A new restaurant is coming to Clements Ferry in the Point Hope community.
This marks the second location for Philosophia on the Cainhoy Peninsula. Its first outpost opened in Mount Pleasant.
Founded by Justin Hunt and Dimitri Hatgidimitriou, this location is the latest addition to their restaurant group, which also includes Taverna Philosophia in Mount Pleasant.
“There’s a lot of people out this way, a lot of building here and a lot of expansion,” Hunt told What Now Charleston. “There’s just not very many restaurants so we’re excited to have another option for everybody that lives out here, especially something a little closer to the ethnic side.”
Hunt and Hatgidimitriou have been best friends since kindergarten. Hunt was “the lucky friend who got invited on their [Hatgidimitriou’s family] yearly pilgrimage back to Greece” in Karpathos. As long as he covered airfare, he had a guaranteed spot on the trip.
After years of dreaming about recreating the Greek island dining experience, the duo launched Philosophia, named after their vision of what Greek dining and hospitality should be.
The new location will carry the same concept of Greek small plates, with plans to eventually offer distinct specials at each restaurant to give them their own identities.
While Philosophia offers a wide range of Greek staples, Hunt said they’re best known for Hatgidimitriou’s family recipes, including grilled octopus and zucchini cakes.
“Small plates really drive our business,” Hunt said. “The philosophy of Greek dining is where it’s just a bunch of people around a big table, sharing wine and all different kinds of appetizers and small plates.”
In addition to expanding their restaurant footprint, the team is also growing their TYSM Hospitality Group by welcoming two longtime employees as partners.
Zhanna Razkevych, originally from Ukraine, will continue as general manager of the Mount Pleasant location. Martina Paradiso, a close friend of Razkevych and a native of Argentina, will lead the new restaurant as executive chef. Paradiso first met Hunt while interning at the Mills House in Charleston and later became sous chef at Philosophia.
With Razkevych and Paradiso stepping into ownership roles, Hunt and Hatgidimitriou will have more flexibility to be hands-on during the launch of the new location—something Hunt values deeply.
Though he works primarily in the back of house, Hunt said one of his biggest lessons has been the importance of hospitality—sometimes even more than the food. He plans to make it a priority to be in the dining room, connecting with customers.
Construction is currently underway, with completion expected in September and a grand opening a few months later.
