Which Charleston Restaurants Pulled in Millions of Pandemic Aid?

From nationwide chains to popular tourist destinations, 151 restaurants in Charleston and North Charleston received money from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, the central U.S. lifeline to the devastated hospitality industry. The $28.6 billion fund, which is now depleted, awarded grants to scores of applicants around the country — but who were among those in the Lowcountry scoring over $1 million?

The Small Business Administration received more than 3,143 applications from across South Carolina for $625 million in funding; the agency was able to fulfill just just 1,043 of those requests, issuing $216 million in grant money.

The biggest payout was for Capital Restaurant Group LLC, which owns and operates 17 Burger King franchises across South Carolina. Capital Restaurant Group took in $2.4 million.

Charleston Baseball Concessions Inc. (the RiverDogs) received just over $2 million and SpiritLine Cruises LLC received $1.67 million.

Some smaller operations brought in over $1 million in grant money as well. Rockit Hospitality LLC, which controls waterfront restaurant Fleet Landing, took in $1.62 million. Phoenix South INC, which runs popular tourist eatery Poogan’s Porch, has $1.38 million. And the most interesting surprise was that little-known James Island taco spot Tattooed Senorita received $1.13 million.

Here are a few others in Charleston that brought in over $500,000 in grant money.

• Flying Fish Market & Grill LLC (T-Bonz): $1.13 million
• Patrick Properties Events LLC: $1.04 million
• The Alley Charleston: $1.01 million
• Cannon Green Charleston: $962,285.40
• HAMBY CATRING PARTNERS LLC: $918,321.00
• Garnacha LLC (Estadio): $861,825.23
• Hyman’s Seafood Co.: $859,204.00
• C&B George St LLC: $802,873.00
• Market Street Investments LLC (Burwell’s Stone Fire Grill): $800,255.00
• Harold’s Cabin Management Inc: $768,380.00
• Cumberland and East Bay LP (Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar): $723,639.98
• Anson Street Cafe Inc: (Anson Restaurant): $710,834.07
• Rioz Holdings Inc (Homegrown Hospitality): $709,157.00
• The Rarebit: $662,985.45
• New China Inc of North Charleston: $631,820.00
• Icebox Charleston LLC: $631,273.00
• Butcher & Bee Morrison Drive LLC: $623,018.00
• Grand Buffet Inc: $611,425.00
• Charleston Blend LLC (The Griffon): $606,708.00
• goat sheep cow north LLC: $598,030.00
• H & Y LLC (China Super Buffet): $582,225.00
• Poogan’s Smokehouse LLC: $580,484.95
• Bumper Crop LLC (FIG): $578,213.00
• The King Inc (Juanita Greenberg’s): $575,522.50
• REPUBLIC REIGN LLC: $557,307.00
• Benteng Inc (Tasty Crab House): $540,085.11
• Crazy Dutchman Catering LLC: $508,465.00

Grants are designed to make up for a restaurant’s full pandemic losses, up to $5 million for a single venue, or up to $10 million for a restaurant group with fewer than 20 locations.

These are the chief takeaways from the SBA’s big Freedom of Information Act release last week, detailing which bars and restaurants received funding. The full list can also be viewed here.