Murrells Inlet is getting a new general store near MarshWalk. Here’s what it will offer
Benjie Andrew eagerly points to the many displays that line the walls of his new general store in Murrells Inlet.
It’s early May and Andrew is working to get the hundreds of items tagged and placed before Seaside Market is set to open the week before Memorial Day.
The store will offer a variety of things, including fresh produce, baked goods, clothing, decor, wine and craft beer and soft-serve ice cream. But the main focus will be on produce and products from local farmers and South Carolina businesses.
“I love South Carolina-grown things,” Andrew said.
The 56-year-old has been a member of the state Agricultural Commission for the last 13 years, so it’s important for him to focus on state-grown products, featuring items that come from all over South Carolina.
He also wanted to celebrate Murrells Inlet, the place he and his wife have called home for the last five years. Andrew’s plans were to open a store that would meet the needs of the residents in that area.
Seaside Market, at 3908 Highway 17 Business, is located in the former Booty’s Outdoor, which was a family-owned clothing, marine and tackle shop.
It is in walking distance of the MarshWalk, where most of the businesses are restaurants and bars, Andrew said. So having a store in that location will be a convenience for the local people, he said.
“They can come by there and get fresh homemade cake and coffee,” Andrew said. Or grab a fresh-made sandwich and take it on the boat or fishing on the pier, he said.
He’s also used his family’s history of tobacco farming to give the business an authenticity of an old-time general store.
Originally from Aynor, Andrew used the tin off the roof of his father’s tobacco barn for one of the displays. Lumber from trees in Horry and Georgetown counties line the walls. There’s even an old fishing boat inside the store that will be used for pecans and other produce.
In paying tribute to Murrells Inlet, coffee blends sport the names of community favorites such as North Jetty, Marsh Walk Cuban and Goat Island Sunrise Blend.
Andrew created a Murrells Inlet clothing line called MIVibe that includes hats and shirts.
He’s also tapped into the talents of local residents, partnering with a woman who will make homemade pies and prep meals, such as lasagna and quiche, that will be available in the cafe.
And there will be a place for local artists to display their paintings and artwork.
“We really push that,” Andrew said of his focus on local items. The more he can carry in his store, the more it will be a benefit to the area, he said.
