Little River waterfront restaurant is expanding. Here’s what is being built
A Little River restaurant is adding on to its location with plans to open a tiki bar in time for the community’s large seafood festival.
Steve Martin, owner of Mako’s Marina Bar N Grill, 4492 Water Front Ave., is having a floating dock constructed behind the restaurant that will become a tiki bar, with live music, and eventually a full marina where boats, including 60-foot fishing boats, will be able to pull up and park.
The tiki bar is expected to be finished by the first week in May, right before the World Famous Blue Crab Festival takes place May 16 and 17. The festival brings thousands of people to Little River each year.
That is phase one of Martin’s plan, according to Tim Little, whose company Blu Marsh Marina is doing the work. Phase two will include a boardwalk that will extend from the Big “M” Casino boat property to nearby Seabrisa’s Waterfront Seafood Restaurant.
A change in SC law leads to bar and marina
Martin was able to build the bar and marina after South Carolina’s law was amended to now allow the serving of food and drink over water with a permit.
Martin said he wasn’t going to invest “millions of dollars” into construction if the law wasn’t changed.
He has also purchased several nearby properties to add more parking that will benefit restaurants and businesses along the waterfront. Currently, parking is at a premium.
Turning Little River fishing village into a destination
Martin’s efforts are part of a larger plan for the area that includes working with local business owners to develop the historic fishing village and make it a destination place.
But he is taking it one step at a time, and that starts with the initial tiki bar and marina.
“It’s a beautiful waterfront area,” Martin said. “This area will be impacted by a lot of people coming down.”
