A downtown Charleston diner that closed in 2019 is serving breakfast plates again under a new name.
Jack’s Diner has opened at 41 George St., the building that housed Jack’s Cafe, The Post and Courier reported Nov. 10. A photo caption with the story said the diner opened in November, but the paper did not give a specific opening day.
The new owners are Chaz Wendel and Tyler Hunt, who run Legend Deli next door, according to The Post and Courier. The paper first reported in August that they had acquired the property with plans to bring Jack’s Cafe back under a similar name.
The menu sticks to classic American diner food, including biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs, meatloaf, burgers and sandwiches, the paper reported. When the plans were announced in August, WhatNow Charleston reported the diner would serve breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week and was aiming for an October opening.
Jack Sewell opened Jack’s Cafe in 1972 and ran it for 43 years, according to The Post and Courier. Edward and Nancy Flynn bought the restaurant from Sewell in 2015 and sold it two years later to Scott Coffman and Todd Justice.
In 2019, a “Closed for Vacation” sign went up on the front door, and the closure turned out to be permanent, the paper reported.
At least one other group tried to revive the space before Wendel and Hunt. The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, whose Charleston restaurants include Indaco and O-Ku, announced plans in 2023 to restore and reopen it but later dropped them, according to The Post and Courier and WhatNow.
The sale to the Legend Deli owners marks the fourth time Jack’s Cafe or a version of it has changed hands, and the third time in 11 years, the paper reported.
