Here’s the latest on the Ruth’s Chris watch.
Steakhouse franchise owners Mark and Nancy Oswald, who have been looking for the perfect location in downtown Charleston for nearly three years come May, thought they had finally landed a spot in February. They were negotiating for the former ’Cesca Ristorante and Trattoria at 5 Faber St., a tucked-away establishment off East Bay Street that closed last month.
Ideally, they want 10,000 square feet with access to parking. ’Cesca wasn’t quite that big, but the Oswalds thought they could make it work. A public parking garage on Cumberland Street sits next door. The couple’s goal was to turn the upstairs into a private room.
“Unfortunately, our inability to work through some second exit issues required by that renovation meant we would be unable to maximize the seating and create the customized private dining space and number of seats we need,” Nancy Oswald said.
So it’s back to square one. Several other sites in downtown Charleston keep popping up as potential sites, but for now they’re all rumors.
“We are now revisiting other properties and hope to have an announcement soon,” she said.
Stay tuned.
(This originally ran in Monday’s Business section under grapevine, but in case someone missed it, I am repeating it here since a few people have called for the latest details.)