New Eateries Open at Emeline in Downtown Charleston, South Carolina

Frannie & The Fox and Clerks Coffee Company open with menus featuring fresh and local ingredients

Charleston, S.C., August 27, 2020 – Emeline, developed and designed by Rockbridge and concepted in collaboration with Makeready, unveiled its highly anticipated restaurant and bar concepts, Frannie & The Fox and Clerks Coffee Company on July 1. Located in the heart of downtown Charleston, Frannie & The Fox is a wood-fired eatery serving regional ingredients with Italian sensibilities, while Clerks Coffee Company is a bustling and inviting café that extends the distinctive Emeline experience. Both menus pay tribute to the city by featuring approachable and sharable dishes with ingredients sourced from local partners.            

“While Charleston is most known for its charm, the city also has a rich agricultural history.  Supporting our local community has been a priority for us from day one, from purchasing from local purveyors, featuring local artisans and building a team of locals to service this wonderful community,” states Justin Fields, SVP of Restaurants, Bars, and Retail for Makeready. “From Second State’s locally roasted coffee to the flavors of regionally sourced ingredients from Dalai Sofia Kombuchas, we are excited to join the exceptional culinary scene here in Charleston.”  

Later in the day, guests will be invited to mingle in the bar and lounge area at Frannie & The Fox to enjoy the nightly evening toast –a handcrafted limoncello which highlights the ‘no-waste’ philosophy by repurposing lemon peels from the bar and kitchen.

Two onsite eateries with food and beverage offerings include:

Frannie & The Fox

Guests, visitors, and locals will be delighted with this wood-fired eatery, serving sharable plates with Italian sensibilities. The menu is designed to incorporate seasonal cooking, highlighting local Charleston ingredients in small and large plates, fresh salads, hand-tossed pizzas, simple side dishes, and rotating featured vegetables.  Many of the ingredients presented are sustainably sourced from nearby farms, resulting in dishes comprised of seasonal and ripe ingredients. Local highlights include produce from Blackbird (Johns Island) and Ambrose Farms (Charleston), eggs and chicken from Storey Farms (Johns Island), and seafood from Abundant Seafood (Charleston). Featured menu items include steamed clams with ‘nduja’ and fennel pollen; wood-roasted summer beans and wood-roasted chicken.

Beyond its seasonal focus, Frannie & The Fox’s signature element will be its authentic Italian wood-fired pizza oven. Guests looking for a sneak peek in the kitchen will be able to snag a seat in the Foxhole Gallery and watch pizza chefs hand-pull the mozzarella and toss the dough daily. Hand-tossed pizza selections include mushroom with kale, Calabrian chili; Taleggio with burnt honey and black pepper, and the ever classic Margherita.

The perfect accompaniment to the culinary offerings, Frannie & The Fox’s cocktail program celebrates the Lowcountry’s bountiful herbs and spices. The bar specializes in innovating classic cocktails with a Holy City twist. Each hand-crafted cocktail unveils quality ingredients that echo the city’s rich and diverse harvests to reflect a true sense of place. Favorites include the Top Sail made with Appleton select, plantation pineapple, Madeira and lime, and the mocktail called the Little Go-Go made with Second State cold brew, pineapple, orange, and lime. A clever feature at the bar is a rotating tap for specialty cocktails and drafts, created to showcase the creative spirit of Emeline. Guests will find a unique take on the classic Negroni which is infused with chamomile tea from Rare Tea Cellar that softens the flavor creating an easy, drinkable summer classic.  Alongside the unique cocktails, guests can enjoy local kombucha from Dalai Sofia whose infusions are made from ingredients sourced from small farms across the South.

A warm and engaging environment, the restaurant will offer effortless and sincere service. Frannie & The Fox’s design is inspired by Charleston’s captivating landscape with a color palette reflecting that of local flora and fauna. A highlight is the expansive outdoor courtyard where guests can enjoy a cocktail and nibbles surrounded by jasmine vines and twinkling lights, it offers an alfresco dining option for travelers seeking a breath of fresh air. During the winter months, the newly restored fireplace will keep guests warm extending the outdoor dining year-round. Both guests and locals are invited to enjoy the chic indoor and outdoor courtyard settings for meals, plus a daily happy hour. Tuesday through Saturday, Frannie & The Fox hosts happy hour from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and dinner service from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Breakfast and lunch service to commence later this year. Curbside pickup will also be available. To make a reservation, please call 843-414-1673 or book online through Resy.

Clerks Coffee Company

Designed to be timeless with a hint of nostalgia, this pastel-hued cozy café is perfect for a coffee meeting, a relaxed afternoon perusing Emeline’s extensive vinyl collection, or a full day working remotely. Long tables are equipped with numerous outlets allowing for easy connectivity.  Charismatic baristas serve expertly crafted espresso and tea-based drinks, using locally-roasted coffee beans from Second State Coffee and teas from Rare Tea Cellar, alongside homemade pastries made by the in-house pastry chef. With convenient street-level access, guests can pick up their morning coffee and freshly baked pastry through a window while on the go.

Breakfast is served until 11 a.m. and features all the classics from pancakes and avocado toast to a breakfast sandwich with specialty tomato jam. For lunch starting at 11 a.m., diners have a choice of two rotating sandwiches each day, currently featuring the Italian Trio and a Mozzarella & Tomato, alongside a Roman-style square pizza by the slice. 

Clerks Coffee Company is an instant staple of the neighborhood, offering a convenient service window opening directly on to the sidewalk for grab-and-go ordering. Clerks is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. To order ahead, please call 843-414-1676.

Frannie & The Fox also offers private dining for small groups accommodating up to 40 people.  Two sliding doors deftly seal off the back of the dining area creating an intimate space that is perfect for bespoke events or corporate luncheons. Glass doors open up directly to the courtyard enlarging the gathering space for special prevent cocktail hour.  

About Emeline

Located in Charleston’s historic district, Emeline is a clever and thoughtfully designed retreat crafted with the curious traveler in mind. The experienced team embodies the persona of a consummate host, always focused on the vibrant days of hospitality. Emeline’s accommodations provide a warm welcome after a busy day exploring all the notable points of interest that lie just outside its doors. This captivating refuge with 212 all-king bed guest rooms includes 128 luxury suites and 16 double king bed accommodations. Amenities include Frannie & The Fox, Clerks Coffee Company, and Keep Shop. The property boasts over 13,000 square feet of flexible event space and 10 private occasion spaces, with the Hayne Street Gallery accommodating events up to 250 and for receptions up to 350 guests. Emeline’s courtyard and greenhouse offer expansive outdoor spaces that are ideal settings for receptions or social gatherings. Visit www.hotelemeline.com to learn more or follow us on Instagram at  www.instagram.com/hotelemeline/.

About Rockbridge

Rockbridge, a private investment firm celebrating 20-years in business, has been investing in and building brands since 1999. The business has made more than 260 real estate and hospitality investments in 38 states worth over $8.5 Billion in total capitalization. The company has over $2.8 Billion in assets under management. Rockbridge has built a family of hospitality, development, and management company brands, and its continued success is a result of a team and culture that are intensely collaborative, innovative, resilient, and focused. The company develops, designs, and builds award-winning independent and branded properties that have delighted guests and investors, alike. In 2020, Rockbridge was honored for a third consecutive year as a top, philanthropic company in Central Ohio based on its number of employees. Learn more at www.rockbridgecapital.com and Instagram.

About Makeready

Designed from the ground up to create truly independent hotel, restaurant, and retail brands with individual points of view, Makeready is a different kind of hotel operator, one that provides an opportunity for travelers to connect to the world around them, city by city and person by person. Makeready is passionate about developing independent experiences that are an essential part of each community, cultivating deep, emotional connections across guests, teams, and local brands to create sustainable value for investors.

Makeready operates notable hotels, restaurants, and retail shops throughout the country such as Noelle, Keep Shop, Hidden Bar and Makeready L&L in Nashville; The Alida and Rhett in Savannah; The Adolphus and Commerce Goods + Supply in Dallas; and Hank’s Seafood Restaurant in Charleston and its elevated venue space for private events, Hank’s Social Hall. Find us online at www.makereadyexperience.com or Instagram at www.instagram.com/makereadyexp.