WISE COLUMN: 2 restaurants to expand to new locations

Two local restaurants will soon expand in new locations.

Sesame Burgers and Beer will add a third location by April 1, and Basil will add a fourth restaurant by October.

The new 2,400-square-foot Sesame at 675 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. in Mount Pleasant will take over the spot vacated by Yo Burrito late last year.

Co-owner Casey Glowacki said he and business partner Joe Fischbein, who also own two Five Loaves Cafe restaurants in Charleston and Mount Pleasant, selected the site because of requests from the Mount Pleasant community, demographics and its proximity to downtown Charleston. The restaurant also will offer outdoor dining.

Also, Basil, the Thai food restaurant that operates in Charleston, Mount Pleasant and Charlotte, is expanding to Columbia. The new, 3,250-square-foot restaurant will seat 100 indoors and be in a new Whole Foods-anchored shopping center at Devine Street and Fort Jackson Boulevard.

The chain is owned by brothers Henry and Chai Eang, who opened their first restaurant on King Street in 2001.

Closing in

Ollie's Bargain Outlet, which is taking over the former Circuit City store in North Charleston, will open at the beginning of March, according to a company spokeswoman.

The Pennsylvania-based company, which bills itself as the mid-Atlantic's largest retailer of closeouts, surplus and salvage merchandise, will take over 37,500 square feet in North Rivers Marketplace at 7800 Rivers Ave., across from Northwoods Mall.

Lights on

Three new businesses have joined the Market at Oakland shopping center in Mount Pleasant.

Ultratan, 1-800-Flowers/Sweetgrass and Firestone Complete Auto Care recently opened in the center at U.S. Highway 17 North and Oakland Market Road, according to Elizabeth Kennedy with AVTEX Commercial Properties.

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