The owner of Chuck’s Steak House reveals why it closed and the property’s future
Dave Adams replaced the roof of Chuck’s Steak House last year, and installed new refrigeration and a new heating and air conditioning system this past winter.
His wife spent the first couple months of the year fine tuning a new website that went live on March 16.
But the Myrtle Beach restaurant closed on March 18 because of an order by S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster to suspend in-house restaurant dining to combat the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, and Adams won’t be reopening it after 41 years in business.
“We had no intention of closing,” Adams said in an email on Tuesday. “. . . Closing was directly related to Covid-19 and my vision of the immediate future for the restaurant business.
“The plan is to sell the Chuck’s Steak House name along with the land and building.”
So if a buyer comes along, the Chuck’s Steak House name and business may live on.
Curbside pickup, delivery and takeout options have been available for restaurants for the past month, but Chuck’s has not participated.
Chuck’s has been consistently popular with locals and tourists alike at its location on Restaurant Row near the corner of U.S. 17 and Lake Arrowhead Road, particularly for happy hour.
The business has retained some of the same bartenders and servers for many years, and many of the same customers returned year after year.
But Adams found it difficult to reflect on the longevity and success of the business in the current pandemic environment.
“I felt that it would be disrespectful to reminisce about what Myrtle Beach was like back in 1979,” Adams said. “I love talking about the early days before “Restaurant Row” had a name, but this is a painful and uncertain time for a lot of people. There is no joy involved with closing our restaurant.
“. . . A lot of people made a lot of memories at our humble establishment.”
This story was originally published April 20, 2020 at 10:08 AM.
