A brewery, restaurant and gathering space designed for family and friends is set to open in Carolina Forest this spring.
South Coast Beer Project, operated by Chris Evans and Susan “Harry” Heryadi, is set to debut at 5020 Carolina Forest Blvd.
“We have a small hospitality group we created called Coastal Concepts Hospitality. We have five different locations with three different brands. We decided we wanted to venture into opening a brewery as well,” Evans told What Now Charleston.
The duo operates Grumpy Monk locations in Carolina Forest, Broadway at the Beach and North Myrtle Beach, along with Hop ’n Wich in Conway and Sneaky Beagle, which sits next to the upcoming brewery.
“It’s a brewery-restaurant-venue concept. The total square footage is about 9,000 square feet inside and about 25,000 square feet outside,” he said.
The interior will reflect a coastal theme, featuring oversized tables, rattan chandeliers, and matching tables and chairs.
“It has a coastal vibe. It’s very warm, very inviting—more than just a typical brewery,” Evans said. “When you walk in the front door, there’s going to be a long corridor with a faux umbrella ceiling. One wall will display all our beers that we’re brewing, and the other side is all glass, where you can see into the brewery.”
The outdoor space will feature ample seating for guests.
“Outdoors, it’s going to be picnic tables. When you turn the corner around the building, it’s all chairs with backs and arms—laid back with umbrellas, so you can have more of a quiet, relaxed seating,” he said.
The space will also include a family-friendly area, along with live music and other entertainment offerings.
“We have a large area for the kids—a playground, inflatables. It’s all in one space. Then we have an 18-by-16-foot video wall for sporting events or movie nights,” Evans said.
Guests will have easy access between South Coast Beer Project and Sneaky Beagle.
“There’s a pond in the middle. South Coast sits on one side and Sneaky Beagle sits on the other side. We built a 1,000-foot concrete walkway to connect one property to the other,” he said.
The team has been testing and brewing on a small system at Sneaky Beagle and now has its core beers ready for South Coast Beer Project’s launch.
“We’re going to run with about seven flagship, and then we’ll have about five one-offs that we’ll just keep changing. We’ll do everything from a West Coast IPA, East Coast IPA, a raspberry wheat, a stout, and a porter,” he said.
The beer program will be led by head brewer Brock Kurtzman.
“He’s been around the beach for years. He’s got a great reputation,” Evans said.
To complement the brews, the new spot will feature a full-service kitchen offering lunch, dinner and happy hour specials.
“We’re going to focus heavily on doing Detroit-style pizza, and we’re doing wings—we’re calling them sauce and char wings. Then we’ll have your appetizers, salads, and sandwiches, full menu,” he said.
Evans is excited to welcome guests into the new space, as it is the group’s first concept built from the ground up.
“It’s watching the project come to life because we’ve never got to build our own building from the ground up. We’ve always taken existing restaurants and rehabbed and opened them. Watching this go from a field to a completed project is the most exciting thing,” he said.
South Coast Beer Project is aiming for a late May opening. Visit the website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
