Charleston Restaurateur Wants to Restore Jack’s Cafe to Its Former Glory

Ask any former College of Charleston student of a certain age about Jack’s Cafe (41 George Street, Charleston), and they will likely reminisce about ordering eggs before study sessions or watching original proprietor Jack Sewell behind the counter flipping burgers. After 42 years of running the kitchen, Sewell finally retired in 2014. The space and name went to several different owners, but none were able to capture the original charm of Jack’s Cafe, and the restaurant shuttered in 2020.

Now, Indigo Road Hospitality Group founder Steve Palmer wants to bring back the magic of Jack’s Cafe. His group bought the name and the space and will restore it to become a classic college-town diner. Palmer says the restaurant will be majority-owned by Indigo Road employees. In Charleston, the hospitality group runs Indaco, Maya, Brasserie La Banque, O-Ku, and Oak Steakhouse. Indigo Road has several other establishments spread out across the Southeast.

Palmer stresses that they are in the planning phase of the reopening of Jack’s Cafe, so keep an eye out for updates as they are announced.