New restaurant opening in North Myrtle Beach. It’ll be in popular pizza shop that closed

Shawn Kelly once dreamed of moving to California and becoming a surfer. But “that didn’t quite work out,” he said.

And although he didn’t end up riding the waves as a career, Kelly decided to take his passion for the sport and his love of that kind of lifestyle and pour it into a new restaurant in North Myrtle Beach.

The Twisted Penguin is expected to open in April, according to Kelly. The model will be a “laid-back surf shack,” he said.

The name is two part, Kelly said. The twisted comes from surfing slang which means awesome, and an ode to adult beverages. The penguin, which is on a surfboard riding a wave, is a nod to his alma mater Youngstown State University in Ohio, whose mascot is a penguin.

Located in the former Basil’s Pizza, 219 Sea Mountain Highway in the Cherry Grove community, the restaurant will offer pizza, smashburgers and wings with homemade sauces, along with bites like nacho platters and pretzels.

And while Basil’s was a favorite spot for pizzas, Kelly said Twisted Penguin’s recipes will be different, leaning more toward whole foods and cooking from scratch.

The restaurant also will have a small bar, serving craft beers and wine.

About 70% of the former Basil’s employees will remain at the new restaurant, in addition to new hires, Kelly said.

In addition, the restaurant is expected to be open year-round and for longer hours, unlike Basil’s, which closed down for the season from November through February.

When Basil’s did not reopen in mid-February, Kelly said fans of the pizza shop became upset. He said Basil’s owners decided not to make an announcement about the restaurant’s closing.

“I completely understand change,” Kelly said. “The only thing I hope that people understand is that there are people behind (the restaurant) and it’s not just a business or building.”

Terri Richardson

The Sun News