Sneak peek: Tupelo Honey Cafe opening in Myrtle Beach Monday

Tupelo Honey Cafe is bringing its signature sweet potato cakes and southern-inspired dishes -- as well as its new healthier and more modern menu additions -- to Myrtle Beach with its first Grand Strand location opening Feb. 23.

Crews are buzzing to get the new eatery at The Market Common ready, the ninth location for the Asheville, N.C.-based restaurant that is in an expansion mode with three more locations planned to open in the Southeast this year.

In addition to its usual southern fried chicken and fried okra, new menu items include NC country ham wontons, glazed carrots and quinoa with cranberries, oranges and spiced pecans.

“We kind of made it our own,” spokeswoman Elizabeth Sims said of the twist Tupelo made on those dishes, and adding that its southern staples on the menu aren’t going away. “We are all about fresh and scratch made.”

If you go - Tupelo Honey Cafe

• Where | 3042 Howard Ave. Myrtle Beach, at The Market Common in the former Tommy Bahama restaurant space

• When | Grand opening at 4 p.m. Feb. 23

• Hours | Feb. 23 through March 9: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Starting March 10: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday

Brunch will not be served Feb. 28, 29 or March 7. Brunch service begins on March 8. Dinner only will be served for the first two weeks of operation. Full service lunch and dinner Monday through Friday begins March 9 with brunch on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays starting March 14.

By the numbers

Fun Facts - Tupelo Honey Cafe

Local art -- including a painting of a Ferris wheel -- decorate the restaurant. “Every Tupelo Honey belongs to the city it is in,” said Stephanie Parsons, the general manager in Myrtle Beach who has worked for Tupelo in Asheville. “Everybody feels like they have their own.”

Get an inside look at the new Tupelo Honey Cafe in Myrtle Beach here.

This story was originally published February 6, 2015 at 2:32 PM with the headline "Sneak peek: Tupelo Honey Cafe opening in Myrtle Beach Monday."