Mellow Mushroom tries again for patio

Mellow Mushroom is hoping its second attempt to add a rooftop patio will go better than the first.

To open the space to patrons, the King Street pizzeria needs permission from the city's Board of Zoning Appeals, which meets Tuesday. The board denied a similar request by owners in 2002 after receiving a disapproving letter from Mayor Joe Riley, who appoints members of the board, the day of the meeting.

Riley wrote that "an outdoor nighttime operation at this location would greatly impact the livability of this mixed-use neighborhood" and asked the board to "carefully consider this request."

The board also received letters of opposition from the city's department of economic development and the Committee to Save the City.

This time around, no complaints have been filed. Riley said Wednesday he will not submit a letter.

Michael Shemtov, who co-owns Mellow Mushroom with Johnny Hudgins, said the rooftop expansion has "always been part of my vision." Before opening the restaurant in 2001, $7,000 was spent to support the potential patio, he said.

Shemtov believes Charleston, with its mild climate, needs more places to sit outside. "And obviously there's the profit motive," he said.

The patio, which would add 880 square feet to the restaurant's 1,686 square feet and would cost about $30,000, Shemtov said. It would have a tropical, relaxed feel, he said. Unlike other rooftop hot spots on the peninsula — The Rooftop Bar and Restaurant and The Pavilion Bar and Cafe — the focus will not be on drinking, and the space will not include a bar or be used for live music, he said.

So will the board approve the plan this time? Shemtov thinks there's a 50-50 chance.

In 2002, the restaurant's next-door neighbor signed a petition opposing the plan, as did 19 other people.

This time, according to Shemtov, the neighbor's case is weakened by the fact that he did not oppose the parking garage and College of Charleston dormitory building that sprang up nearby.

The Board of Zoning Appeals meeting is at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday at 75 Calhoun St.

Reach Kristen Hankla at 937-5548 or khankla@postandcourier.com.