The barbecue concept at 188 East Bay Street in downtown Charleston now has a second home at 101 Nexton Square Drive. Poogan's Hospitality Group closed Poogan's Southern Kitchen in Nexton for a short renovation and reopened it on October 5 as Poogan's Smokehouse. The building has refreshed interiors, and the menu now centers on barbecue and daily specials.
That conversion is part of a bigger pattern in Nexton this fall. A growing share of the new tables here come from Charleston-area operators who already run successful rooms elsewhere: a Queen Street restaurant family, a deli founded in 2009 with two Mount Pleasant locations, and a restaurateur adding a third Indian concept to the two he already owns. National chains are still opening too. But the local names say more about where Nexton's dining is heading, and the next group of them has addresses on Brighton Park Boulevard.
A Queen Street family name on Nexton Square
Poogan's Smokehouse belongs to the same family as Poogan's Porch, which has served downtown Charleston from 72 Queen Street for decades. The Nexton location is the second Poogan's Smokehouse, after the original at 188 East Bay Street.
The change keeps some of what Nexton already had. According to What Now Charleston, which cited Post and Courier coverage, several Southern Kitchen dishes now appear as daily specials, and weekend brunch continues. Cameron O'Toole, director of sales and marketing for Poogan's Hospitality Group, explained the move in that coverage:
"Bringing Poogan's Smokehouse to Nexton allows us to build on a concept that has been successful for us for more than a decade, while keeping some of the Southern Kitchen dishes our guests have made part of their routines."
The important phrase there is "for more than a decade." A group with a well-known downtown name has brought a concept it already trusts to Nexton, and it kept the dishes regulars came for. The restaurant's site lists Nexton hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Brighton Park Boulevard is next
Nexton Square already has its downtown name. The next local operators are lining up on Brighton Park Boulevard, and the best-known of them comes from Mount Pleasant.
Mozzo Deli opened in 2009 and now runs three locations: 730 Coleman Boulevard and 405 Faison Road in Mount Pleasant, plus 616 Meeting Street downtown. Its fourth will be at 410 Brighton Park Boulevard in Nexton. Owner Shannon Campbell told What Now Charleston in August that permits were in and a three-to-four-month build was about to start. She described the site plainly:
"It's a great area. There's a lot of commercial there, and a lot of residential. The area is really exploding. We're positioned to fit in really well."
The layout follows the Coleman Boulevard store. Plans include a lounge and gathering area, single bar seats for people who want to work, an open kitchen, and outdoor seating facing the main street. The menu is the same one Mount Pleasant knows, including the Reuben Burger, the Mockingbird and the Muffaletta. Campbell's explanation of why the deli first opened right after 2008 is a good summary of the whole Nexton bet: "people like to eat."
Mozzo is one of two businesses with announced Brighton Park Boulevard addresses:
- Mozzo Deli, 410 Brighton Park Boulevard. The opening is expected this winter.
- Parlor Doughnuts, 555 Brighton Park Boulevard. The shop's Summerville page lists that address. Holy City Sinner describes Parlor as a doughnut shop with locations on the South Carolina coast, including Pawleys Island.
Together they cover breakfast through lunch, the hours when a quick local stop matters most to people who live nearby.
A third concept on Cross Park Lane
Samaya Indian Table, at 426 Cross Park Lane in the Marketplace at Nexton, fits the same pattern from a different angle. Owner Sujith Varghese already runs Spice Palette Indian Cuisine and Rivayat Creative Indian. Holy City Sinner reported in October that Samaya would focus on shareable grilled and smoked dishes alongside traditional Indian cooking, with a fall 2026 opening target.
Like Mozzo and Poogan's, this is an established local operator choosing Nexton. Samaya, though, is a new concept rather than another copy of an existing restaurant. A restaurateur with two Indian restaurants could have repeated either one. Instead, Varghese is trying the grill-and-smoke format in Nexton, which suggests he sees enough steady local business here to try something new.
What fills in around them on Nexton Parkway
The established names are arriving in a part of Nexton that has grown quickly over the last few months. In late August, Nexton announced a set of new businesses clustered around Nexton Parkway and nearby streets. In November it announced another set.
Here is the food-and-drink lineup with each name's origin:
| Business | Address | What it is | Where the name comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poogan's Smokehouse | 101 Nexton Square Drive | Barbecue, daily specials, weekend brunch | Poogan's Hospitality Group, sister to Poogan's Porch on Queen Street |
| Mozzo Deli | 410 Brighton Park Boulevard | Sandwiches, burgers, breakfast | Founded in 2009, with locations in Mount Pleasant and downtown |
| Samaya Indian Table | 426 Cross Park Lane | Shareable grilled and smoked dishes with traditional Indian food | Owner of Spice Palette and Rivayat |
| Parlor Doughnuts | 555 Brighton Park Boulevard | Doughnut shop | Coastal South Carolina shops |
| Dulce Churros Ice Cream + Cocktails | One Nexton, Nexton Parkway | Mexican-style ice cream, churros, desserts, specialty cocktails | One Nexton retail center |
| Dog Park Bar Nexton | 652 Scholar Way, inside GoDog | Food and drinks while dogs play under staff supervision | GoDog |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill | 1275 Nexton Parkway | Bowls, burritos, tacos, quesadillas | National chain |
| CAVA | 124 North Creek Drive | Mediterranean bowls and pitas | National chain |
| Azalea Wine & Spirits | 8409 Dorchester Road | Wine and spirits shop | New to Nexton |
Some of these are things Nexton didn't have before. Dog Park Bar lets owners eat and drink while trained staff supervise the dogs, which turns a dog outing into a meal out. Dulce's concept for the One Nexton retail center puts homemade Mexican-style ice cream, churros and specialty cocktails under one roof. Chipotle at 1275 Nexton Parkway and CAVA at 124 North Creek Drive cover quick weeknight meals. Azalea Wine & Spirits on Dorchester Road covers the bottle for dinner at home.
Chains fill out the everyday options. As Nexton's commercial core grows, the restaurants that come with a reputation are filling the spots where people sit down and stay a while. Cassie Cataline, marketing director for Brookfield Residential, said in Nexton's November announcement that the goal is "a place where people can gather, discover something new and return again and again." The sit-down restaurants from downtown and Mount Pleasant are the ones built for that kind of repeat visit.
Two dates before the year ends
With more places to eat nearby, a few community dates are worth planning around:
- Saturday, November 14, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nexton's events calendar lists "Find Your Happy Place," organized by Nexton.
- Saturday, December 19. The 13th Annual Cocoa Cup 5K runs at Brown Family Park at Nexton. The kids' run starts at 9 a.m. and the 5K at 9:30 a.m., with Santa photos and holiday activities on site.
Cocoa Cup morning ends right around lunchtime, and Poogan's Smokehouse on Nexton Square opens at 11 a.m. that Saturday.
At St. Germain Properties, we follow which operators are choosing Nexton and which streets they choose, because restaurant openings change what a neighborhood looks like day to day long before most market reports catch it. If you'd like to talk about how Nexton's growth affects the streets around your own home, Request a Private Consultation with Oliver and Yolanda.
