Plumbers in James Island, SC

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A James Island IHOP is now permanently closed following inspections that showed multiple health code violations.

Located at 771 Daniel Ellis Drive in Charleston, the restaurant has received continuous reports of problematic food safety practices.

Reports from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture show that since March, the IHOP has received 11 straight C-grades.

The restaurant violated the South Carolina Retail Food Establishment Regulations with the last recorded inspection on May 12, 2025.

Failures included temperature control for food safety, properly cleaned and sanitized surfaces, food in a good or safe condition, flies found in the dish area and utensils and other cleaning materials not properly handled.

Improper food date marking and disposal were noted in the reports, with steak, ham and pancake batter being held longer than seven days. The ham specifically was 14 days old when the inspection was conducted.

A family physician with Roper St. Francis, Dr. Valerie Scott, explained that a C-rating usually indicates there’s some fairly serious issues inside the business that could cause bodily harm.

“I think it is important for us to know when you see a rating, what does that mean to me, because you want to keep safe,” Scott said. “You do need to take a pause and be sure that where you’re eating takes good care to be sure you don’t get ill.”

As for the time and temperature control of food safety, reports state the IHOP was holding the following foods at a violated temperature:

“I think we all think about that in our own homes; when we have Thanksgiving, you’re always careful about not leaving the food out too long. Restaurants, too, have to follow these rules, and there are a lot of good reasons for that because you can get salmonella, E. coli., or even norovirus,” Scott said.

The business was not forced to close its doors by the state, but voluntarily shut down.

Now, the property remains empty and up for sale.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND — A local IHOP has closed its doors following a heaping stack of health code violations.

The location at 771 Daniel Ellis Drive off Folly Road received 11 consecutive “C” ratings after visits to the restaurant since March, according to S.C. Department of Agriculture records.

IHOP had been in the James Island location since 2014, replacing the Ruby Tuesday restaurant.

The roughly 5,500-square-foot building is now for lease for $38 a square foot.

Mandy Coleman with National Restaurant Properties LLC, who represents the out-of-state owner, said on Friday that IHOP had already removed a number of kitchen equipment items and dismantled several booths before she came to change the locks.

Coleman said the space could be leased to another restaurant or a different user.

The chain's corporate office did not respond to a request for comment on the James Island restaurant’s closure or the health code violation reports.

Violations documented at the James Island IHOP during the most recent inspection on May 12 found expired packaged bell peppers, which were encased in a “bloated” bag and several items not being held to a safe temperature including grits, liquid eggs, butter packets, creamers, and cut citrus, according to the report.

Inspectors also found containers of ham, steak and pancake batter expired by more than seven days as well as unclean silverware, pans on dirty shelves and pans with baked-on food particles.

There were also a number of fruit flies observed in the dishes area.

Records show the restaurant had gotten several “A” ratings over the years. Its only “B” rating in 2025 was received on Feb. 25.

Regular food service inspections by the Department of Agriculture focus on “practices identified as most likely to cause a foodborne illness if they are not done properly.”

For any retail food establishment earning less than 78 points, or a "C" rating, food safety practices "need significant improvement,” the department states.

The state agency did not indicate it was forcing IHOP to close. It scheduled another follow-up visit set for May 22.

Four other IHOP locations remain open in the area, in Mount Pleasant, North Charleston and Summerville. The chain has 27 locations statewide, according to the company.

IHOP had updated its online locations by June 13 to remove the James Island restaurant.

The chain, once known as the International House of Pancakes, has expanded its menu beyond breakfast foods. It's owned by Dine Brands Global Inc., which operates mot IHOP locations under franchise agreements. The Pasadena, Calif.,-based holding company also owns Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The Little Rock Golf Club is being remembered with a historical marker and ceremony this weekend.

The non-segregated course came to be in the 1950s when the Country Club of Charleston was only open to white people.

Richard Smalls Sr. made the course in secret. Not even his own son or wife knew about it until it was complete, according to Richard Smalls Jr. That’s because the owner, Smalls Sr., bought the land from told him he had to farm with it.

“The owner who sold him the property would come by every now and then and toot the horn. My dad used to tell me to go outside and tell them I’m not here,” Smalls Jr. said.

Smalls Jr. says the former owners would come to check on the progress of the land.

“That was in the 50s, so you know at that time what was going on,” Smalls Jr. said.

But soon, the only non-segregated golf course opened. Smalls Jr. has fond memories of when he was 13 years old, watching his father golf there.

“When he opened that up, it was the best thing that ever happened in the neighborhood,” Smalls Jr. said.

Smalls said before then, black people were only allowed to caddy at the other whites-only course. He and the other caddies were only granted permission to play on Christmas when whites were home with their families.

Smalls Jr. said the Little Rock Golf Club was special because it was for everyone.

“You could look on weekends and the same guys and girls, ladies rather, came out and play, so it got real popular.,” Smalls Jr. said.

For about a decade, the course was in its prime, but then the municipal golf course became integrated in the early 60s.

“That’s when it declined and my father’s business went down. Only a few guys would come on the weekends and play. But he didn’t build it to become a millionaire, it only cost $2 to play 6 holes,” Smalls Jr. said.

After the decline in business, Smalls Sr. turned the course into a nightclub and today homes stand in its place.

“There’s a lot of people who move into Charleston lately and they bought homes in there and they don’t know nothing about James Island,” Smalls Jr. said.

He also referred to the history of where the people’s homes are now. His family coordinated with the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, as well as the Sea Shore Farmers Lodge get the historical marker on Little Rock Blvd. It took about 3 years and is set to be unveiled at a small family gathering this weekend.

“This marker really reflects the program’s broader mission, which is to teach people about South Carolina history through its historic places. What we are really trying to do is to use the experience of being present where history actually unfolded to try to leave a deeper impression on readers and to get them to reflect on the significance of the history that took place at the specific location,” South Carolina Department of Archives and History Historian Edwin Breeden said.

Smalls Jr. admits he didn’t understand the underlying significance of his father’s work as a child.

“I didn’t know how important that was, I didn’t realize it because I was young. Later in life, I understand,” Smalls Jr. said.

Richard Smalls Sr. passed away in his late 50s, but his little secret turned success story lives on.

“I’m sure he’s glad, he’s laughing… he’s laughing,” Smalls Jr. said.

The marker is located at the corner of Little Rock Boulevard and North Grimball Road.

You can learn more about the history of the course on the James Island website.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - A new county park is coming to Johns Island.

Lowcountry Land Trust and Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission are working to restore waterway access to the public after acquiring 66 acres of land. Just over $2.6 million was part of the land purchase, as well as some being donated to the Lowcountry Land Trust.

“It’s no secret that Johns Island is facing a tremendous amount of growth, and so any conservation projects like this that protect natural resources on the island and provide access to the public to enjoy these properties is a big success,” Charleston County Greenbelt Program Deputy Director Chris Dubuque said.

Right now, the area about three miles north of the Angel Oak is mostly woods, but once it’s converted to a county park, it will allow waterway access as well as opportunities to walk, hike and participate in paddle sports.

The project, involving the land around Simmons Creek, aims to restore the community’s historic access to the water while preserving the area’s natural beauty and ecological health. The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission will manage the property once turned into a county park. The project will also protect the surrounding forests and fields and preserve water quality.

The goal is to keep the area as natural as possible while allowing everyone in the community to enjoy it.

“With the exception of any minimal improvements to make it accessible to the public, what type of improvements would that be? Well, it would probably be parking improvements one day, maybe a restroom, maybe an improved dock to provide access to the waterway. Accessibility is the main concern for our agency, so making sure the trails are accessible for people of all abilities,” Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission Senior Planner Matt Moldenhauer said.

Several organizations were crucial in making it all come together. The Lowcountry Land Trust and Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission worked together to develop the project, and the Charleston County Greenbelt Department and State Conservation Bank, along with generous donors, worked to fund it.

With this project, the Angel Oak Preserve, and the recent acquisitions of Main Road Park and Grayson Oaks, the goal is to build a vibrant network of conserved lands honoring the island’s unique character and enhancing the community’s connection to nature.

“Sometimes that means trying to do land protection projects that are side by side, but there is also the ability to do things that are in the vicinity of each other where animals for instance might be able to use multiple of these properties to meet their lifecycle needs,” Lowcountry Land Trust Chief Conservation Officer David Ray said.

Dubuque said it’s a long process, and the application indicated more than five years before it would be open to the public. The county will be taking public input as it goes about designing the park in the future.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A decades-old plan for a Johns Island neighborhood and golf course gets the green light from Charleston County leaders.

A plan called the Orange Hill Planned Development project is the works to add a 120-home neighborhood and a golf course is set for about 933 acres of land along Rivers and Bohicket Roads on Johns Island. Project developers, Kiawah Resort Associates LP, are working to use just over 720 acres of that land for the development called ‘Real Property’, according to plans. The over 200 acres remaining will be under a conservancy tract.

Kiawah Resort Associates LP partner and project applicant, Jordan Phillips, says the project benefits the area as a solution to golf course demands.

“The project will really help alleviate compaction on golf courses and provide additional residential housing units,” Phillips says.

Current proposed plans are a change from an 180-home idea that developers presented to the Charleston County Council in 2005. District 8 Councilmember Joe Boykin says development with original plans would impact Charleston County’s Urban Growth Boundary.

“I think in the end, it was far better than the by-right development plan they already had,” Boykin says. “If this had been done a long time ago, this area would have been out of the Urban Growth Boundary and probably not have been supported, but it predates that.”

Charleston County Council approved to move forward on the development in a first reading on Tuesday. Boykin calls the plan a “win-win” for the area as developers included support efforts towards affordable housing in the area.

The Charleston County Community Development and Revitalization Department, which focuses on housing and communities, will get $1 million in property funds. Those funds will come from the project over the course of five years. Developers say another $500,000 will go towards the Sea Island Habitat for Humanity.

Boykin says the housing contributions are a chance to keep money on the island.

“We have a real problem with workers going to Kiawah to support that, well, one of Charleston County’s largest employers,” Boykin says. “They can’t afford to live on Johns Island, so they come from far off, which causes more congestion on our roadways. So this is a win-win all the way around.”

A second reading of the plan by council leaders will take place on July 22. A public hearing will also take place.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.