Want to get a drink where the Island Packet used to print? Soon you can.
The former home of the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette at 10 Buck Island Road in Bluffton will be remodeled into an entertainment venue. The building’s new host will be The Press Room, an homage to the journalism and the printing operations once held in it. The developer, Moon King Entertainment Group, plans to honor the building’s history through its redevelopment.
The Press Room
The 9.08-acre property and 72,000 square-foot building at 10 Buck Island Road is now home to Side Hustle Brewing Co., a Watterson Brands company. Watterson Brands, which purchased the building in 2022, established Moon King Entertainment Group in 2023, according to the Savannah Business Journal. Moon King plans to transform the building into one of “the Lowcountry’s most unique dining, entertainment, and event venues,” the press release said.
The development will be done in phases, with the first phase including the expansion of Side Hustle Brewing into a tap-room restaurant, according to the press release. A 5,500 square-foot arcade and family entertainment room and a 15,000 square-foot beer garden will also be added in phase one. The Press Room will also have multiple bars, a coffee shop, ice cream parlor, and a 6,500 square-foot private event space, all to be completed in phase one. Construction begins in September, and the first phase is scheduled to complete in summer 2027…