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Charleston in the News - February 2026 Edition

Posted By: Alan Donald In: Charleston
Date: Sun, Feb 1st 2026 5:25 pm

We continue to come across and share good news about Charleston this month, this time relating to the latest accolades and rankings, our local art scene, the aviation and logistics sectors as well as medical and student housing development. Be sure to follow the links where you see bold blue font to find out more about news of most interest to you.

The accolades and high rankings continue across many sectors. The 2026 James Beard Award semifinalists for the food and beverage industry were announced in January, with eight local nominees making the cut for Emerging Chef, Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Restaurant, Outstanding Bakery, Best Chef - Southeast (2 local nominations), Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages, and Outstanding Bar. Two area restaurants also made it onto Yelp’s Top 100 US Restaurants 2026 list: Lewis Barbecue ranked 48 and 167 Raw Oyster Bar came in at 53. The digital platform Boat Booker named Charleston the #1 Boating City for 2026 in the US, in recognition of its historic port, coastal charm and mix of bodies of water to access. WalletHub’s new list of Best Cities for Jobs ranks Charleston 11th, taking into account openings, salaries and employment growth.

Charleston’s art scene is also worthy of mention. From late February into next January, The Gibbes Museum will be home to 14 sculptures from world-renowned artist Auguste Rodin. This follows the museum’s success last fall in being the first tour stop for some of Dutch master Rembrandt’s etchings.

There seems to always be great news for our local aviation sector. Breeze Airways launched its direct flights from Charleston to Cancun, Mexico last month and just announced that it will be introducing Charleston’s first-ever nonstop flights to Atlantic City, New Jersey starting in May. Boeing recently received two large airplane orders, including 787 Dreamliners manufactured locally, from Alaska Airlines - this airline’s largest order ever with Boeing -  and Delta Air Lines.

In logistics news, Charleston will be the US headquarters for the UK-based Dawsongroup tcs Superbox brand, which designs and builds modular cold chain system components that support chemical, food and pharmaceutical supply chains. A local manufacturing facility is planned to follow.

Lastly, in construction news, MUSC’s Clements Ferry Pavilion opened in December and is now serving the rapidly growing nearby areas of Berkeley and Charleston counties with general and multi-specialist care. Construction is in the early stages for the Mark Charleston, a luxury student housing project in downtown Charleston by Landmark Properties and Henderson Park, with completion anticipated in time for the 2027-28 academic year.