Community Chest
The Washington Café opens in Mount Pleasant as a cultural hub for all
By Ariel Blanchard
For many years, Peter Washington III’s family hosted the cookout of the year. The community and family from as far away as New York and New Jersey gathered on Labor Day on ancestral land in Cainhoy, a 20-minute drive from historic Charleston, South Carolina.
The spread was extensive, celebrating their Gullah Geechee heritage—okra rice, stewed racoon, and more current dishes like Watergate salad, a mixture of pistachio pudding, pineapple, and pecans.
“Cars would be parked all the way down the road, and it was a lot of people, and it got to the point that it just got out of hand,” Washington says, laughing and explaining they no longer hold the big to-do and keep to smaller celebrations.
Washington has since committed to bringing the community together in nearby Mount Pleasant by opening the first Gullah Geechee–owned coffee shop in the area. Named The Washington Café, his vision to create a space rooted in creativity and culture became reality in late 2025 when he opened the art-filled second-floor shop.
Coffee sparks conversation and art tells stories at Peter’s new venture, where patrons can sip brews from North Carolina roaster Counter Culture Coffee; photography by Ruta Elvikyte-Smith.
The café is a result of Washington’s nearly two decades in Baltimore, as well as the Washington, D.C., metro area, and, ultimately, his homecoming. “You grow up in an area and don’t realize how blessed you are until you leave,” he says.
He originally left to attend Morgan State University in Baltimore. After graduation, connections led to jobs and an interest in supporting emerging visual artists through collecting their work and promoting shows. Eventually, though, he felt the tug to return home with his growing art collection.
For Washington, the concept of home is layers deep, beginning with the land itself. His great-grandmother, Victoria, had saved up a few hundred dollars to buy eight acres of what was deemed “trash land” by the marsh on Daniel Island. She split the land between the family members, and each of the grandkids got an acre and change, he says. He and his parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, and cousins share this land today.
Since returning home, he’s noticed a difference in even his physical state. “I feel like I breathe much easier,” he says. With his father’s motivation and guidance, Washington began to formulate the plans for a gathering space that would also support artists. “Let’s bring community space back to Mount Pleasant,” he says.
And so he did. After signing a lease, he gleaned as much expertise from various local experts as possible and got to work. He held a successful grand opening party last November, and the steady stream of locals and those interested in his story continue, leading to various artist and event connections. “I’m definitely receiving a lot of support from people I don’t even know,” Washington says.
The café is a combination of new-to-him offerings, like Counter Culture Coffee and Dona teas, alongside a menu of light bites and baked goods steeped in Charleston and family tradition—Bert & T’s Desserts, handmade Charleston chewies, sweet potato pie, and cheese biscuits. He’s also toying with adding a Watergate salad in the grab-and-go section, along with a Watergate salad–inspired matcha drink.
The walls are decorated in rotating pieces from Washington’s personal collection along with family photos and work from local artists. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s vision of combining hospitality, art, music, and Black culture truly came to life when he hosted an HBCU meet-up with upwards of 60 graduates stopping in to rep their alma maters and celebrate their heritage.
“I like to hear the espresso machine run and the grinder run,” he says. “It’s a fun feeling, especially when I hear the door swinging open, and I’m meeting new people.” V
The Washington Café, 1111 McKnight Rd, Suite 201, Mount Pleasant, SC; thewashingtoncafe.com
This story appears in our Spring 2026 issue.
