They planned to open a North Myrtle Beach restaurant. Here’s what happened instead
An anticipated Mexican-Italian fusion restaurant planned for the former site of a North Myrtle Beach waterfront cantina will not be coming to the area.
The property owners and buyers have different stories on why it didn’t work out.
The Mexican restaurant Roca Roja Cantina announced in early September that it would cease operations at its 806 Sea Mountain highway location to open a new restaurant closer to Myrtle Beach.
La Perla on the Marsh, a new fusion restaurant concept by the former manager of Roca Roja and one of the hosts of Drag Brunch on the Marsh — which was held regularly at the property — was set to fill the space, offering creative cuisine and continuing the popular drag shows.
But what was meant to be a new beginning became a saga of financial snags and legal action, with continued disagreement from both sides on who is to blame.
Now, the former restaurant remains empty, and a long-term home for the Drag Brunch remains uncertain.
Competing narratives on why restaurant failed to open
Terry Walden, who operated the Roca Roja Cantina at 806 Sea Mountain Highway, claims that the new restaurant ultimately failed because of a funding shortfall on the part of the buyers. The property is owned by Marshfront Holdings LLC, which Walden operates with his wife, Jessica Walden.
Walden claims the operators of La Perla on the Marsh — working under the company name Viva Amore LLC — defaulted on their lease, leading to their eviction. Court records show that Marshfront Holdings LLC issued a notice to vacate to Viva Amore LLC that was made official on Dec. 2.
According to emails obtained by The Sun News, Walden sent a notice of default to Erica Oliden, one of the owners of La Perla and a former manager of Roca Roja, on Oct. 8. Oliden’s response came later that day, saying that she and her partners were “doing everything possible to figure the funds out.”
Oliden did not respond to messages requesting comment.
Nick Fox, Oliden’s business partner and a Drag Brunch on the Marsh host, paints a different picture. Fox claims that past-due taxes on the property prevented the new business from obtaining necessary licensing. He told The Sun News that La Perla had several investors, and funding wasn’t an issue.
Oliden told Jessica Walden that the South Carolina Department of Revenue denied Viva Amore’s application for retail licensing because of outstanding taxes from the previous business, according to emails obtained by The Sun News. Jessica Walden replied saying that the city’s business licensing department and inspector confirmed that outstanding property taxes would not prevent Viva Amore from obtaining a business license.
She added that the default on the lease remained in place.
Tim Smith, a spokesperson for the Department of Revenue, said that while he was unable to comment on the specifics of this case, “delinquent property taxes do not prevent our issuance of a retail license.”
Taxes cause contention over future of restaurant
Fox said that the past-due taxes on the property led to a notice that the space would be put up for auction — a threat he said he knew nothing about when he entered into business dealings at the property.
If the property was purchased, there was no guarantee Viva Amore’s lease would remain valid, he said.
Terry Walden confirmed that the unpaid taxes nearly led to an auction on the property, which would have taken place the first week of December. However, he said the taxes were paid off before the auction could take place.
The Horry County Delinquent Tax Office confirmed to The Sun News that the taxes on the property were paid prior to auction, and properties listed for the December auction obtained from the county did not include the 806 Sea Mountain Highway property.
The Department of Revenue declined to comment on the specifics of the case, such as how much money was owed in past-due taxes.
County tax records show that a real estate property tax payment of just over $40,600 was made by Marshfront Holdings LLC on Nov. 14, 2025, for taxes issued at the end of September 2024. Records also show that Marshfront Holdings LLC has a pending balance of over $35,000, issued on Sept. 26, 2025.
Walden said that Fox’s claims paint a “false narrative,” and that not only did the unpaid taxes not impact La Perla’s licensing, but that Viva Amore’s operators “knew all about it.”
Walden claims that the licensing difficulty came from “misinformation,” which was soon resolved. He stated that Viva Amore represented to the Department of Revenue that it was engaging in a purchase rather than leasing the space for their new business. Because the licensing department thought Mi Casa, the company through which Roca Roja is owned, was party to a transaction, the unpaid taxes presented a snag, Walden said.
But La Perla was only leasing the space. The Department of Revenue then sent further questions to Jessica Walden and Oliden on Oct. 15, as seen in an email chain.
Future remains uncertain for restaurant, drag performances
Fox and Oliden were initially pursuing legal action following the events around the restaurant, Fox said. He claimed that the dealings were “shady,” and seemed like an effort to “scrounge” money from himself and his partner. He said that he invested $50,000 in the business, and Oliden invested $20,000 — money that they can’t get back.
“The man knew what he was doing,” he said of Walden.
Now, the building remains empty, and La Perla no longer plans to open there. The restaurant remains listed for sale online at over $2.5 million.
Fox said that the Drag Brunch, which was hosted at the cantina for roughly a year, has been having a hard time finding a new, consistent location to host its events.
