Waterfront dining, drag brunch spot not coming to North Myrtle Beach. Here’s why
The anticipated Mexican-Italian fusion restaurant slated to fill a recently closed waterfront North Myrtle Beach Mexican cantina is no longer in the works.
La Perla on the Marsh was going to fill the sprawling marsh front space at 806 Sea Mountain Highway formerly occupied by Roca Roja Cantina, which announced at the end of September that it would be closing to pursue a new project. But now, the owner of the cantina and the property, Terry Walden, says everything is “back at square one,” and La Perla will not be opening.
The new restaurant was going to be owned and operated by the hosts of Drag Brunch on the Marsh, which was formerly hosted on Sundays in the Roca Roja Cantina. But on Oct. 16, 2025, Drag Brunch on the Marsh posted on Facebook that their Halloween Drag Brunch scheduled for Oct. 19, 2025, was canceled because the South Carolina Department of Revenue declined to issue a new retail license for the location.
La Perla on the Marsh did not respond to requests for comment.
However, Walden said that the permitting issues that arose around the business had been resolved, and what ultimately halted La Perla’s opening was an issue of funding.
The operators of La Perla defaulted on their lease, Walden said, and he had to evict them effective Monday. Walden noted that he isn’t sure La Perla will be able to move forward at another location either.
“It’s unfortunate, but it just comes down to underfunding,” he said.
A person associated with Drag Brunch on the Marsh and La Perla on the Marsh, who would not immediately provide a last name, reached out to The Sun News on Wednesday contending that funding was not an issue. The person would not share further information due to pending litigation, but denied and took issue with what Walden said about what transpired with the plans to open the restaurant.
Walden explained that he closed Roca Roja with the understanding that the space would be filled. Now that La Perla fell through, he is once again looking for someone to take over the location.
While La Perla on the Marsh may not be opening, Roca Roja Cantina might not be gone forever. Walden said that he was given an opportunity to move a “re-vamped” version of the cantina closer to the Myrtle Beach area.
The new restaurant could open in the next 6 to 8 months, he said.
In the meantime, Walden said he is open to parties interested in purchasing or leasing the property. The property is currently on sale for more than $2.5 million, according to Walden.
This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
