What's the buzz surrounding Honeycomb Cafe?

When Jonathan Broadhurst and Oanh Dang opened Honeycomb Café across from the Volvo Car Stadium on Daniel Island in the fall of 2010, they had high hopes for its success. But after a near nine year run, the popular eatery that became a regular dining spot for island groups and individuals has closed its doors. A sign at the entrance to the restaurant says renovations are underway.

“It’s under contract with a buyer,” explained Broadhurst, who said he was unable to offer additional details. “And we had several buyers interested. It will be another restaurant. We really felt the buyer was going to be a good fit for Daniel Island – and that was important to us.”

Broadhurst, who has managed operations of the restaurant himself over the last year, was in the process of making some transitional changes, such as streamlining the menu and planning a remodeling, when the opportunity to sell presented itself.

“It just made me weigh out the benefits of one versus the other,” he added. “I was prepared to go forward and make the changes to the restaurant that I thought it needed, just updating it, but what this provides for me is really time for me to kind of step back, spend some time with my kids…and time to work on my house, which has been neglected the last couple of years!”

The restaurant business can be 24/7, said Broadhurst, which can take a toll on families.

“When most people are off on the weekends, and children are out of school, they do things together. And my children always had a babysitter on the weekends for the last eight and a half years…This also provides me space to create the next chapter. And that’s it. Because when you’re 24/7 at the restaurant, it’s kind of hard to step back and plan what I want my life to be like going forward. It gives me time to work on the next opportunity.”

And for Broadhurst, that might be another restaurant.

“I haven’t made a definitive decision on that, but the likelihood of it being another restaurant is pretty high,” he added with a smile. “That’s what I’ve done for the last 40 years…I’m just kind of exploring options now, and I am going to take some time to do that.”

Over the years, Honeycomb Café built a name for itself in the Daniel Island community, supporting a wide range of island events and programs, taking part in the Daniel Island Historical Society’s History Under the Stars Movie Night & Campout, the Pumpkin Walk, and the Operation Christmas Child Packing Party. The restaurant also showcased the artwork of dozens of local artists through its “Artist of the Month” displays. But it was the site’s designation as a favorite gathering place that Broadhurst was most appreciative of.

“That was really the biggest thing for us,” he said. “That was the most rewarding thing. That’s what it became. Our customers are the greatest customers. The nicest, most generous, most supportive (people). They became a big part of our lives. It’s been a great experience for us.”

At its busiest, Honeycomb served between 400 and 500 breakfasts on Sunday and about 350 breakfasts on Saturday, added Broadhurst.

While most spoke favorably of the restaurant during its tenure, it was, at times, the subject of some criticism on social media. Broadhurst takes full responsibility for any glitches in service that may have occurred, but admits having reliable employees was sometimes a challenge.

“We had 12 to 14 team members on staff,” he said. “And we would typically have anywhere from two to four call-outs or no shows every single day. So we’d be doing two to three positions at a time every day. We could do it because you just work through it, but I would say that was the biggest challenge out here.”

Adding public transportation to and from Daniel Island would help, Broadhurst said, in terms of attracting new workers.

“I do understand people’s resistance to that,” he added. “But from a perspective of a business owner, looking for employees that don’t typically live here, it’s a game changer.”

For now, he is confident the island restaurant scene will continue to do well – even if more eating options open up in the community.

“I’ve never looked at it as competition,” he said. “I think having quality restaurants helps everybody in the restaurant business, because if you can make Daniel Island a restaurant destination, it helps everyone.”

And while Honeycomb is coming to an end, both Broadhurst and Dang are leaving the community with nothing but appreciation for those they served.

“We thank all the people of Daniel Island,” said Broadhurst. “For all the great memories, for all the great support. It made it a tough decision. But I believe it’s the right one.”

“We really appreciate the community we were a part of for almost a decade,” added Dang. “…But we are very excited with the transition and many new projects ahead…Daniel Island has a very special place in my heart.”