Charleston Newcomer Zachary’s Daiquiris Under Fire for Controversial Dress Code | Eater Carolinas
"A new bar devoted to frozen boozy beverages — from espresso martinis to frosé — opened over the weekend and features 12 slushy machines with drinks named after local landmarks like South of Broad and The Queen. The concept was created by employee Zachary Elliott, who says he was inspired by the late Wet Willie’s, and the venue gives a percentage of its proceeds to Make-A-Wish South Carolina because Elliott “was a recipient of a Make-A-Wish as a child diagnosed with a rare bone cancer.” The opening also sparked a public controversy: on March 1 TikTok user Sarah Baus posted a video alleging that a bouncer stood next to a group of Black men in line and declared, “No Jordans. No ripped jeans. No athletic pants,” which Baus believed was targeted at the group. “It hurts my heart thinking about these men standing in line excited about a fun new bar and getting embarrassed publicly like that,” comments another TikTok user. Representatives did not respond to Eater’s questions before March 4; on March 5 co-owner Lamar Bonaparte wrote on Instagram, “In the past few days, I have been asked to make a statement, apologize, and address outlandish allegations about my business on social media—allegations that are not only entirely false, but extremely harmful and discriminatory.” The Instagram caption added, “We have a dress code and it’s enforced AFTER 8PM. If you don’t like the way we do business, DON’T COME.” The venue’s Instagram posted a dress code on March 1 stating that after 8 p.m. the following are not permitted: athletic wear, gym attire, ripped/frayed/patched jeans, jersey, graphic tee, tank tops, hoodies, Crocs/slides; web archives indicate that list was not part of the website as of February 16. Since the TikTok video many viewers have left poor Google and Yelp ratings citing racism; for example, Yelp user Bella W. wrote, “Racist! [the bar], don’t be naive. You know what happened opening night. Not going to be giving any business or attention after what I’ve heard. Own up to it and resolve the madness. It’s 2025. Really disappointing.” The controversy drew extra attention because the operator is Republic Hospitality, whose co-owners appear on Bravo reality shows Southern Charm and Southern Hospitality, prompting viewers to name-drop Leva and Lamar Bonaparte in comments — one user wrote, “Leva is married to a Black man and has a son with him. This is BIZARRE!!! Has she said anything yet??” Update: March 5, 2024, 2:04 p.m.: the article was updated to include comments from Lamar Bonaparte." - Erin Perkins
