Jettie Rae’s, a new riverfront restaurant that would serve up coastal seafood specialties from Maine to New Orleans at 144 Riverside Dr. (across from the Cotton Mill Studios), is heading to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission in September.

The project of restaurateur Eric Scheffer (of Savoy and Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian) and developer Jim Diaz of CoveStar Realty, Jettie Rae’s will also be open to the public – beyond visitors to the restaurant, an open-air pavilion, green space + public restrooms, along with its location on the river and greenway, will give the area a park-like setting.

Currently the property of non-profit RiverLink, part of the site was once the location of a sheet metal shop in a section of town that is undergoing redevelopment and revisioning (check out our piece on RADTIP’s plan for the area here). The team hopes to activate the site, currently unused and undeveloped, to bring more visitors to the greenway and the River Arts District to make it safer and more inclusive for all.

We talked with the team behind Jettie Rae’s, including Eric, Jim, landscape architect Jason Gilliland (Site Design Studio), and architect Robert Todd (Red House Architects), about what they’re planning for the project.

The site proposed for Jettie Rae's in the RAD

Scoping out the site

The 1.29-acre site is healing from the impacts of light and heavy industrial use, much like other areas in the RAD (New Belgium Brewing was built on a former brownfield).
It’s mostly in the floodway, and will be constructed with that in mind – preserving around 75% of the existing greenspace for a park-like area with public spaces, including a pavilion, plus the concession and restaurant space.
A concrete slab with an entry from the road still in place from the former sheet metal shop will be the parking lot, which will be extended slightly to the north with permeable gravel to provide a proposed 36 parking spaces. Greenway parking is available at the boat launch just north of the property.
The zoning designation for the land is “open space zoning.” Under the guidelines for this zoning, coverage is allowed on up to 80% of the land. Jettie Rae’s proposed coverage for its main building and pavilion + public areas is 8%. Parking, recreation, restrooms, and other structures, including concessions, are all allowed under open space zoning. The proposed restaurant use, not building coverage, is prohibited from OSP (open space/public facilities), which is why the project requires a conditional zoning permit and City Council's blessing.
Criticism of the project has been expressed because it doesn’t fully preserve the open green space as it is now, but RiverLink is in full support of Jettie Rae’s, noting that the site is currently neither activated nor accessible and that this project will help revitalization + accessibility efforts in the RAD.

Read on for the vision for Jettie Rae’s, including an open-air pavilion, river + greenway access, the architectural vision, and more, by clicking the button below. And, be sure to watch our on-site interview + walkthrough with the leadership team here. 🎣

The vision for Jettie Rae’s

The name comes from a seafood vendor outside of Charleston Eric used to visit, and is meant to emphasize the affordable, accessible menu + vision.
The menu will focus on coastal seafood at all price points, from lobster rolls to po’ boys and chowders, plus drinks. Casual fare like hot dogs, hamburgers, and ice cream will also be available. The inspiration comes from restaurateur Eric Scheffer’s past travels and the inspiration he and developer Jim Diaz have found in coastal areas.
Visitors will order at a walk-up window, and meals will be packaged in totally compostable materials. Jettie Rae’s hopes to compost over 90% of their materials. No glass will be used on the site. Two Airstreams will also be onsite to serve food + drinks.
The restaurant itself will be 5,500 square feet over two stories (2,025 square feet on the ground level and 2,750 on the deck level, additional square footage is awning/roof overhang), with much of the space transitional or open (like the second-level deck area). It’s designed for four-season dining.
The building will be raised above the sidewalk level as a preparation for flooding in the area. It will also be ADA accessible.
The design will mirror the narrative of the RAD as an area that was once industrial but now accessible to the community. A brick foundation will link it to older buildings in the area, and the aesthetic will be as if an expansion has happened over several decades, like many of the converted spaces already in the area.
Besides the restaurant, Jettie Rae’s will include a 1,100-square-foot open pavilion for picnics or outdoor seating, public restrooms, park benches + picnic tables, dedicated river + greenway access, bike racks + more. The space will be open to the public, not just to restaurant-goers.

Want to share your comments or questions directly with the developers? Head to the website and reach out or check out their FAQs. And, click here to check out our interview with the leadership team and our walkthrough of the site to get even more info on Jettie Rae’s.