Kendrick's is preparing to open at 55 S. Market St., the downtown Charleston address most recently occupied by Gingerline. Owned by Dustin and Jade Kendrick, the restaurant is targeting a December debut with a menu drawing on Caribbean, Portuguese, Italian and American influences.
The space has hosted several restaurants: Gingerline, which closed at the start of 2025 after operating for less than three years, and, before that, Ruth's Chris Steak House, according to the Post and Courier. Kendrick's is the latest planned chapter for the address.
Tourism as Market Backdrop
Tourism offers one documented piece of context for Charleston’s restaurant scene, though it does not explain the turnover at this particular address. An Explore Charleston report based on research by the College of Charleston’s Office of Tourism Analysis found that tourism had a $14.03 billion economic impact in the greater Charleston area in 2024, up 7% from the previous year; ABC News 4 reported that the report also listed food and restaurants among the region’s most attractive assets for tourists.
The owners bring experience from Saint Croix: Dustin and Jade Kendrick ran Too Chez Restaurant and Bar there for years, with Dustin serving New American and French food with Caribbean influences, the Post and Courier reports. The couple considered Florida before choosing Charleston for their next move.
A Family Name With Caribbean Roots
The family restaurant story began in Saint Croix with Dustin's parents, Dave and Jane Kendrick. The Post and Courier gives 1985 as the opening year for the original Kendrick's; a profile from greatchefs.com dates the opening to 1986, in an eighteenth-century Great House in Christiansted.
Hurricane Hugo destroyed the restaurant. The family rebuilt and later operated two locations before ending its Saint Croix operations in 2014, according to the Post and Courier. Greatchefs.com says the storm struck in 1989, destroying roughly 90 percent of the island, including Kendricks, which was rebuilt and reopened in Gallows Bay. The same profile traces Dave Kendrick's culinary experience to kitchens in South Florida and the Caribbean.
Dustin picked up that torch at Too Chez, where he carried the family standard forward for eight years, according to coldwellbankervi.com. The St. Croix spot earned a reputation beyond the island — Caribbean Journal named Too Chez to its list of the 50 best restaurants in the Caribbean, most recently in 2025, per the same coldwellbankervi.com account. Describing the restaurant in 2018, caribjournal.com characterized it as a New American-French restaurant set in an open-air courtyard on King Street in Christiansted, serving dinner, drinks and a diverse menu.
What's on the Menu in Charleston
The Charleston menu is expected to have about 25 items, combining U.S., Portuguese, Italian and Caribbean influences with French technique, the Post and Courier reports. Some dishes are familiar from Too Chez and the original Kendrick's in Saint Croix.
Planned offerings include fish piccata—swordfish or mahi in parmesan batter with lemon beurre blanc—a dish associated with Dave Kendrick. Other options are mussels with white wine butter sauce, chorizo, tomatoes and basil, served with garlic bread, and Danish baby back ribs slow-cooked and finished with honey chipotle barbecue sauce. Craft cocktails and classic wines are also planned, according to the Post and Courier.
The Restaurant's Interior
Kendrick's plans to retain much of the layout inherited from Gingerline, while giving the room a romantic, light and playful feel. Jade Kendrick described the approach as “a little bit of old, a little bit of new.”
Dave and Jane Kendrick are moving to Charleston with their son and daughter-in-law but will not be involved in daily operations. Dustin plans to consult his parents as he establishes the family restaurant in a new city. The restaurant is targeting a December opening on South Market Street.
