Chiropractic Care in Charleston, SC

Three years after the pandemic closed South Carolina bars and restaurants, owners are facing off against a new foe.

Rising liquor liability insurance rates are wreaking havoc on a food and beverage industry with notoriously tight profit margins. In the last six years, the average liability policy in South Carolina has ballooned from $5,000 to $25,000, with some struggling to find rates under $100,000.

Recent efforts by the grassroots Save SC Venues have targeted a legislative change to the statewide problem. The group, comprised of mostly small music venues and bars from around the state, has been pounding the pavement through more than 20 town halls, social media posts and rallies spreading the word that the problem is very real.

At 7 p.m. Aug. 14, the SC Venue Crisis will bring its town hall series to Frothy Beard Brewing Co. at 1401 Sam Rittenburg Blvd. in Charleston. The town hall is open to the public and free to attend.

The organization is led by Asheton Reid, Sheila Merck and Kynn Tribble, whose insurance rates at Tribble’s Bar & Grill in the Upstate have skyrocketed in recent years. In May, SC Venue Crisis held its first town hall meeting at Tribble’s to solicit support from other business owners.

“All of our town halls that are open to the public are a way to rally help and get people to contact their representatives,” Reid said. “The team and I have been putting a lot of foot to pavement to make sure everyone is aware of this issue statewide.”

The problem, the group contends, stems from a 2017 law, Senate 116, that requires all bars, restaurants and venues that serve alcohol after 5 p.m. to carry a $1 million liability insurance policy. Six years after the bill was signed into law, insurers are paying out two dollars for every dollar they collect for liquor liability due to a rise in civil lawsuits, said Russ Dubisky, executive director of the South Carolina Insurance Association.

In South Carolina, personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits involving alcohol can have a defendant who is found to be only 1 percent responsible paying the entire verdict. As a result, as many as 14 insurance carriers have stopped writing liquor liability policies in South Carolina over the last six years.

The insurers that do write South Carolina policies have raised their rates significantly. Recovery Room owner Chris DiMattia, who is helping the SC Venue Crisis drum up support for the Charleston town hall, says his rates have increased by 400 percent since 2016.

“It’s still going up, and my other bars are going up,” said DiMattia, who also owns Bangkok Lounge and Lucky Luchador. “You’re going to lose your nightlife scene in South Carolina. You lose the nightlife, that’s going to be a big hit to the tourism dollar.”

Some establishments, including Smiley’s Acoustic Café in Greenville, have been unable to afford the rising liquor liability rates. Smiley’s permanently closed its doors at 111 Augusta St. in July.

Multiple statehouse bills could offer some relief to South Carolina establishments. The SC Justice Act, for instance, would ensure businesses are only required to pay damages equivalent to their share of fault in civil lawsuits. The SC Venue Crisis is asking South Carolina residents to contact state lawmakers to show their support for this legislation.

Leaders of the group say the situation is more urgent than the general public may realize, and more businesses could close before lawmakers return to Columbia in January.

International Food and Beverage Industry Veterans Open Multi-Story Venue Complete with a Restaurant, Lounge, Speakeasy, and Rooftop

CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the Holy City's largest dining and entertainment experiences, The Habit, opens its doors tonight in Historic Downtown Charleston. Located at 213 East Bay Street in the French Quarter neighborhood, The Habit is the first space of its kind to offer up several distinct experiences within the building's 13,000 square feet, three floors, and rooftop lounge overlooking the Charleston Harbor.

The Habit offers a unique hybrid of dining and entertainment for locals and tourists alike with a mix of live music, dance parties, theme nights, burlesque performances, and comedy acts. The venue's second floor VIP lounge, V's, and the rooftop space are both available for private events and exclusive performances. The Habit will also host weekly theme nights to the tune of jazz, 80s, yacht rock, R&B, and other genres for every musical taste out there.

"Charleston is known around the world for its hospitality and as a mecca for food lovers everywhere," said Michelle Van Jura, owner and partner, The Habit. "The one thing we really wanted to bring to our beloved city was a greater variety of entertainment and unique experiences, so we found the perfect location, curated fantastic art, glamorous decor, and hired some of the best talent to bring it all to life."

The Habit brings 1920's Art Deco charm and elegance to one of the country's most-celebrated culinary destinations with a curated menu of local and regional ingredients prepared by Chef Matthew Greene. Each dish boasts inspiration from around the world to make it uniquely American with an international twist—from caviar on hashbrown bites and red curry wings, to lamb lollipops and a special selection of seasonal salads. The menu also leans heavily on small plates and shareable dishes so patrons can sample a spectrum of flavors as part of the overall experience.

"Coupled with a decadent atmosphere of warm lighting, rich leather, sumptuous velvet, and objects d'art, the space is an exquisite blend of Americana, European, and Asian aesthetics," continued. "The space is designed not only to provide a warm welcome for our guests but we also wanted everyone to step into an experience that combines sophistication, confidence, and comfort whether you're there for a romantic dinner or weekend brunch with your friends—it's something truly unique that can't be found anywhere else in ."

Open seven days a week, The Habit will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day with brunch service on Saturday as well as Sunday. A late night menu will also be available on Friday and Saturday. will have special shows and events every Friday and Saturday with tickets available on , along with VIP options. For more information, upcoming events, and daily menus, please visit .

The concept for started over a decade ago when owner and partner fell in love with and eventually left to make the Lowcountry her home. After spending 30+ years in public relations and running her own successful agency, she eventually met and began working with fellow partners and Chef . The three realized they had a shared vision and within a couple of years, The Habit became a reality. With more than 50 years of combined hospitality experience, and are widely regarded as some of the best talent in the business, having spent years honing and refining their craft in major cities like , , DC, and NYC. Prior to The Habit, Dennis and Greene worked for the Hall Management Group as well as some other fine dining establishments in . Follow The Habit on Instagram () for the latest updates, event info, and more.

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Hurricanes are the greatest risk Mother Nature poses to lives and property in coastal South Carolina, followed by flooding stemming from high tides and heavy rains, then followed by earthquakes. The next greatest threat comes from heat. As with the flooding threat, our warming climate is going to make this risk loom larger with each passing year.

That’s why it’s incumbent on state and local governments and their partners to continue studying, planning and adapting to find ways to minimize the number of injuries and deaths caused by ever-hotter temperatures. The number of extreme heat days — when thermometers surpass 90 degrees — are expected to triple by this century’s end, from about 35 now to 100 in 2100. And while heat doesn’t cause as much damage to buildings and infrastructure as storms do, more people already die of heat-related injuries each year than from storms.

Even if temperatures were to remain the same in future years, this still would be a worthy task because we continue to learn more about how heat affects our health — and we can apply that new knowledge to minimize our risk.

A coalition of colleges, hospitals, the city of Charleston and regional nonprofits has been studying this problem and has amassed new insights into how heat affects the places where we live, work and play.

And there are more dramatic fluctuations than many people might think. One of its studies found a 40-degree differential on and around different materials outdoors on the very same day in the same place. Gravel, manicured grass and plantings were on the low end of the temperature measurements, with asphalt, brick and artificial turf on the higher end. Researchers also found a 19-degree difference between a clay tile roof and an asphalt shingle roof on neighboring buildings at Charleston’s Gadsden Green public housing complex. Even a lighter hue of asphalt shingle was measured to be almost 10 degrees cooler than a darker color.

The degree of shade and the openness of the landscape can make a big difference as well. While trees and buildings may provide shade, they also block the wind, so the picture of how our built environment can catch and radiate heat gets complicated quickly. But our better understanding is crucial. It’s the first step in broader education that will let architects, landscape designers, contractors and their clients push for smarter, cooler choices, not unlike what has been going on with our decades-long emphasis to minimize the amount of energy consumed in constructing and operating our buildings.

The research also, not surprisingly, has begun to measure how our urban tree canopy can mitigate the heat experienced on our hottest days, and we urge local governments, nonprofits and property owners to expand that canopy and plant more trees, particularly in areas with few of them, such as Gadsden Green. This means playing a long game: It might not make sense today to plant more trees in Gadsden Green since the Charleston Housing Authority eventually plans to raze and rebuild that complex — and no one wants to see a significant new investment in trees this year have to be ripped out of the ground in the next few years.

But we must bear in mind the importance of protecting our existing trees and planting more of them: Not only does this help provide shade and cooler air, but the trees also wick up stormwater to ease localized flooding. And, as importantly, they beautify our community.

Existing and future heat research needs to help us do more than build more livable communities: It also must provide us insight into how best to help the most vulnerable among us stay cool and healthy during the hottest part of the day. We already know our bodies’ reaction to the heat is more complicated than can be understood by considering only the heat index, a combined measurement of temperature and humidity. We now know that wind speed and solar radiation — direct exposure to the sun — play important roles in how a person perceives how hot it feels.

Unlike the threat of the cold, which arrives at night after most public building are shut down, the hottest part of the day arrives in the afternoon, so the most vulnerable should be able to look to public libraries, recreation centers and other public buildings as places to seek a break from the heat. These essentially serve as cooling centers, though they’re not really marketed as such. Cities and public libraries should consider not only how to spread the word about them but also whether to provide bottled water or first aid, particularly on our hottest days.

The Wet-Bulb Globe temperature provides more insight into how heat, humidity, sun exposure and wind affect our body, and we urge researchers to continue partnering with the medical community and employers to figure out strategies to help outdoor workers stay safe during the hottest days.

One of the greatest challenges facing local leaders when it comes to planning for heat might simply be inertia: this notion that it’s always been hot in South Carolina in the summer, so why do we need to do anything new? The answer of course is we need to harness our new understanding to make our state and communities more livable and prepare for a future when the heat could be more significant and long-lasting than what we’ve already become accustomed to.

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Charleston County landed in third place overall among the most vulnerable counties for hurricanes along the Atlantic coast, according to a new study by Gutter Gnome.

South Carolina and Florida dominated the list, with Broward and Palm Beach counties in Florida taking the top two spots. Charleston and Horry counties took the next two, and Miami-Dade County in Florida brought up the back of the top five. Beaufort, Berkeley and Dorchester counties ranked sixth, seventh and ninth, respectively. Honolulu County in Hawaii is the only Pacific county in the ranking and registered the most hurricane activity, though it only ranked 52nd overall.

Ben Webster, Charleston County’s emergency management deputy director, said the county’s high ranking may be due to Charleston’s reputation.

“Charleston is a phenomenal place to live,” he said. “People come year after year to visit our great county, and that gives us a lot of pressure. The eye is on us, and a large-scale hurricane would have major repercussions.”

Charleston County ranked ninth in the study’s hurricane risk score, which was determined using several metrics by the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and weighed alongside data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Charleston County ranked second in hurricane history, which counts the number of major hurricanes in the last 10 years organized by category. Near misses are also factored in, and while Charleston does not often take the brunt of a hurricane’s landfall, it is often in its crosshairs. The potential threat is enough to place Charleston above hundreds of other counties along the Atlantic Coast.

Finally, Charleston County ranked eighth in financial impact, becoming the only county in South Carolina to crack the top 10 in that metric.

Webster says while it would be nice to chalk storm preparation to a single stretch of time every year, that simply isn’t the case.

“Hurricane season isn’t just a season for Charleston County,” he said. “It’s a year-round thing. We constantly review our plans and do training exercises just to ensure that we can respond adequately in the event of severe weather.”

And even though experts have predicted a fairly normal hurricane season, Webster says that activity is one of the least valuable metrics to keep in mind.

“I wish we could say ‘regular year’ and forecast it out ahead of time, but it only takes one hurricane to affect Charleston County,” he said. “It only takes one storm … it just takes one to to cause extraordinary damage and necessitate an extraordinary recovery effort.”

Webster says that’s why it’s important for the county to have a plan in place. It starts with damage assessment.

“How bad is it? Are our bridges intact? How do the homes look? There are different options moving forward depending on the answers,” he said. “We want to get people back to a sense of normalcy as quickly as we can and in a safe manner.”

While it’s important for community leaders to have a disaster plan, it’s just as important for residents to have one, too.

“The first thing I would encourage people to do is go to hurricane.sc and pick up a hurricane safety guide,” Webster said. “Have a disaster kit, food and water for you, your family and pets, and have a plan for where you’re going to go. It’s a long, but simple list of things people should keep in mind.”

Heeding evacuation orders can prevent the need for recovery efforts and the use of emergency plans in the first place, he added. The state’s hurricane guide includes up-to-date evacuation zones and routes, an important addition considering how many people move into Charleston County, and how often, Webster said.

General Charleston County hurricane guides and planning tips for those with disabilities and other special needs are available at charlestoncounty.org. Charleston City Paper also published an up-to-date preparation guide in May this year which includes links to important state and county information. Some printed copies are still available.

Webster reminded residents emergency officials may have trouble getting to residents immediately following a major storm.

“Those first 72 hours after a disaster are really on you.”

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Take me out to the ball game – or whatever the song says! Summer isn’t summer without at least one trip to Segra Park. On Aug. 9, you can catch the Columbia Fireflies take on the Charleston RiverDogs. For the parents — you can snag a 16 oz White Claw for just $5 as a Wednesday special! To purchase tickets, visit milb.com/columbia. HALLIE HAYES

Flagman, a self-described “deep-fried alt/metal band” from Orlando set to play New Brookland Tavern, has a veritable excess of character. Their music is clearly fun and joyous, though riffing on the oddities of Primus and Faith No More. Along with a hodgepodge of other sounds and influences, Flagman has the technical chops, but little pomp. They are heavy, fun and weird, which is really what you want in a night out anyway. Tickets are $10, doors at 7 p.m. More info at newbrooklandtavern.com. KYLE PETERSEN

The Steel Hands Brewery’s “Nashville Nights” series continues Aug. 11 with the husband-wife duo of Johnny and Heidi Bulford, who between them have penned hits for the likes of Lee Brice, Chris Young and more. Their duo performances tend towards the more quiet and contemplative side of Music Row, more 90s-esque storytelling than bro-country bravado. The free show kicks off at 6 p.m. More info at steelhandsbrewing.com. KYLE PETERSEN

A legend in country music circles, Clint Black drew from classic 1960s rock as well as traditionalists like Merle Haggard to imbue the genre with mass-market appeal. In 1989, Black’s first single, “A Better Man,” hit the top of the charts, and he followed it with 4 consecutive number one hits. An accomplished guitarist and producer, Black continues to inspire younger country artists. American Idol star Preston Duffee opens. Tickets for the August 11 show start at $45. More info at thetownship.org. PAT MORAN

Summer is coming to an end, but the Columbia Museum of Art will make sure it goes out in style. Bring your whole family to the CMA on Aug. 11 for Family Fun Night featuring storyteller, artist and cohost of Nick Jr.’s “Gullah Gullah Island,” Natalie Daise. You can expect a performance from Daise and many art activities, including a scavenger hunt, throughout the galleries. This is a free event and food will be provided. Come do one last fun thing this summer! More information at columbiamuseum.org HALLIE HAYES

First off, you should probably go to this event just on general principle. It’s a fundraiser for a good cause: The Fisher House, which supports veteran families from around the state. But as an added bonus, this show is a battle of the bands featuring a stylistically diverse set of local groups. You’ve got The Reggie Sullivan Band, which can mix rock and jazz with ease. Then you’ve got Civil Remedy, about as straight-ahead rock and roll as it gets. Finally you’ve got Natalie & The Boys, a powerhouse acoustic trio that mixes country and pop. Showtime at Icehouse Amphitheater is 5:30pm, admission for adults is $15, and $10 for children 8-12. Children under age 8 get in free. Visit icehouseamphitheater.com for more info. VINCENT HARRIS

You’re used to R&B and jazz pros take on classic and neo-soul tunes in the swanky confines of The Chayz Lounge, but rarely do you see an electric violin-led band. Enter: JaVonne Jones and Company, who are at the club this Aug. 11 & 12. With the help of the saxophonist Darius, the group promises to deliver a fun night of retro-minded, dance-heavy fun with tunes by Johnny Gill, Luther Vandross, The Isley Brothers, Maxwell, The Gap Band and Stevie Wonder. Doors at 6:30 p.m., music at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40. More info at chayzlounge.com. KYLE PETERSEN

“They’re just knocking it dead,’” says Bill’s Music Shop and Pickin’ Parlor owner Willie Wells. He’s talking about The McKoy Brothers, a guaranteed crowd pleaser at the Parlor. The siblings, violinist/banjoist Steve, pianist/guitarist Randy and drummer Mike, honed their chops as part of roots music combo Real Country before striking out on their own. A versatile crew, the McKoy’s repertoire includes country, beach music and electrified bluegrass, delivered in shiver-inducing fraternal harmonies. $10 donation for the August 12 show. More info at billsmusicshop.com PAT MORAN

O’Hara’s Public House stretches their reputation as an Irish pub with this performance from Ruskin & Cam. An acoustic duo that’s an outgrowth of the local group King Size. That Augusta, Georgia band plays a variety of material, usually alternative and rock hits from the 70′s, 80’s, 90’s and the 00′s. So it stands to reason that Ruskin & Cam will play a more stripped-down version of those hits, a more intimate but equally exciting setup. Showtime is 7pm, and admission is free. Visit facebook.com/oharasph for more info. VINCENT HARRIS

If you’re interested in the history surrounding our local community, or you just love history in general, this is a walking tour you’ll want to take part in! On Aug. 13, you can head over to the highest elevation downtown to take a guided 75-minute walk through the Arsenal Hill neighborhood of Columbia. Guests will learn how residences, combined with spiritual, educational and governmental institutions, resulted in the architecture and dynamic community histories that we see in this neighborhood today. More information at historiccolumbia.org HALLIE HAYES

Your favorite unusual market is back in action! Hosted by Art Bar, Y’all-Mart Mystery Market will make an appearance on Aug. 13 from 1-5 p.m. While your findings will be endless, you can expect to run into handcrafted jewelry, taxidermy, horror art, vintage and a ton more. Bring your partner. Bring your friends. Bring your kids. Come out and support local. More information at artbarsc.com HALLIE HAYES