The owner of Acme Lowcountry Kitchen on Isle of Palms wants permission to tear down and rebuild his seafood restaurant right up against the property line, converting the current building's footprint into a parking lot in the process. Bobby Simons, who has operated the restaurant for nearly two decades, is now asking city leaders — and the public — to back a zoning change that would make the project possible.
Simons owns Acme Lowcountry Kitchen and is planning on building a new site behind its current location in fall of 2027, according to postandcourier.com. Simons has outlined designs for the project. As reported by WCIV, he asked for permission to build next to the property line and for relief from current parking requirements. His request to city leaders was made this past June.
More Seats, More Parking, Same Vibe
The expansion plans call for more than just a bigger dining room. Simons has outlined designs to add more seats and 15 to 17 parking spots, with the new building large enough to hold 225 to 250 patrons for private events, per the same account. The renovated parking area is planned to feature 52 well-defined, landscaped spots once the current restaurant site is converted into parking.
Despite the scale of the project, Simons has been clear that he does not want the rebuild to change what makes Acme Lowcountry Kitchen feel like Acme. “We want to keep the same way we have it now, the same feel,” he said, according to the postandcourier.com report. WCIV similarly notes that Simons said the rebuild would keep the same overall vibe while upgrading the space.
Keeping the Doors Open During Construction
One detail Simons has emphasized is continuity for his staff. The original restaurant is expected to remain operating throughout construction, keeping Acme's 80-plus employees working while the new building goes up behind it. Simons first opened Acme in 2008, and the current proposal would mark its most significant physical transformation since then.
What the City Still Has to Decide
The zoning request centers on whether Isle of Palms will allow Simons to build on the property line and ease current parking requirements, a path that has not yet been finalized by the city. Isle of Palms officials have indicated the matter could still go to committee or appear on a future full council agenda; a public forum had been scheduled, but no final decision had been made.
The city's own zoning code offers some sense of how restrictive standard commercial setbacks can be elsewhere in town. Under the City of Isle of Palms zoning page, GC-1 General Commercial properties are subject to setbacks of 25 feet in the front yard, 15 feet in the rear yard, and 10 feet in the side yards under city code. Acme's property is zoned GC-3 General Commercial, though how that designation affects every aspect of the specific relief Simons is requesting remains unclear.
For now, Simons is leaning on public support as he waits to see which direction the city takes the proposal. Whether residents rally behind the rebuild in meaningful numbers, and when the issue will land on an agenda, are both questions that remain open as Acme's fall 2027 timeline approaches.
