Popular Charleston dining hot spot redirected perishable food supplies to local charities, guests invited back for free croissants all day Saturday  

CHARLESTON, S.C. (September 22, 2017) – After withstanding both a soaking from Tropical Storm Irma early last week and subsequent small fire, Charleston, S.C. casual dining favorite California Dreaming will reopen Saturday, September 23 at 11 a.m. The restaurant is offering its signature fresh croissants for free all day Saturday, as a small token of appreciation to patient guests.

“We consider ourselves very fortunate to have pulled through this storm as well as we did,” said California Dreaming operating partner Brent Register. “While our scenic lower Ashley River location is part of the attraction to our location, it also makes us vulnerable to rare weather events like Tropical Storm Irma. Our sincere thanks go out to Charleston County police and fire services for their assistance as well all so many regular guests who have sent us their light hearted encouragement through social media. Our thoughts remain with individuals and businesses who continue in their recovery efforts.”

Tropical Storm Irma flooded the space below the building but left the upstairs restaurant area mostly undamaged. A small fire believed to be related to flooding of electrical equipment further complicated the repairs which were completed this week.

Once it became apparent the restaurant would not be able to serve guests for several days, store management worked quickly to donate over $10,000 worth of perishable prepared foods and food supply to Tricounty Family Ministries, an organization dedicated to fulfilling basic needs to those most vulnerable with respect and care. Learn how you can help at tricountyfamilyministries.org.

The restaurant’s 150 employees are eager to return to work and when not involved in cleanup efforts, enjoyed reading social media posts from regular guests. In fact, the free croissant giveaway was the staff’s idea of a small thank you to those who posted “#croissantstrong,” a play on the “#charlestonstrong” hashtag last week.

California Dreaming is located at 1 Ashley Pointe Dr., Charleston and will resume its regular lunch and dinner service from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

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