Downtown Charleston restaurant expands with new lounge, event space

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Félix Landrum is adding yet another business to his portfolio with a high-end sipping lounge.

Named La Cave, the lounge will be located on King Street, right next door to Félix Cocktails et Cuisine, which opened in 2017.

The new space, according to Landrum, replaces OddFellows Ice Cream. “They lasted there somewhere around a year. When they left, I was approached by the building owner who asked if I’d be interested,” he said.

Landrum, who was seeking a sister location at the time, agreed to the deal and plans were afoot to set yet another standard for sophisticated leisure in the heart of the city.

Landrum said that the public can expect a smaller establishment. “Felix is 2,500 square feet and the new place will be about 1,700 square feet.”

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His reported reason for opening the sister location was out of ‘community necessity.’

“We have 13 tables, two farm tables and a bar at Felix and were turning so many people away that we thought that if we had additional space for snacks, drinks and socialization, it could be either a waiting place, or an enjoyable evening for small bites and a couple of rounds,” he said. As for menu items, Landrum names a few: olives, pates, devilled eggs, beef tartare, haricots vert salad and charcuterie.

“We’ll have a smaller menu at La Cave,” Landrum said.

The two eateries will be connected by a hallway and the new place will have a relaxed and cozy vibe where customers can enjoy high-end French wines, cordials and cocktails. Landrum reports that they’ll also offer rare and traditional whiskies and will be implementing a cocktail program that will be similar to what they’ve done at Felix. “Our focus will be on in-house creations. No canned juices,” Landrum said.

In creating La Cave, Landrum also fulfills another community demand.

“We’ve had an unbelievable number of requests for private events like weddings and receptions, so it’s going to be dual-faceted — a place for sipping and snacking and also a place where people can hold an event,” he said.

Landrum said that he’s been pleased with the growth of King Street and is delighted to be opening another business in the bustling area.

“When I moved from Michigan to this area in 2015, Upper King didn’t look like it does now. It’s just exploding with foot traffic and new businesses and the downtown growth has been moving North on King. For us, it was great to get in before the boom started and we have ridden that wave,” he said, adding that it doesn’t hurt to have parking behind the restaurant. “That’s been advantageous, as has been the Hyatt Hotel which is also there and drives a lot of traffic,” said Landrum.

Landrum estimates that La Cave will seat around 55 customers and states that an opening date has been a moving target but is closer than ever now that permits are in place.

“We’re planning on opening sometime in April,” he said.