Joseph's Restaurant to close after 14 years

Joseph's Restaurant at 129 Meeting St. will close June 30 after 14 years of serving New Orleans-style fare in the city's historic district.

Owners Donna Belli and Joseph Passarini will quit serving breakfast and lunch by the end of the month and said they have been told to have all of the equipment out of the leased building by July 15.

"It's not looking good for us to relocate," a tearful Belli said. "We have been getting a lot of wonderful notes from a lot of people."

She said most of the 11 employees have found other jobs.

The building is owned by Opportunity LLC, a group of local investors.

The Charleston Hospitality Group, owners of nearby Toast Restaurant, Tabbuli Grill, Market Street Saloon, Sam's Corner and Charleston Downtown Limo, looked at the space but as of Wednesday had no plans to move to the site, according to Thomas Kennedy, project manager for the group.

"We do not have control of that building," he said.

Bottoms up

The Indigo Road restaurant group will unveil The Cocktail Club, a new speakeasy-style lounge at 479 King St. in downtown Charleston on June 24.

The bar, which features an intimate lounge as well as Upper King's only rooftop terrace, will offer a wide selection of house-made infusions, rare liquors and one-of-a-kind adult beverages.

The cocktail menu is the vision of beverage director Jasmine Beck, who designed the selections based on the bar program at nearby O-Ku, which she helped to create.

Indigo Road manager Steve Palmer also operates O-Ku and Oak Steakhouse.

Designed by Palmer and Beck, the Cocktail Club's interior includes original floors, beams and doors dating back to 1881. The entire bar is made from reclaimed wood from the original structure, while the bar's back wall features a display of the club's spirits and a library-style sliding ladder. The rooftop terrace also will serve as an on-site garden for the drinks' ingredients.

Along with beverages, the bar also will offer a selection of light fare created by Oak Steakhouse's executive chef Jeremiah Bacon and chef de cuisine Joseph Jacobson. It will be open seven days a week.

Vroom!

Car Pros Plaza, where three auto-related businesses sit under one roof, will celebrate its grand opening at 103 Trolley Road in Summerville with a week of festivities, starting today with a ribbon-cutting at 4 p.m. The center houses Meineke, Econo Lube and Maaco that offer a full line of mechanical, repair and restoration services.

All day Saturday, the NASCAR No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet display car (Tony Stewart drives the real version in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series) will be on site. Also, Summerville Fire Department will give child safety seat checks and installation instructions by Summerville Fire Department and Summerville Medical Center will offer its Health2You wellness service, both from 9 a.m. to noon.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, hot rods, classic cars and muscle cars will be on display; and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Dorchester County EMS and the High School Injury Prevention Coalition will present a DUI Teen Rodeo prevention awareness campaign.

Tuesday is Senior's Day, where seniors 55 and over will receive 10 percent off all services

The celebration ends June 25 with a cookout provided by Advance Auto Parts at Car Pros.

Do you know of a business that is opening, closing or expanding? Reach Warren L. Wise at 937-5524.