WISE COLUMN: Colonial Candle to open first retail store in country Thursday in Charleston

The new Colonial Candle shop in downtown Charleston will open at 10 a.m. Thursday, spokeswoman Shelli Lissick said.

A product of MVP Group International of Charleston, which specializes in candles and home-fragrance products, the 3,000-square-foot retail and research boutique at Meeting and Market streets will be part of the Shops at Charleston Place and is the company's first branded retail store in the country. It's in the former Waldenbooks location.

The flagship store will feature Colonial Candle's complete line, including the brand's signature oval jars in 70 fragrances, tapers in more than 20 colors, a luxury collection and home accessories.

Battery power

South Carolina motorists can receive $5 for every auto or marine battery they bring in to any one of eight AAA Car Care Centers or 22 approved auto repair shops through Oct. 31. AAA's “Battery Roundup” is available to the general public as well as members of the motor club.

Local AAA shops are at 2031 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. in West Ashley, 1733 U.S. Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant and 9980 Dorchester Road in North Charleston.

Now serving

Southern Bar and Grill is now open at 730 Coleman Blvd. in Mount Pleasant, formerly the site of Fiddler's Green Pub, which closed over the summer.

The new restaurant and bar is the product of Perry Darby and Hank Cagle, who were formerly at Surf Bar on Folly Beach. It serves American fare and is open seven days a week.

New perk

Cup — Fine Coffee & Roasters will tentatively open by the end of the month at 339 B-1 Fleming Road on James Island in a 1,500-square-foot roastery. It also can be found at the Farmers Market in Marion Square in Charleston on Saturdays.

Dollar days

The growth of discount dollar stores continues. Dollar Value Stores will hold the grand opening of its new location at 209 St. James Ave. in Goose Creek on Saturday. Look for a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m., followed by giveaways all day and a chance to win an outdoor entertainment prize package.

Ten percent of the day's proceeds will go to The ARK — Alzheimer's Family Support Services. Dollar Value has another location in North Charleston on Rivers Avenue near Cosgrove Avenue.

Going dark

Van's Furniture has closed at 109 N. Main St. in Summerville. It's the second furniture store to close there recently. Engelberg's Furniture at 901 N. Main St. closed in June to make way for an antique mall. Also closing recently was Penachio's Seafood and Italian restaurant in West Ashley. It was at 2447 Ashley River Road.

Snip, snip

The Joint, a new chiropractic office, will hold a ribbon-cutting at 4:30 p.m. today at 1113 Market Centre Blvd., Unit E, near Towne Centre in Mount Pleasant. The franchise owner is Michael Fluegge.

Last bites

Two vendors in the food court have vacated Citadel Mall. Little Athens Gyro and Coronado's Pizza left when their leases expired recently, according to mall spokeswoman Leigh Burnett. Word is that Sticky Fingers is looking to join the food court, but Burnett could not confirm that.

By design

Upper King Street's Fall Design Walk runs from 5 to 8 p.m. today. Join SieMatic, Haute Design, Seeking Indigo, Circa Lighting, Michael Mitchell Gallery and others for the semi-annual celebration.

Reach Warren L. Wise at 937-5524 or twitter.com/warrenlancewise.