Chef Smitty’s, which has been a staple at Coastal Grand mall since it opened nine years ago, is expanding its offerings in Myrtle Beach with a new, standalone restaurant.

Smitty’s Pine Island Pub plans to open in early March in the former Pomodoro’s Trattoria & Bar building at the corner of Robert Grissom Parkway and Pine Island Road. Pomodoro’s recently closed.

The new restaurant will serve sandwiches, steak, burgers, fish baskets and other items, while aiming to create an atmosphere that lends itself to becoming a gathering spot for locals, said Gregg Smith, whose family owns the pub and the business in the mall food court.

The 50-table restaurant will open about 11:30 a.m. daily. In the evenings, there might be some live music or dancing, Smith said. Closing time hasn’t yet been set, it will depend on the crowds.

Chef Smitty’s in the mall will remain open.

“The restaurant will keep in line with what we do over at the mall, but more of a pub atmosphere,” Smith said.

This will be the first sit-down, standalone restaurant for Smitty’s.

Chef Smitty’s briefly branched out to Inlet Square Mall in 2011, but closed because mall traffic wasn’t picking up as expected, Smith said.

Smitty’s has been planning a restaurant concept for a few years, but was waiting for the right spot, Smith said.

Contact DAWN BRYANT at 626-0296 or at dbryant@thesunnews.com or follow her at Twitter.com/TSN_dawnbryant.