At 4012 Deville Street, the storefront that served crepes until early this year is under renovation. The restaurant moving in is a steakhouse, and its owners already run the Italian place directly across the street.
That detail sums up The Market Common this fall. The spaces that emptied over the winter aren't going to unknown newcomers. They're going to restaurateurs who have already run dining rooms, some on this exact block. They are showing up just as the district's holiday calendar starts, and most of that calendar is put on by local guilds, cooperatives and the City of Myrtle Beach.
The List From February
In late February, WMBF reported that Crepe Creations Cafe on Deville Street had closed about two weeks earlier, without warning or explanation. The station called it the latest in a string of closures at The Market Common in recent years. The other names on that list were the Southern Living Store, Allbright Cleaners, the Korean barbecue restaurant Mura and Capriotti's Sandwich Shop. Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux, just outside the center, had also recently closed.
Most of those businesses never said why they closed. Owners who stayed open told WMBF that rising rent and business costs were part of it, and that fewer tourists made those costs harder to carry. The same report cited Myrtle Beach leaders saying tourism was down 3%.
Caitlyn Rapacz, who has owned East Coast Tea Shop in the center for four years, also told WMBF the management team had helped her keep going. "They always send out emails to us, and they're always coordinating with us," she said. "They have a great marketing coordinator who's always in communication."
That's where the year started. Two of those empty restaurant spaces now have new tenants, and neither is a first-time operator.
Where the Gaps Are Filling
| Space | Closed | New tenant |
|---|---|---|
| 1390 Farrow Parkway, Unit 3AB | Mura, summer 2025 | Aura Indian Kitchen, opened in July 2026 |
| 4012 Deville Street | Crepe Creations Cafe, early 2026 | Ocean Blue Prime Steak House, listed as "coming soon," targeting mid-fall 2026 |
Farrow Parkway: Aura Indian Kitchen
Mura closed unexpectedly in summer 2025. Its space on Farrow Parkway reopened this summer as Aura Indian Kitchen, which serves North and South Indian food. The Sun News announced the opening in a story originally published July 17, 2026.
Four restaurateurs own it: Bobby Mammen, Sudev Valavil, Elizabeth Osman and Godson Gomes. They opened Masala Mantra Indian Bistro in Cape Coral, Florida, in 2019, then added Masala Mantra locations in Jacksonville and on Hilton Head Island. Aura is their newest concept. Mammen told the Sun News he sees it as upscale casual, and said, "Our inspiration lies in not only serving Indian food, but serving a culture."
The menu covers tandoori chicken and malai kebab, curries like tikka masala and vindaloo, and biryanis. It also has a vegetarian section with malai kofta, chana masala and aloo gobi. When it opened, Aura announced daily hours of 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 4 to 9 p.m. for dinner, with dinner until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Online ordering is available through the restaurant's website.
Deville Street: Ocean Blue Prime Steak House
Ocean Blue Prime Steak House is the sister restaurant of Travinia Italian Kitchen, which sits across Deville Street. The Sun News reported that it has no connection to other restaurants with similar names. Its planned menu includes New York strip steaks with house-made sauces, a blue cheese wedge salad, tare-glazed pork belly, mustard-crusted lamb chops and pan-seared scallops, plus signature cocktails and a dark chocolate soufflé.
The opening target was mid-fall 2026. In late October, the center's tenant page still listed it as coming soon, with no grand-opening date. A representative told the Sun News that The Market Common's social media pages will post updates as construction nears completion.
When it opens, Travinia's team will run restaurants on both sides of the same block. After a winter when the newest storefronts were the ones that closed, a second restaurant from an established neighbor is about as steady as a new opening gets.
The Holiday Calendar Is Mostly Run by Neighbors
The new tenants are arriving as the holiday calendar fills up. From mid-November through New Year's Eve, a full run of events is scheduled in and around The Market Common, and many of them are run by local groups. The Saturday market in Valor Park is operated by the Waccamaw Market Cooperative, not the center. Art in the Park comes from the Waccamaw Arts & Crafts Guild. The military ceremonies at Warbird Park are City of Myrtle Beach events.
| Date | Event | Where and when |
|---|---|---|
| Saturdays through Dec. 19 | Farmer's Market, Waccamaw Market Cooperative | Valor Park, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | City of Myrtle Beach Veterans Day Ceremony | 11 a.m., location to be announced by the City |
| Sat.–Sun., Nov. 14–15 | Art in the Park, Waccamaw Arts & Crafts Guild | Valor Park, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Tree Lighting & Holiday Market | Grand 14 Theater, 6 to 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | First complimentary holiday carriage rides | 5:45 to 8:45 p.m. |
| Thursdays and Sundays in December | Complimentary holiday carriage rides | 4 to 7 p.m., weather permitting |
| Mon., Dec. 7 | Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Ceremony | WWII Memorial, Warbird Park, 150 Farrow Parkway |
| Thu., Dec. 31 | Southern Times Square New Year's Eve | 9 p.m. to midnight |
A few details about these dates:
- Art in the Park runs on November 14 and 15 this year, according to the Waccamaw Arts & Crafts Guild's 2026 schedule. Some older event listings online still show earlier-year dates, so the guild's page is the one to trust.
- The tree lighting on November 21 includes Santa's arrival, holiday vendors and performances by Coastal Dance Centre, according to The Market Common's event page.
- Carriage rides are first-come, first-served and depend on the weather. The schedule starts the same night as the tree lighting, then moves to Thursday and Sunday evenings in December.
- Veterans Day is on the City of Myrtle Beach's 2026 schedule for 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11, but the location hasn't been posted yet. The same page lists the December 7 Pearl Harbor ceremony at the WWII Memorial in Warbird Park.
- New Year's Eve is billed as Southern Times Square, with a drone show, live entertainment, food and drink vendors and a ball-drop countdown, according to the center's event page. Check that page closer to the date for entry details.
Why the Timing Matters on Deville Street
The February closures came when owners said they were already dealing with higher costs and fewer tourists. The spaces that have refilled since then went to people with a record of running restaurants, from Cape Coral to Hilton Head to across the street.
Much of the holiday calendar comes from guilds, cooperatives and city ceremonies held in Valor Park and Warbird Park. Art in the Park, the tree lighting and the December carriage rides all bring people to the blocks where Aura is already open and Ocean Blue Prime is getting ready to open.
Aura has been serving on Farrow Parkway since July. As of late October, Ocean Blue Prime was still listed as coming soon at 4012 Deville Street. The Saturday market has seven Saturdays left this year, starting November 7 and ending December 19.
If you're coming from Valor Park after a Saturday market and wondering what else on Deville Street has reopened, I'm happy to walk you through the south end of Myrtle Beach the way I know it, block by block and in the language you're most comfortable with. Larisa Esmat is here when you're ready. Let's Connect and Book a Consultation.
