2 weeks Ago
GEORGETOWN — A speakeasy, rooftop bar and micro distillery are coming to Front Street. It’s all part of a new Tidal Creek Brewhouse location set to open across three buildings in historic downtown. Charleston resident Adrian Sawczuk co-owns Tidal Creek with his wife, Dara.
He said Georgetown's rich history, scenic waterfront and antebellum-style homes make it an attractive place for expansion. "There's not a lot of locations like that," he said. "You can't make them.
" Tidal Creek opened in the Market Common area of Myrtle Beach in 2021. It’s part brewhouse, part coffeehouse and features a beer garden, full bar and in-house coffee roaster. It will also be expanding to include 10 pickleball courts on nearby open land.
Sawczuk said the Georgetown location will have a more urban feel, replacing the outdoor beer garden with a rooftop terrace and a second-floor speakeasy that will have an exclusive and intimate atmosphere. It won’t have a coffee roaster, but it will include a small distillery serving up spirits inspired by the Lowcountry and Georgetown’s history, he said. Four apartments will be added to the back of the property to be used for short-term rentals, Airbnbs or long-term housing.
Many others have also started looking to Georgetown as a place to expand their businesses. The George Hotel opened on Front Street in 2024. It was developed by Winyah Hospitality LLC, composed of Charleston’s Joe Keenan, Pawleys Island’s Christy Whitlock and Florence’s Ben Zeigler.
Shortly after The George opened, the Charleston-based Indigo Road Hospitality Group opened The Independent, a seafood restaurant, inside the hotel. It’s the group’s first restaurant in Georgetown. Indigo Road Hospitality Group has a strong presence in Charleston, along with Atlanta, Washington D.
C., Raleigh and Charlotte. Main Street Director Al Joseph said there's been a trend of business owners expanding into Georgetown.
Five Pawleys Island businesses have opened second locations there over the past two years, he noted. “It’s very significant,” he said. Deanna Benston is the owner of Sea Gypsy Boutique in Pawleys.
Her husband Scott owns Surf the Earth, a surf shop that offers camps, kayak tours and surf lessons. Benston recently opened a second boutique on Front Street called Revival. The boutique offers a similar style of clothing to Sea Gypsy, with some additional brands.
Benston said she has a focus on items made from natural materials such as cashmere, linen and cotton. Deanna Benston opened a new boutique called Revival on Front Street in April 2025. At first, she was unsure about the vision for the boutique.
Then, as she began revitalizing the building that would hold her business, the idea for Revival bloomed. She said she’s drawn to Georgetown — which has been undergoing its own kind of revival — because of its hometown feel and the ability to walk Front Street and duck in and out of mom-and-pop shops. “I feel like we need more of that in society.
We need to be supporting our friends and our neighbors that have been able to establish small businesses over the big box stores,” Benston said. She said Georgetown also offers a tight-knit community feel, which appeals to her as a business owner. In the future, she said she'd like to partner with local organizations and host events to bring people together.
Sawczuk said operating a Georgetown location will likely be different than running a business in the bustling Market Common area. He said he expects fewer tourists, and with a smaller population, it could be more difficult to secure employees. But ultimately, he’s optimistic about the new location.
Construction is set to begin in the next few months and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027. He said he’s also optimistic about the city's future, despite an affordable housing shortage and uncertainty about its future in heavy industry. "We’ll continue to have development in Georgetown," he said.
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