by 
By Mark A. Leon
A familiar Charleston restaurant space is getting a new life as Babas on Cannon prepares to expand into the former home of Rodney Scott’s BBQ on King Street.
Babas, the European-inspired café known for its coffee, house-made pastries, all-day menu and evening aperitivo service, has announced plans to move into the former Rodney Scott’s location at 1011 King St. The move marks another step in the growth of a Charleston restaurant concept that began with its small Cannon Street café.
The King Street property has some history of its own. Rodney Scott brought his celebrated whole-hog barbecue concept to Charleston in 2017, turning the location into a destination for locals and visitors seeking South Carolina-style barbecue. The Charleston restaurant closed in May 2026.
For Babas, the move represents a significant change in scale from its original 11 Cannon St. location. The restaurant has built a following around a distinctly European café model, with espresso and pastries in the morning, sandwiches and salads during the day, and wine, cocktails and small plates later on. Charleston Magazine recently described the concept as inspired by cafés in Italy, Spain and France.
Babas currently operates multiple Charleston locations, including its original Cannon Street restaurant and its newer Wentworth Street location. The King Street expansion would put the growing local brand in one of the peninsula’s most visible restaurant corridors.
The move also reflects the continuing evolution of Upper King Street, where several longtime restaurant spaces have changed hands as new concepts move into the area.
For a restaurant that started with a compact neighborhood café, taking over the former Rodney Scott’s space could give Babas room to bring its coffee-to-cocktails concept to an even larger audience — while giving one of Charleston’s best-known restaurant addresses a distinctly different next chapter.
Photo Credit: Babas
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