The Historic Restaurant In South Carolina Where You Can Dine Inside A Converted Church
By AnneMarie|Published April 10, 2023
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AnneMarie
Author
South Carolina has been home for AnneMarie since 2001. Her favorite part of the state is Lake Jocassee. An App State alumna, it's always the mountains; the lake bonus makes it heavenly. When not writing about the state, she may be spending time with family, relaxing by the pool, or out somewhere enjoying nature.
Known as “America’s Most Historic City,” Charleston is full of landmarks, amazing restaurants, and of course, churches. It’s also known as “The Holy City” with over 400 churches, many of which date back to its founding as the colony of Charles Towne in 1670. One of the old churches has become a historic restaurant in South Carolina that’s a fascinating setting for enjoying delicious cuisine.
Located on North Market Street in downtown Charleston, Church and Union is a restaurant originally known until January 2022 as 5Church. It was rebranded in an effort by the owners (5th Street Group) to distance the brand from a former business partner and investor.
The only real changes, however, are the new name, logos, signage, and menu items. Prior 5Church guests won't notice much difference otherwise!
Inside is a stunning art masterpiece, with the entire Sun Tzu book, The Art of War, skillfully painted across the ceiling, a whopping 12,035 words! A Charlotte artist completed the project, which took over a month of 12-14-hour evening shifts to finish. The management philosophy of 5th Street Group is taken in part from this book, with the company’s mantra, “There Is Only We,” painted in larger text on the ceiling.
The firm's profit-sharing for its employees is one reflection of how this philosophy guides its practices. There's also a quote painted on the wall. These are interesting and fitting design elements for a restaurant in one of the most historic cities in America that has seen its share of war.
There's a $5 bill mural painting as well that's a custom art design first created in one of the restaurant's other locations (Charlotte). Charleston's mural was re-created by tattoo artists Rodney Raines and Matt Hooker.
5th Street Group offers private dining options if you need a venue for an event or a special occasion. A full buyout allows use of the entire restaurant, which will accommodate 150 (seated) to 200 (standing) guests. Or for smaller groups, you can arrange for a reservation of one of the dining rooms to accommodate 12+ guests for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
