Celebrating 20 Years of Flavor: Weesie Newton on Fleet Landing’s Legacy

CM: How was Fleet Landing born?
WN: My husband and I always thought it would be fun to own and run a restaurant. I was selling residential real estate, and Tradd was working for his family’s grocery business, which eventually bought the building that housed McCrady’s Restarant. They thought he would change some paint colors and fabrics, but we gutted the entire place, hired a new chef, and ended up on Esquire’s “25 Best New Restaurants” list that year. We really enjoyed the process of the transformation and the hospitality element of being on-site. When the site where Fleet Landing is became available, we took the huge leap of faith to move forward on our own and open a restaurant in the space. When we first opened, Tradd and I were there every day, 14 shifts a week.    

CM: To what do you attribute the restaurant’s longevity?
WN: Being one of the few places on the water downtown is special, but we’ve also had a terrific team. The local culinary scene itself certainly has changed [since we started], just the sheer number, quality, and variety of restaurants is pretty amazing. Our menu has actually stayed very much the same, though. Guests come to us for a specific experience, often again and again.

CM: Tell us about the addition of the oyster bar. 
WN: We had been thinking about it for a while. That area had four booths and four high-tops that really didn’t get the water view experience. And our kitchen is so small, it’s really built to do about a third of the items we do. Now, we are able to offer more oyster selections and many more fresh raw items—I love the crab claws and the towers!

CM: How has development around the restaurant affected business?
WN: Our part of the world is definitely changing! We’ve been by ourselves on the waterfront for such a long time, it will be nice to have company. The Cooper hotel has been under construction next to us for the past four years; since 2020, you haven’t been able to see the entrance of Fleet Landing. It has been a challenge to visibility and to our guest experience, but we are looking forward to their opening next year and having this much-anticipated hotel right next door. The development of Union Pier will also bring more businesses and people to the area. We’re very excited for the future of the waterfront! 

CM: Fleet Landing is known for giving back to the community, can you tell us more about that?
WN: Over the past two decades, we’ve given well over $1 million in gifts and in-kind donations. Some of our biggest annual charity initiatives include sponsoring Feed the Need’s Dining for a Cause event; the Avondale 5K, which supports the Charles Webb Center; and Coastal Conservation League’s annual fall banquet. We also attend the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center’s annual fundraiser; I always try to “win” something in the auction!

CM: How will you celebrate the 20th anniversary?
WN: On November 30th, we’ll be donating 20 percent of our sales to Charleston Waterkeeper. We feel the work that they do is so important to the health of our waterways. It’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving so we hope it will be a super busy day!