Charleston Famed Institution Bertha’s Kitchen Is for Sale [Updated]

Update on May 10, 2022: The owners of Bertha’s took the building off the market. Grant and Pinckney told Post & Courier that they weren’t ready to retire just yet.

The address housing historic Gullah Geechee restaurant Bertha’s Kitchen is on the market. Recently a commercial real estate listing popped up for the famous turquoise and purple building at 2332 Meeting Street Road. The description starts “Open to respectable offers. 2,576 SF of General Commercial Turnkey Restaurant Space with .10 AC parking lot available for sale.”

Realtor James Dingle tells Eater Carolinas that while the equipment, building, and parking lot are for sale, the name is not. “You can’t put a price on that reputation,” he says. For the uninitiated, he’s referring to the over 40 years the establishment has spent serving definitive Lowcountry fare from founder Alberta Grant — a dependability and standing that landed the restaurant a James Beard America’s Classic Award in 2017.

This isn’t the end of the renowned fried chicken and lima beans however. Dingle emphasizes, “Bertha’s isn’t going away.” He hints that a smaller-scale entity is in the works.

While business is still good, with lines out the door during a regular lunch rush, Dingle says that Bertha’s had trouble with staffing after everything shut down due to the pandemic. He says that the timing is good for the family to liquidate the real estate. The three daughters (Julia Grant, Linda Pinckney, and Sharon Coakley) of the late Alberta Grant currently run the restaurant.

“Nothing is changing until something happens,” says Dingle. The family is looking for the right buyer for the property. “Perhaps another soul food restaurant,” he says.

While Bertha’s vows to be around, in a different form, it still might be a good idea to go out for some red rice, smothered pork chops, and yams soon.