The South Strand’s dining scene experienced a surge of activity on July 1st as the Murrells Inlet Foodies & Entertainment Facebook group officially launched its Inlet Foodies Card, an annual membership offering 50% off a second entrée at about a dozen local restaurants.
Designed by group leader Jack Gregory and endorsed by former celebrity private chef Richard Florczak, the $29 card saw an explosive debut, with the first 250 memberships selling out in just three minutes.
While there was expected enthusiasm from the Murrells Inlet community, this caught the founders by surprise. “We hoped and prayed for – that it would sell out in the first day,” Richard admits, “but never did we think it would sell out in the first three minutes.”
TripAdvisor reports that a typical evening meal for a couple dining out in Myrtle Beach costs between $80 to $150. By securing 50% off a second entrée at select locations, most couples will see the Inlet Foodies Card benefits quickly pay for itself.
For both the customer and the restaurant owner “there’s a number of advantages,” Richard explains, “from the restaurant’s point of view, it enables them to increase their customers in the slow months.”
As for the customer, Richard explains that by having an exclusive list of about 12-13 locations, “it creates a funnel for people to be driven to these particular restaurants that not everybody has the chance of going to.”
This becomes valuable for families eyeing the more upscale locations within the region; as Richard notes, “with the second entrée half off, more people can now try these restaurants that couldn’t before.”
The exclusive partnership with these restaurants is intentional. Richard explained that if this list were any longer, “it would dilute the advantages for each restaurant.”
By keeping this list small, the Inlet Foodies Card reinforces itself as a truly curated guide for experiencing the culinary scene of the South Strand.
While the Murrells Inlet list sees no further expansion, Richard revealed that they are currently developing other areas within the Grand Strand for the next phase. “We had to see how the first zone [Murrells Inlet] was going to pan out; glitches, complaints, we wanted to make it as seamless as possible,” Richard admits.
This initial phase serves as a template to establish a smoother transition. “We’ve already started working on interviewing restaurants in Myrtle Beach,” he said, which will feature its own exclusive list of restaurants and its own membership card. By bridging the entire Grand Strand with upcoming expansions planned for Pawleys Island and North Myrtle Beach as well, the Foodies Card ensures that these local favorite restaurants remain accessible to residents across every corner of our community.
The vision of the future is not only about expanding into other regions within the area, but other age groups. To get a “younger demographic involved,” Richard explained that the team is currently interviewing food trucks for a separate membership card.
As these initiatives develop across the Grand Strand, the screening process will remain simple and community focused, “we are not taking just anybody,” Richard says, “it has to be family owned.” This commitment ensures that the card remains an unbeatable deal and prioritizes support to the local businesses that make this exclusive list possible.
If you secured one of the initial 250 memberships, you have access to the Soft Opening phase allowing you to begin using your Inlet Foodies benefits immediately at the participating venues. For everyone else, the official activation of the card begins on August 1st.
The most direct way to join this South Strand movement is to pay the $29 rate today, guaranteeing the lowest price for a full membership which will officially begin on August 1st. Alternatively, you can choose to join the priority list for free and decide on launch day. On August 1st, you will be texted a link for you to secure your membership at the $29 rate before the cost potentially increases after 48 hours.
Participating Inlet Foodies Local Restaurants:
- Bovine’s Restaurant
- 3979 US-17 BUS, Murrells Inlet, SC
- Palm 33
- 4494 US-17 BUS, Murrells Inlet, SC
- Outriggers Bar & Grill
- 1950 Wachesaw Rd, Murrells Inlet, SC
- Bohemian Bull Tavern & Beer Garden
- 2859 US-17 BUS, Murrells Inlet, SC
- Russell’s Seafood Grill
- 4906 US-17 BUS, Murrells Inlet, SC
- Inlet Sports Bar
- 4396 US-17 BUS, Murrells Inlet, SC
- The Quay Seafood Grille
- 1508 S Waccamaw Dr, Murrells Inlet, SC
- Sara J’s
- 314 Atlantic Ave, Murrells Inlet, SC
- Inlet Prohibition
- 4891 US-17 BUS, Murrells Inlet, SC
- Wahoo’s Fish House
- 3993 US-17 BUS, Murrells Inlet, SC
- Gator Zone Sports Bar & Grille
- 3453 US-17 BUS, Murrells Inlet, SC
- Back Home BBQ
- 3750 US-17 BUS, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
- The Old Bull and Bush Pub
- 4700 US-17 BYP, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
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