Brunch is no stranger to the Charleston food and beverage scene, where dozens of varieties of chicken and waffles and carafes of mimosas reign on Sunday mornings, washing away Saturday night hangovers.
However, Sunday Fundays are taking on a full day of partying with the newest DJ dance party brunch trend. No longer must you sip your Blood Mary to the sound of silence, or whatever songs are coming over the restaurant speakers. Now, you can get up and dance to some electronic pop tunes and carry the party well into the late afternoon and evening hours.
Hey, Mister D.J.
DJ Natty Heavy spins beats at the Endless Summer brunch party at Bay Street Biergarten.
At Bay Street Biergarten's monthly brunch dance parties, it all starts with sunglasses-adorned 20-somethings stumbling out of the sunlight and into Bay Street Biergarten at 11 a.m. The line sometimes stretches well into the parking lot with anywhere from 50 to 200 people waiting for the doors to open.
The first thing they request is a table, then maybe some hashbrowns or French toast. Then, the carafes get passed, the beer tabs start popping open and before you know it, a quadruple shotski (a ski with holes for four shots in it) is being passed from table to table.
On the Bay Street Biergarten outdoor patio, some brunchers take on the "shotski," a ski with holes for four shots in it. Someone left out of the shotski, takes his own shot beside them.
Early on, DJ Natty Heavy is spinning some slower ballads to ease into the morning. Around 1 p.m., the dance beats are bumping, the food's mostly been eaten and the alcohol is bubbling. That turns into a dance floor full of brunchers, now in full-on party mode.
"We've come close to selling 45 cases of champagne in one brunch event," says Biergarten owner Ryan Workman. "That's almost 500 bottles of champagne in a five-hour period."
Not only does Bay Street Biergarten sell mimosas at an exponential rate, but they have teamed up with The Becket Agency, a full-service marketing agency based in Charleston, to ensure the best party-throwing possible.
Their brunches have a pop music theme, like Backstreet Boys Brunch, which has had a successful four rounds now. A special menu, which is recreated for each brunch party, has featured the "More Than That" mimosa carafe, "Shape of My Heart" shrimp and grits and Backstreet biscuits and gravy for this particular theme.
After some liquid courage, brunchers take on the dance floor at Bay Street Biergarten.
"This is the fourth summer we’ve been doing the brunch parties as a summer series," says Becket Agency co-owner Boomer Oyler. "We started doing them after I went to The Hamptons for a weekend to visit a friend. We went to a Sunday brunch party that was the most insane thing I’ve ever been to. It had a DJ, giant bottles of rosé that were thousands of dollars and people dancing on tables in the middle of the day. That was the inspiration I brought back to Charleston."
Adding a theme to the party really launched the successful endeavor, which Biergarten keeps as a monthly staple up until football season. They've had '90s parties with slap bracelets and started social media contests to give away an exclusive reservation. The menus have become more elaborately themed, and the party favors have become more clever.
In addition, Biergarten's outdoor patio with cornhole and umbrella-covered tables is another perk, especially in the spring and summer when the weather is nice.
The outdoor patio at Bay Street Biergarten is ideal for brunch when the weather is nice.
"Charleston is a beach town but it's also an outdoor bar and patio type of town," says Workman.
The music and dancing flow outside as liquid courage develops.
Nate Lopes, aka DJ Natty Heavy, compares DJing Saturday night at local clubs to Sunday brunch.
"It’s much brighter, but the party vibes stay the same," he says. "I like to talk on the microphone a lot as far as encouragement. Certain songs are going to make people get up, so I've got to get the timing right with the brunch. Right when people are done with their mimosas and scrambled eggs, that's when it’s time to drop those dance beats."
Sunday Funday
It's not just bars taking on the idea, though. It's also higher-end restaurants, such as Cannon Green, where DJ Natty Heavy also has a residency spinning some brunch music, though the tunes are a little more subdued.
And other venues with outdoor spaces are taking advantage of the Sunday Funday party idea as well, including The Alley on Columbus Street, The Brick on Ann Street and Edmund's Oast Brewing Co. on King Street Extension.
All three cater to the food-and-beverage crowd by offering brunch party vibes that extend well beyond the morning.
Bud Light, beer and a mimosa are featured beside brunch plates at Bay Street Biergarten.
The Alley continues the DJ tradition with its unique Brunch Boutiques, which feature dance tunes along with retailers, who set up shop inside and outside. Amy Rose of Red Rose Vintage is one of those vendors.
"Everyone who goes to The Alley is looking to have a good time," she says. "Sunday morning, everyone’s hungover, but at The Alley everyone’s awake, the food is amazing and there's great music."
A few blocks away, The Brick serves up pancakes on a stick, fried chicken with biscuits and gravy and more brunch favorites and then pairs all the food with some bar games (think giant Jenga and flip cup).
"I didn’t ever brunch until I moved here from Virginia," says The Brick owner Matt Quillen. "It just wasn't as popular there. You come here and it’s part of the culture. The beautiful weather and the food probably have a lot to do with it."
Quillen has added karaoke to the Sunday Funday lineup at The Brick, where the flip cup winner gets to choose the next person's karaoke song.
A mimosa is being poured at the Bay Street Biergarten.
There's also an extensive menu of specialty mimosas. The list has included a Brick 75, which is the bar's take on a French 75 mimosa with bourbon; The Champoo Effect, a mimosa with blood orange and tropical Red Bull among other flavors; a Margarita Mimosa; a Mimosa Mule and more.
Edmund's Oast Brewing Co. has hopped on the trend with a brunch that starts at 11 a.m. and lasts until 10 p.m. on Sundays and a brand-new level of entertainment that is set to take place once a month: a drag show.
"There are 30+ breweries in Charleston," says general manager Devin Marquardt. "Some have really cool events. We want to think outside the box and continue the tradition we have at the Edmund’s Oast restaurant while pushing the envelope."
A bartender uses fresh limes and lemons for brunch drinks at Bay Street Biergarten.
Dubbed Divas on Tap, the drag show event took place for the first time last Sunday, featuring an hour of queens on strut like Patti O' Furniture.
"We had a huge turnout. The crowd seemed to love it," says Marquardt, who is already planning a repeat event.
Whatever form it may take, Sunday Funday has launched in Charleston, and it's growing.
Oyler adds, "These brunch parties have an evolution. It’s tangible. You can feel it in the air."
