We had the good fortune of connecting with Kevin Regan and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kevin, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Being in tune with local trends and product trends. We strive to have a balance of what our locals and regulars want as well as new and interesting products that can attract new customers. Combine that with a fun relaxed atmosphere and you usually have a recipe for success.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Crafty Draught was well established before i got my hands on it. It’s a wonderful relaxed beer bar and always has been. We’re putting a small twist on it and offering some great Currated wines, growing our retail section with more beer, wine, ciders and so on. I’m slowly turning Crafty Draught into a specialty and craft beer bar with super high end products to have there or retail. Rooted Bottle Market & Bar is an incredible specialty wine shop and bar. Hand selected wines from small family producers with a focus on organic practices with craft beers and ciders. Rooted really fits in with the grown neighborhoods around us and as the community grows, we grow with it. It has become a staple in North Mount Pleasant very quickly.
Some of the biggest lessons and challenges we come across are that a lot of our biggest struggles/hurdles are out of our hands. The insane insurance costs for bars/restaurants is a big financial probably at the moment. I hope the state helps fix that soon but I imagine we have a couple years unfortunately. Supporting you local small businesses can make more of difference then you think. Go to that local wine/beer shop, cafe, clothing store. It helps support and grow the whole community.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First hitting up Isle of Palms for sunrises and some surf or a paddle most mornings. Then, taking turns at Cafe Paname on IOP and Owl Bear Cafe in Mount Pleasant for some coffee and bites. Some daytime spots to visit would be Bull Island in Cape Romaine National Wildlife refuge and hitting up Coastal Expeditions to get us there. Sewee Environmental Center is a fun spot of a short walk in the woods and learning about the ecosystems here. Walking the Mount Pleasant Pier and Ravanel Bridge are fun day activities too. Lunch at Malika Cantina is a must. For some happy hour drinks and dinner, I love what Community Table does as well as Red Drum, both in mount pleasant. Those downtown nights, Kultura for Filipino food is my go to and drinks at the back bar at Lowland is amazing too. One last night of dinner at Sushi-Wa Izakaya is a must too!
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve met so many great people along my journey to having these spots. Getting great Wine & Beer knowledge from Sharon Sevrens with Amanti Vino in NJ. Seeing how her wine shops were run and the great neighborhood addition they can be was a huge part of developing my location. Micheal Shemtov and Trace Conway were great business mentors when I was at The Workshop in Charleston. Of course my Wife and family for giving me the final nudge to do something of my own. “If you don’t do it, someone else will and it probably wont be as good.” My wife’s words there and some of the final push for me.
Website: https://rootedbottleshop.com, https://www.craftydraught.com
Instagram: @rootedbmb, @crafty_draught
Image Credits
Kayla Sue
https://www.kaylasue.com