In a possible sign of hope in an otherwise tough economy, three businesses are set to open in Rincon. A children’s bookstore, a handcrafted gift store and a restaurant are in various stages of opening their doors.
Holiday Children’s Books, owned by Nancy Beaupre and located at 135 Goshen Road Extension, Unit 117 near Highway 21 in the heart of Rincon’s Goshen Park Commercial Center, is opening this week. Beaupre owns a popular children’s bookstore in Beaufort, S.C., called The Storybook Shoppe.
She will be selling overstocked books from her Beaufort store at a discount in Rincon now until Christmas week.
“It is my hope that all children have a new book under the Christmas tree each year so they can have a wonderful collection to read, enjoy and then to pass on to their own children someday,” she said. “A book is really special if you know that your mother or father read it when they were young.”
The store will be open Wednesday through Saturday from noon-5 p.m. It will offer quality books for children of all ages including special Christmas books. Also, a limited number of toys for younger children will be available.
“I find nothing more satisfactory than watching a child’s face light up while listening to or reading a story for themselves,” Beaupre said. “If I know anything, it’s that reading is the key to knowledge – in all aspects of life – and I want to help unlock the door.”
TOMO Restaurant, Grille and Sushi Bar will open in the old Yuko’s location next to Food Lion Owners Benson and Debby Liu are hard at work painting, cleaning and decorating and hope to be able to open within the month. The restaurant will be open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner and on Saturday evenings, 5-9 p.m.
For those in the area who were fans of Yuko’s, the menu will seem familiar and comfortable. There will be hibachi dinners, sushi, teriyaki, soups, salads, rice, tempura and stir-fry. Benson said they would feature beer and wine in January.
Benson and his wife, Debby, have been in the restaurant business for 10 years, having worked in New York, and Phoenix before moving to Savannah in 2007.
They also have another Asian restaurant in Savannah, called XO Fine Fusion, at 423 Congress St. and it features a buffet. Benson Liu said they would be ready to open once they have their health department inspection done.
2 Fiddler’s Crafts is the third store and already has opened in Rincon behind Sonic. Barbara and Tommie Jenkins, the owners, have had another store in Ridgeland, S.C., since 2004. Barbara Jenkins used to go out to do art shows prior to that.
Barbara Jenkins said it’s their ability to customize different products, from painted gourds, to handbags and jewelry that sets her store apart. Jenkins does a lot of the painting herself, in addition to hand-making much of their jewelry. She said the jewelry could be customized by size, color or length.
The store will carry arts and crafts items by local and regional craftsmen in addition to their regular gift lines. They carry throws, wall hangings, aprons and towels, tater-baking bags, gourmet food lines, soy candles and soaps and more.
The store will have a grand opening on Nov. 28 where they will be giving away a $50 gift certificate. Store hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
