Longtime Hilton Head Island residents Scott and Michelle Allen have blended their talents to bring the Daily Café and Market to life at Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina. The couple sought to design a convenient café and market, featuring creative grab-and-go market items, using locally sourced goods and quality ingredients. They wanted to create a comfortable place to eat, drink and shop on the waterfront at Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina.
All of which has come to fruition with the Daily Café, which opened in early March in the Harbourside 3 building (9 Harbourside Lane, Unit A1) next to the Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina stage.
The Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina location is ideal for Allen, who first started on the island in 1982 at Harbourmaster (now ELA’S on the Water) and later opened Scott’s Fish Market, now a pillar of Shelter Cove H&M, which he owned for 35 years. “I’ve probably been in Shelter Cove longer than any other person,” Allen said with a chuckle.
“I’ve been designing restaurants, not only for myself. I’ve helped other people out along the way,” he said. “But I kept some concepts on the back burner. I sold Scott’s Fish Market about seven years ago to the Ross family, who are a great family. They were my best customers. And the reason why I sold it mainly was to get out of working at night. I had worked at night for over 40 years.”
The Sun Up Breakfast Sandwhich
“I didn’t think that, monetarily, just a market and a breakfast place would [be enough],” Allen said. “So, we expanded the concept to one side being a line producing food—sustainable packaging, really fresh ingredients, locally sourced items as much as possible—and the other side both a specialty and a pedestrian type market.”
Allen, who studied architecture and art in college, and his equally creative wife designed the entire space. “It was my concept with the help of my wife, Michelle. She’s got an incredible design sense,” he said. “We did all the work ourselves as far as all the color choices. We wanted it to be an industrial type, modern theme rather than like a lot of places that are more Lowcountry design.”
Like its name, the Daily Café’s products and market items are things people enjoy daily with a beautiful waterfront view. Healthy breakfast and lunch items, an eclectic array of creative coffees, and a wide-ranging selection of market items are all available for take away, including sandwiches and wraps, soups and salads.
The Allens also designed the concept around the coffee brand featured at the Daily Café called King Bean, from Charleston, which is one of the top roasters in the state. “It’s a dark roast that we’re using, but it’s a little less bitter. It’s a product that really excels when you’re looking for a cup of coffee,” Allen said.
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- Quiche of the Day served with fresh fruit
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- The Malibu Salad with homemade dressing
“We also have a state-of-the-art espresso machine, which we’re doing lattes, cappuccinos, pretty much any kind of coffee drink you like. We’re featuring a product that’s really hot around the country right now, a nitro cold brew,” he said. “You infuse coffee with nitrogen, and it comes out almost like a Guinness Stout—real frothy.”
The Allens want their customers to feel at home as a welcomed neighbor in Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina’s beautiful waterfront community. Inside the Daily Café is seating for 10, and an outside deck seats up to 24.
“We designed most of the space to be to-go,” Allen said. “You can eat inside or on the patio. But you can also go down to the promenade, sit in the rocking chairs, or enjoy on your boat.
“Customers might want to grab a cold beer or wine,” he said. “We have featured two draft beers on tap. Both will be local beers from this area of South Carolina—Hilton Head, Charleston, Savannah—and we feature a full selection of wines and beers by the glass, by the half bottle, by the full bottle, along with mimosas, Bellinis, a little bit of everything.”
The Daily Cafe + Market also carries a wide variety of decorative jewelry and crafts.
A true, one-stop shop, the Daily Café and Market also carries a wide variety of decorative jewelry and crafts designed by Michelle, as well as other beach-related items such as T-shirts, hats, and sunscreen.
The Daily Café and Market’s hours are currently Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. The Daily Café and Market is closed on Sunday. They plan to extend their hours into the evening and feature happy hour on food, beer and wine. For information, call (843) 686-2525. Orders may be placed online at dailyhh.com. Follow them on Instagram & Facebook @dailyhhi.
