Popular 11th Street Dockside restaurant struggles to reopen after fire

July 22--As the sun beat down on the parking lot outside 11th Street Dockside restaurant Tuesday, a prep cook loaded items from a warehouse onto a black trailer headed for the restaurant's Lady's Island location from Port Royal.

The task wasn't the normal part of his job description, but it was work. The 11th Street employees are among the prime concerns for restaurant owner Tom Oliva and town officials after a fire forced the popular seafood spot to close Sunday for what Oliva thinks could be several months.

About 60 employees worked at the Port Royal location, Oliva said, though some also work at the Lady's Island location purchased in 2012. Some of the Lady's Island employees are giving up shifts to make room for as many additional workers as possible, but layoffs seem inevitable, Oliva said.

Staffing decisions will be made based on seniority, whether employees have second jobs or attend school, Oliva said. He noted the poor timing, during the height of the summer season.

The restaurant serves close to 500 dinners each night.

"Everyone has been accommodating to work together, as far as sharing work," said Oliva, who has owned the 25-year-old restaurant more than two decades. "The employees have actually been doing it on their own. ... That's kind of working out for now."

Oliva said the restaurant on Battery Creek sustained "a massive amount" of water damage while firefighters fought the blaze that burned the town's adjacent seafood market and damaged the warehouse the restaurant leases. The kitchen and bathrooms were most affected, but the dining area wasn't spared, he said.

This is the first time Dockside has been forced to close, Oliva said. It's had only brief closings for routine maintenance and to give employees time off around holidays.

The restaurant has become a staple for vacationers and day-trippers, wooed by glowing reviews on websites like TripAdvisor and Yelp. Reviews note the charm of the shrimp dock and trawlers and sunsets on Battery Creek.

"So sad. Our favorite restaurant for 30 years," Pam Bleggi Serianni wrote in a Facebook comment this week in response to the fire. "Hope they can reopen soon."

Oliva says the damage could be thousands of dollars and that insurance companies must sort out who is responsible for what. An investigation by firefighters and the S.C. Law Enforcement Division found no evidence of arson, and that an electrical issue could have been to blame. A final report is forthcoming.

The property is owned by the S.C. State Ports Authority. The restaurant leases its building and the warehouse, and the town leases the market and dock.

Town manager Van Willis' directive this week was that town employees work with the restaurant to return it to business.

"Our first priority is making sure we get Dockside up and running as fast as we can," he said.

The warehouse and market appear headed for demolition. The restaurant and warehouse are not connected, an employee said, as a small alley separates the buildings.

Oliva insured the contents of the properties and said his insurance representatives should be on site within a couple of days.

Follow reporter Stephen Fastenau at twitter.com/IPBG_Stephen.

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