Ruth's Chris Steak House to open in hotel near Charleston City Market

The French Quarter Inn will house the new Ruth's Chris Steak House in downtown Charleston. File/Staff

After a four-year search, Ruth's Chris Steak House soon will fire up the high-end dining competition in downtown Charleston.

The chain's new restaurant will open this fall in the French Quarter Inn at 166 Church St., according to franchise co-owner Nancy Oswald.

Ruth's Chris will serve as the food service provider for both the French Quarter Inn and the new 41-room Spectator Hotel at 71 State St., which is under construction.

Oswald and husband Mark will partner with Jay Keenan and Batson Hewitt, who own the inn near the Charleston City Market. They also will partner with Charlestowne Hotels, which manages the French Quarter Inn.

The Oswalds announced in May 2010 that they bought the Ruth's Chris franchise for Charleston and wanted to open on the peninsula, but they wanted to wait until they found the ideal location. They wanted it to have about 10,000 square feet of space with nearby parking. The new restaurant in the former Tristan site will be close to that size.

The Oswalds also own the franchise to existing Ruth's Chris restaurants in Myrtle Beach, Columbia and Greenville and others out of state.

Other high-end restaurant owners, partners or managers welcomed the new steakhouse but offered concerns for different reasons.

"I think Ruth's Chris will do great here," said Mickey Bakst, general manager of Charleston Grill at Charleston Place. "Steakhouses have a great appeal to people. It will do a really big tourist business."

Bakst added that he believes the peninsula's restaurant market is getting more crowded, but not from a sales standpoint.

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Ruth's Chris Steak House to open in hotel near Charleston City Market