The petite building at 168 Calhoun St. was once a haven for waffles, griddle burgers and cheap cups of black coffee. Then it became a beacon for a Seattle-based caffeine emporium, and now it will be a space for fresh juices and avocado toast. Call it a sign of the Instagram times.
Around 1950, Goodie House opened across from the College of Charleston campus.
Businessman Clayton Williams purchased the 12-stool diner in 1970 — and his sons, C.M. Williams and Cliff Williams, handled the daily business. Cliff was said to cook the “best hash browns, chili and cheeseburgers in Charleston.”
In a 2015 interview with The Post and Courier, C.M. said that back in those days CofC students accounted for a small fraction of his business because enrollment was much lower then. Employees from the nearby Sears department store and Goodyear service center frequented the diner.
But by the time the Goodie House closed in 1996, CofC students had made the place into a College institution. To mark the diner’s closing, The Post and Courier said, “… next Friday is the last day the restaurant will serve up hash browns in all their greasy glory and slice the cream pies that have become a dietary staple for College of Charleston students.”
The family retired from the restaurant business and leased the address to Starbucks, which opened in 1998. The coffee shop was also popular with CofC students in need of a quick pick-me-up before class. The tiny building affectionately became known as “Babybucks” for its petite nature. The outpost kept the campus caffeinated until 2016.
Now, on May 5, 2018, the Calhoun Street building will reopen as Clean Juice. The health-conscious menu includes a wide variety of fresh-squeezed juices, smoothies, acai bowls, cleanses, and, of course, avocado toast.
If history is to repeat itself, Clean Juice will soon become a staple for a new generation of CofC students.