Charlestowne Hotels debuts company’s first stand-alone restaurant, Gingerline

Thursday, September 22, 2022

New flavors have come to Charleston’s Historic District in the form of Gingerline, the first stand-alone restaurant concept from acclaimed hospitality group Charlestowne Hotels. With the ambition to create something unique for locals and tourists alike, Gingerline offers vibrant cocktails and coastal-inspired dishes influenced by Latin and South American flavors.

Gingerline opened August 29, 2022, in a 3,500-square-foot indoor/outdoor venue, the former site of a restaurant that closed more than two years ago in the highly-trafficked area of Market Street. As with many of Charlestowne’s other projects, the hospitality group took the opportunity to breathe new life into an existing building, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere that stands out from established restaurants in downtown Charleston. Charlestowne worked with local design firm Jenny Keenan Design to realize the 122-guest space that incorporates patterned tile flooring, a 12-seat bar with yellow woodwork and purple velvet stools, natural wood textures, rattan accessories, and white-fringed patio umbrellas—all working together to create a coastal vibe.

As a leading hospitality management company with a reputation for branding, developing, and operating some of the country’s most award-winning independent hotel properties, the Charlestowne team was well poised to take on its first stand-alone restaurant project. It approached Gingerline much like developing boutique hotels, managing all aspects from market research and branding, restaurant and uniform designs, operations and staffing—all of which culminate in a cohesive brand, launch, and day-to-day operating process. Gingerline joins Charlestowne’s growing F&B portfolio, alongside the 50+ restaurants and bars that are connected to its extensive hotel collection.

“Charlestowne takes great pride in creating unique and memorable food and beverage experiences that meet the needs of local communities while simultaneously appealing to the visitors exploring each of the destinations where we operate,” said Anthony Langan, Vice President of Food and Beverage for Charlestowne Hotels. “For Charleston, we knew this restaurant had to be more than just another coastal Southern eatery, so we identified a gap in the market for the freshness and flavor of Latin and South American cuisine, hired talented leaders with an expertise in that area, and then worked directly with that leadership team to create a menu and experience that fills that need.”

Langan joined Charlestowne in 2020, expressly to enhance and innovate the management company’s robust F&B program, and since that time more emphasis has been placed on thoughtfully expanding the scope of Charlestowne’s F&B capabilities, adding new F&B talent to the corporate team, and enhancing the company’s ability to rapidly deploy task force resources to the field. Said Langan, “as our F&B team continues to grow, we are able to hone in on key aspects of the drinking and dining experience, applying the same individualized, catered approach to each restaurant project that we do with each hotel.” For Gingerline, Langan’s team collaborated closely with the restaurant’s general manager, Maureen Samu, and executive chef, Taylor Cunningham, drawing on their extensive F&B experience in both boutique and luxury hotels and independent F&B operations.

“Our ambition was to create a space for locals first, tantalizing their taste buds through a carefully curated beverage program of flavors that can’t be found in that part of Charleston,” said Cunningham. The Charlestowne team is full of experts who know how to develop unique experiences and flavors for their projects—a background they infused into Gingerline—ultimately serving up something this community hasn’t seen before.”

Gingerline is ‘a cocktail destination with a menu to match,’ using fresh, local ingredients to pair lively cocktails with playful, tapas-style plates to be shared. Menu highlights include a variety of ceviche, including shrimp, red snapper, and artichoke; shareable plates like Ropa Vieja with oxtail, tostones, creamy citrus slaw and local herbs; large plates like Peruvian Skewers with grilled chicken, cilantro, and criolla salad; and Duck Chaufa with fried rice, local egg, and pickled kumquat. Cocktails include a menu of Crushers – four crowd-pleasing drinks served with crushed ice – like the Coco Pina and Citrus Dreamin’. Other popular cocktails include The Pepper & Smoke for spicy Latin flavors with Vidal Mezcal, tomatillo-poblano, agave, chile de arbol and lime, and the Honey Bee for a sweeter palate, with Hat Trick Gin, lemon, honey foam, and lavender.

Gingerline, located at 55 Market Street, is open daily for dinner and for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. It also caters to groups for corporate meetings and social celebrations in the 1670 Room, a private dining space that accommodates 50 guests.

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