2 new businesses open on Short Central

EDWARD C. FENNELL/STAFF
The Post and Courier

Patrick Long, a cook at Relish Downtown in Summerville, chats with some patrons during the restaurant's grand opening on Monday. Tim Armstrong, a chef with 20 years' experience, said he opened the business when he 'decided to try to do it on my own.'

EDWARD C. FENNELL/STAFF
The Post and Courier

Kirsten Kelley, owner of the Ultimate Closet shop in Summerville, serves customers shortly after the new business opened at 102 Short Central. Kelley, who entered the retail business from a career in advertising, said she is 'just chasing my dream.'

The owners of two new businesses on Short Central in Summerville have stepped away from long careers to chase their dreams of entrepreneurship.

Kirsten Kelley, who left a career was in retail advertising, this month opened Ultimate Closet, which she calls the first upscale resale boutique in the area, at 102 Short Central.

Adjacent to Ultimate Closet, Tim Armstrong, a chef with 20 years' experience, open the doors on Monday to Relish Downtown at 114 Short Central.

Armstrong describes his pride and joy as an upscale bistro with a casual atmosphere.

"We want to keep it kind of simple, and provide quality service and quality food," Armstrong said.

A Maryland native, Armstrong graduated with honors from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and continued his training by working in the city. He worked as a sous chef at such well-known restaurants as Petrossian in midtown Manhattan and Blue Fin in Times Square before teaming up with celebrity chef Michael Lomonaco (Windows on The World, Noche, Porterhouse) at the Shore House Restaurant in Stamford, Conn.

In June 2006, after being wooed by the team at Maverick Southern Kitchens, Armstrong and his family moved to Mount Pleasant, where he served as executive chef at the Old Village Post House. Armstrong said he recently decided to fulfill his ambition to strike out on his own.

"I have been in the kitchen 20 years and decided to try to do it on my own," he said.

Kelley, a graduate of the University of South Florida, came to the Lowcountry via Tampa and has spent the last eight years working as an advertising executive for the retail industry. She worked for numerous employers, including The Post and Courier, before deciding it was time to put out her own shingle.

She said gave a lot of thought to just what type of business she should open.

"I thought, 'What do I like the most?' and the answer was, 'shopping,' " she recalled. "I enjoy shopping and getting good deals, so why not use my best passion to make money?"

Kelley said the shop offers goods on consignment, and she plans to make frequent trips to New York to "bring back high-end merchandise and sell it at below retail."

Summerville has thus far reacted positively to the store's opening, Kelley said. "This is what I want to do, open my own store. I am just chasing my dream."

For more information on Ultimate Closet, see theUCboutique.com. For more information about Relish Downtown, call 843-821-7151 or e-mail ddarm02@yahoo.com.

Reach Edward C. Fennell at efennell@postandcourier.com or 745-5865.