Putting the CCU back in Chat 'n' Chew

April Sager and the CHANT411 student staff traveled to the Chat ’n’ Chew in Turbeville last month to learn more about Coastal Carolina University’s early beginnings. It was at the restaurant that Conway and Columbia businessmen met to discuss Coastal Carolina Junior College becoming part of the University of South Carolina system.

CCU President David DeCenzo met the CHANT411 students for dinner, presenting the restaurant owners with Roy Talbert’s book, “Coastal Carolina University: The first 50 Years” and a Coastal flag.

Bernard and Willodene Blackmon, the restaurant’s newest owners, were unfamiliar with their restaurant’s part in CCU’s history.

“I think it’s just another part of this restaurant’s rich history,” said Blackmon in a local newspaper article on July 26. “I had heard rumors about Coastal Carolina being started here, but I didn’t know anything for sure.”

Sager said the group of 15 had a blast. “It was a great experience as we put CCU back into the Chat ’n’ Chew,” says Sager, who made commemorative Chat ’n’ Chew buttons to mark the occasion.