Blackstone’s Café
Where Tradition Thrives, and Tourists and Townies Meet
story by KAREN SNYDER photos by PAUL NURNBERG
Its name is synonymous with both Beaufort and Southern hospitality. Ask most any tourist or resident where to stop for breakfast or lunch along Beaufort’s quaint Bay Street area, and a recommendation for Blackstone’s Café quickly follows. In fact, for many, a visit to Blackstone’s Café restaurant is a frequent family or vacation tradition. Whether stopping by after Sunday services, grabbing a bite to eat while visiting Beaufort’s historic district, or simply passing through on their way to their beach destination, Blackstone Café customers are all there for the same reason — delicious comfort food with Southern flair and a top-notch, friendly experience.
Warm and welcoming, Blackstone’s Café owners Lou and Annamaria Gaudio have worked diligently to honor the restaurant’s almost 30-year history as a downtown destination restaurant that offers creative and consistent fare where customers feel at home. Relocating to the Lowcountry from Bethlehem, PA, it’s surprising to think that Lou and Annamaria haven’t always been a part of the fabric of our small town. Natives of New York (Lou from Long Island and Annamaria from Brooklyn), the Gaudios chose Beaufort as their new home after much research that took them from Charleston to Savannah to the Sea Islands of Georgia before they handpicked Blackstone’s Café and purchased it in 2016.
Like many, the couple was smitten with the beauty of Beaufort, the small-town atmosphere of the shops and restaurants along Bay Street, and the views as you cross the Woods Memorial Bridge. “I like to say that you can’t take a bad picture in Beaufort,” laughs Lou, who began his career in hotel management and the hospitality industry in 1985. “We just loved the restaurants and shops along Bay Street when we first visited. And, we quickly realized that Beaufort is filled with many ‘transplants’ just like us — yet it still feels like home to everyone.”
Before deciding on the restaurant purchase, Lou spoke to several Beaufort restaurant and store owners. “They were great about sharing the challenges of owning and managing a business in Beaufort, referencing the seasonal nature of tourism and the staffing challenges that can sometimes bring.”
However, the Gaudios were not deterred. With Lou’s background in hospitality management and Annamaria’s professional experience in finance and asset management, they made a smooth transition with Blackstone’s Café in February 2017. “We loved the name and wanted to honor what the previous owner, Roger Blackstone Alley, had built as a Beaufort institution. We didn’t think of or even want to change it,” says Lou.
Annamaria couldn’t agree more. “The restaurant had a great reputation. Roger had cultivated strong relationships with the business community and the locals. We wanted to continue the traditions he started and make sure that both locals and tourists viewed Blackstone’s Café as ‘their place’ and that it felt like home to them,” she explains.
One of the restaurant’s well-known traditions is reciting the Pledge of Allegiance each morning at 8 a.m. “We continue to do what Roger started as a demonstration of patriotism. We ring the bell eight times and patrons are invited to stand and join us as we say the Pledge,” says Lou.
In addition, people who visit Blackstone’s Café expect to see the restaurant’s unique décor on its two floors that includes pennants from colleges across the country, and banners and flags from Parris Island and other military installations. “People still send us flags that they’ve personally signed for us to hang on our walls, but we’re close to running out of room,” Lou admits.
Another enjoyable element of the restaurant’s décor are the movie posters that decorate its entrance. The husband-and-wife team are ardent supporters of the Beaufort Film Society and serve as annual sponsors of Beaufort’s International Film Festival. “We view the Film Festival as almost the ‘kick off’ to the tourist season,” explains Annamaria. “Ron and Rebecca Tucker do an amazing job with the Festival, and it brings in an enormous amount of tourism to Beaufort which we’re grateful for. We love meeting all the producers and film executives it brings to our restaurant and our town.”
Last year, the couple was excited about Blackstone’s role in Stars Fell on Alabama, the most recent movie release filmed in Beaufort in almost two decades. Though not called Blackstone’s Café in the movie, the restaurant was used as the set for a breakfast scene in the romantic comedy, starring James Maslow and Ciara Hanna, and produced by Rareform Pictures in association with the Beaufort Film Society.
Jokingly referring to their roles as “concierges of Beaufort,” the Gaudios understand the important role they play in a town that depends on tourism as part of its economic development. Having spent two years as the general manager of The Beaufort Inn, Lou says visitors want to know where to go, and what to see and do in Beaufort and beyond. “We use the movie posters in the restaurant to point out local destinations. Whether it’s Hunting Island, Old Point, or Parris Island, they want to know what to visit during their stay. Of course, we want them to enjoy a wonderful meal at Blackstone’s first.”
“We love that there are so many types of cuisine available along Bay Street. Whether it’s seafood or BBQ, we know where to direct people. But when customers come to Blackstone’s Café, we want to get to know them, serve them delicious food at reasonable prices, and have them enjoy their experience. We think it’s our superior service that sets us apart and we’re very proud of our kitchen staff, too,” says Annamaria, adding that the kitchen manager, Greg Hogan, has been with Blackstone’s for more than seven years. “Our service staff is also long-tenured, which is impressive for our industry.”
According to Annamaria, “We’re happy to say that we’re in the Top 10 ranking out of about 112 restaurants in the Beaufort area.” Admittedly, what keeps “regulars” and visitors coming back time and time again are the Café’s signature dishes and menu favorites. “For breakfast, our variety of Eggs Benedict which includes traditional, crab, or salmon on Sundays is always a popular choice. But other favorites include our Shrimp and Grits, traditional or Cajun, and our corned beef hash. For lunch, our customers really enjoy our grass-fed eight-ounce hamburgers,” she says, adding that customers appreciate that they can order either breakfast or lunch all day during their service hours. “We also have many gluten-free menu items which we cook on a separate grill. So, we have options for those who want to enjoy French Toast or a bagel.”
Over the last four years, the Gaudios have put their own touches on the restaurant, including a new coffee bar that offers a multitude of expresso-based drinks “for those wanting to pop in for a cup of coffee and a sweet treat,” says Annamaria.
In addition to Blackstone’s Café, the couple recently acquired another restaurant/bakery (the former Beaufort Bread Company or BBC) on Lady’s Island. “Ironically, we were actually first interested in purchasing that location before we bought Blackstone’s Café,” explains Annamaria. “But it was sold to someone else. So, when the last owners were ready sell, the timing was right for us to buy it.”
Renaming it the Beaufort Bakery and Café, the bakery and restaurant is known for its creative and mouth-watering desserts as well as its inventive menu items. “We have our staple items on the breakfast and lunch menu that people have come to expect, like our Cubans and our cranberry-pecan chicken salad. But we also offer other nontraditional items, such as an Israeli breakfast item called Shakshuka, a tomato-based dish with herbs, poached eggs, and feta cheese,” she adds.
With both restaurants to manage, the couple says they’re looking forward to some synergies between the two, such as bringing some more sweet treats and fresh breads over to Blackstone’s Café. “Our goal for both restaurants is to continue to be responsive to our customers and to be creative and listen to what our customer wants.” Like most businesses and restaurants in Beaufort that are ready to put the challenging year of the 2020 pandemic behind them, the Gaudios say they are looking forward to continued success in 2021. “We’ll be happy to get back to catering and serving large groups again,” says Annamaria optimistically. “With any luck, we’ll all be back to some normalcy come early spring. We look forward to it!”
