Carolina by 2025.

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Liberty Senior Living wants to add more units to its South Bay continuing care facility, but it needs an amendment to a planned development because of Mount Pleasant’s moratorium on new multifamily buildings.

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3: Number of new restaurants planning to open in the fall in an expanding Charleston-area shopping center.

65,000: Size of proposed new supermarket in a new retail development beside Freshfields Village between Kiawah and Seabrook islands.

2563: Address on Ashley River Road for a fast-food restaurant that recently turned out the lights.

+ More multifamily: A 110-unit townhome development is in the works for the Point Hope area of Charleston on the Cainhoy peninsula.

+ Doctor’s orders: A medical office building is being proposed in Point Hope.

+ Sliding sales: Charleston-area home sales slipped again in July for the 23rd consecutive month.

A social venue called Ocean Club is being proposed at the site of the former Sand Dunes Club property on Sullivan’s Island.

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MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – A tropical storm warning has been issued for the South Carolina coast as Hurricane Idalia strengthens to a Category 4 hurricane early Wednesday morning.

Idalia made landfall near Florida’s Keaton Beach around 7:45 a.m. as a Category 3 hurricane. The storm had fluctuated between a Category 3 and Category 4 hurricane before daybreak Wednesday.

After landfall, forecasters say the storm will make a northeastern turn and then east – moving near the coast of Georgia and South Carolina.

According to the National Weather Service, Idalia will subside to a tropical storm as it moves along the South Carolina coast. At 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, Idalia was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane as it moved across land towards Georgia.

In Charleston, impacts from Idalia will gradually increase Wednesday morning and continue through Thursday morning.

A tropical storm warning is active for Charleston, inland Colleton, Berkeley, Georgetown, Dorchester, and Williamsburg counties. A storm surge watch is in place for Charleston and coastal Colleton counties.

A hurricane watch is in effect for the mouth of St. Mary’s River northward to Edisto Beach and Coastal Colleton County.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch at 10:56 a.m. Wednesday for Berkeley County, Charleston County, Colleton County, Dorchester County, Georgetown County, and Williamsburg County. The watch is set to expire at 10 p.m.

The tornado watch was quickly upgraded to a warning at 11:15 a.m. in the Hollywood and Ravenel area.

“If you are in Hollywood or Ravenel, you need to stay inside until 11:45 a.m.,” Storm Team 2 Meteorologist Josh Marthers said.

The Lowcountry is bracing for heavy rain bands, flooding, minor storm surges, and frequent wind gusts.

Rainfall totals are expected to range between 4 and 8 inches in inland South Carolina, and 1 to 3 inches closer to the coast.

Flooding is possible in inland and coastal areas. “We are going to be dealing with pockets of very heavy rain, and that heavy rain will be coming down in a short amount of time,” Marthers said Wednesday morning.

A storm surge watch is in place for Charleston and coastal Colleton counties. Storm Team 2 predicts the Charleston metropolitan area could see water levels of about 2 to 4 feet above the ground in surge-prone areas, primarily along the coastline.

Marthers predicts frequent 35 to 75 mph winds in the area, with the highest winds over the coastal water.

The Storm Prediction Center has outlined an elevated risk of tornados for the eastern half of South Carolina. NWS issued a tornado watch for many Lowcountry counties Wednesday at 10:56 a.m. Marthers says storms that make landfall in the Gulf of Mexico are notorious tornado producers for the Carolinas.

Count on Storm Team 2 to track this storm and bring you the latest on any potential impacts to the Lowcountry. Be sure to download the News 2 app and Storm Team 2 app for important updates.

A former chiropractor’s office has been transformed into a specialty market selling meat, sauces, seasonings, grilling accessories and more.

Owned by Maddy and Jeremy Park, Heights Meat Market is now open at 426 W. Coleman Blvd. in Mount Pleasant.

Prior to its July 1 opening, the Parks moved to Charleston from Florida, where the original three Heights Meat Market locations operate. The Mount Pleasant venue is the first to open outside of the Sunshine State.

With everything from classic pork chops to Australian wagyu filet, alligator tenders, duck and even kangaroo, the new specialty shop stands out while offering products across the price spectrum.

On the weekends, Heights’ employees are cooking up samples for customers, imparting some edible entertainment into the shopping experience.

“It’s a fun place to shop,” Maddy Park said. “If they come in on any weekend, they’re going to get some tasty treats.”

Heights Meat Market is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit heightsmeatmarket.com.

Fatz Cafe is done, cooked.

With less than 10 grand in the bank, the South Carolina-born and -bred casual dining chain pulled the plug on its remaining 18 restaurants about two weeks ago, including eight in the Palmetto State. Its owner of less than a year filed for bankruptcy about 48 hours later.

“We thank you for your support throughout our years in business,” according to a sign that was posted at a shuttered location in eastern Tennessee.

Texas-based owner ACM Fatz VII LLC will likely be liquidating assets to repay creditors rather than try to reduce debt and restructure its finances.

The company called the decision to shut down the chain “difficult.”

“While this is not the outcome anyone expected or wanted, we take solace in knowing that ACM Fatz Cafe served its intended purpose by providing a place for family and friends to gather around a dinner table and make memories that can be cherished for a lifetime,” it said in a written statement Thursday.

The bankruptcy petition the company filed in Dallas on Aug. 25 painted a grim financial picture, with sales falling 15 percent from 2021 to $32 million last year.

Fatz also listed total debts of $5.14 million, including back rent and taxes owed to various landlords and government agencies. The company’s assets were valued at $7.3 million, made up mostly of equipment and furnishings.

The operating account held just $9,912.50.

Fatz Cafe served up its first healthy-portion dish about 35 years ago in a converted peach shed in Spartanburg County, with Calabash chicken among the staples on the Southern-style comfort-food menu.

The concept was the brainchild of late Upstate restaurateur Jimmy Rogers, whose Cafe Enterprises Inc. holding company later added three more locations. By the late 1990s, the founder had moved on after selling his stake in the business to a former CEO of Quincy’s Steakhouse.

While its seemingly sudden demise last month was a surprise to outsiders, Taylors-based Fatz has been struggling for more than a decade, including a previous bankruptcy stint more than six years ago.

One mother is demanding better for her children after what she said were questionable experiences at a Mount Pleasant daycare.

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - One mother is demanding better for her children after what she said were questionable experiences at a Mount Pleasant daycare.

April Gilliard said her children attended Sunshine House for two years before she ultimately pulled them from the center after hearing a toddler was found wandering near Long Point Road.

Witness reports from Sunshine House staff that were received from the Department of Social Services show a toddler escaped out of a gate while on the playground and was found by staff in the arms of a truck driver.

Gilliard said the daycare never addressed what happened to the other parents, she was made aware of the situation through a post on social media.

“I asked about it and was told that wasn’t true,” Gilliard said. “I was told it was the previous director who was trying to sabotage the reputation or the name of the center.”

Gilliard said she had her own questionable experiences at the daycare as well. Some days she had trouble getting in contact with the daycare to check on her kids. On other days, when she received pictures from staff, it looked like too many children were in one classroom.

“When I got to the center I asked, ‘How was your day, what’s going on, did you guys have to combine classrooms,’” Gilliard said. “None of that was really communicated.”

She said the social media post about the escaped toddler was her final straw.

“It makes me question what happened prior to this incident,” Gilliard said.

Documents obtained from the Freedom of Information Act show inadequate supervision at the daycare has been an ongoing problem since 2015.

According to Department of Social Services documents, eight separate visits to the center reported deficiencies in areas like improper child-to-caregiver ratio, unqualified caregivers, inadequate supervision or improper accounting for the presence of children.

Gillard said by sharing her experiences, she is advocating for her own children and other children in the community.

“These are issues that are going on and no one is being held accountable, no one is actually speaking on it, and some parents don’t have social media to find out or learn about these things,” Gilliard said.

Sunshine House provided the following comment:

This past May, at our school in Mount Pleasant on Long Point Road, a child on the playground opened an exterior gate and was able to leave the premises and walk through the parking lot.

The safety and well-being of the children in our care is our highest priority. While the child was, thankfully, returned unharmed to the school two minutes later, we are distraught that this occurred.

Following the incident, we contacted the child’s family and officially notified our state licensor and Child Protective Services, per state licensing regulations and company procedures. The teachers were placed on administrative leave pending the results of both internal and state licensing investigations. The teachers involved are no longer employed with the company.

The playground gate was functioning and closed at the time of the incident. After this incident, we worked with our state licensors to identify a South Carolina state-approved lock, which was subsequently installed.

Two teachers were supervising 12 children on the playground at the time of the incident. The state ratio for this age group is 1 teacher to 6 children or 2 teachers to 12 children.

The safety and well-being of the children in our care is our highest priority, and we cannot stress enough how seriously we take this incident. We have bolstered our operational procedures and retrained teachers and teammates on playground safety checks and other safety protocols.

The Department of Social Services provided the following comment:

The provider in question was terminated from the ABC Quality program in June 2023 due to documented serious safety violations and the provider has not appealed the decision. Providers must be enrolled in the ABC Quality program to accept childcare scholarship funds issued by the Department of Social Services per federal guidelines.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

This streamlined Lowcountry home is set off Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant, SC. See how the family of 6 made it a perfect fit for them.

Shrimp boats, kayaking outfitters, and lively bars and restaurants line the commercial side of Shem Creek, the gem of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina's Old Village Historic District. But north of the Shem Creek bridge, the waterway winds through quiet neighborhoods where children roam on bikes and go crabbing off backyard docks. "My husband dreamed of being on the water, and we fell in love with this lot. We're drawn to older areas where kids can run around," says owner Maggie Bullwinkel. She and husband George, a Charleston native, had two young children when they began renovating this 3,200-square-foot house that was built in the 1970s. Their third child was 9 months old when they moved in. Maggie refers to her then-infant sidekick as "my design assistant."

While the Bullwinkels had renovated and sold houses before, this one would be a keeper. "It had great bones. We loved the back porch and knew this could be our forever home," Maggie says. Working with architect Hunter Kennedy and designer Sidney Wagner, they spearheaded family-friendly changes to the four-bedroom abode that have definitely paid off. Today, the Bullwinkels have four kids under age 10 and plenty of yard, a great porch, and a frequently used outdoor kitchen to accommodate their active lifestyle.

"Overall, the footprint didn't change much," says Sidney, who squared off the kitchen to make it more functional. As the home's command center, it now opens up to a bright eating nook, which is one of Maggie's favorite spots. "Family dinners are a priority," she says. What was previously a formal dining room, adjacent to the kitchen, became the kids' playroom. They removed an attached garage to make way for a new mudroom/laundry area off the kitchen. "It's basically where I live," quips Maggie. They also elevated and enlarged the back porch to be a seamless open-air extension of the family room, ground zero for entertaining during Clemson University football season. "I love that we really do live in each space," Maggie says. "We use it all."

Brighten It Up

A monochrome kitchen keeps Maggie happy. "It helps to have a clean look in a busy room," she says. Streamlined light fixtures by Cedar & Moss and vintage Lucite barstools scooped up at a local antiques mall add to the airy feel in the room.

Remember That Simplicity Rules

"With four kids, there is plenty of chaos," says Maggie. Namibia marble countertops and Benjamin Moore's Simply White (OC-117) paint make her kitchen a calming space. Plus, they allow the Hampton Faucet by Waterstone to shine as the statement piece.

Let the Landscape Lead

Reorienting the kitchen to open into a family dining area was Maggie's top priority. Hunter bumped out the eating nook to add windows on all sides, inviting in sunlight and creek views. A mid-century modern table and slipcovered chairs keep lines simple, and Roost's whimsical light fixture "softens all the hard surfaces," says Sidney. The fabric used for the curtains (Katana by Kelly Wearstler) is also on the barstools, where it's laminated to be indestructible.

Choose Flexible Design

"We needed comfortable pieces that are easy to rearrange," says Sidney, who was mindful of not blocking the French doors that open to the porch. "I love how the vintage-reproduction chairs are movable and sculpturally interesting from whatever angle." A sofa slipcovered in Crypton fabric is ultrapractical, and bare windows keep things light and airy while connecting well with the porch, she says.

Lean On A Natural Palette

Sidney painted the porch floor in Benjamin Moore's Kennebunkport Green (HC-123), the same color that's used on the exterior trim, and added soothing blue accents to complement the surrounding outdoor hues. "We didn't want to distract from the view," she says. Wicker chairs from CB2 add natural texture, and a fun Annie Selke rug anchors the blue tones. Floor-to-ceiling screens and a vaulted ceiling help the porch feel cool in summer.

Prioritize All-Purpose, All-Season

Two years after moving in, the Bullwinkels worked with architect Chris Heinlen of Heinlen Design to add a backyard shed with a full attic to supplement the home's limited storage. Adjacent to that, they created an outdoor kitchen and entertaining area. "This is our favorite spot for birthday parties, neighborhood suppers, or sometimes sunset sips after the kids have gone to bed," says Maggie. A metal roof, green trim, and white siding tie the shed to the main house.

Stretch Family Space

"I love the playroom right off the kitchen. It's our cuddle area," says Maggie. A big barn door can be closed to contain toys and messes. Commissioned pieces by local artist Michelle Owenby add grown-up flair to the room, designed to one day transform into a family hangout space.

Control Clutter

Maggie believes that tidiness is key, even in the playroom. Each child has (and uses!) a designated toy-and-book basket, and a rotating gallery helps solve the what-to-do-with-endless-kids'-art dilemma.

Invite Some Drama

" 'Are you sure about going this showy?' my husband asked about the paint color, and I was—including covering the ceiling," says Maggie of the vibrant Benjamin Moore Slate Teal (2088-20) she chose for the laundry room. "I love how the boldness brings you in." Custom cabinets add extra pantry space.

Be Bold And Functional

Next to the laundry room, the bold color continues in the mudroom with an added touch of graphic wallpaper. Each kid has their own space for coats and bags in the blue storage wall.