New additions are coming to the Tanger Outlets area in North Charleston, just over 3 miles from Academic Magnet’s campus. These new locations will provide new food, entertainment, and shopping options that will captivate students, being a great place to hang out after school. A new food option will be Culver’s, a Wisconsin based burger fast food chain, serving up their Famous ButterBurger and Concrete Mixer custards. Topgolf, a modernized driving range, with many locations already around the country, will open a franchise right on Tanger Outlets Blvd. Finally, a recent opening, a location inside Tanger Outlets by athletic wear brand Puma, gives a new option for discounted shopping.

Culver’s

Culver’s is the perfect combination of great food at decent pricing for students. Taking over one of the buildings across the street from the Outlets, a sign at the corner of the lot boasts, “Culver’s Coming Soon” in big, bold text. Their menu consists of a few main elements that are very elevated in quality compared to many other fast food chains. Their famous ButterBurger is a griddle-cooked patty that is placed on top of melted butter on the flat top. According to their website, the beef is, “fresh, never frozen” and “cooked to order”.

Another staple element to the menu are their sides, the best of which are the crinkle cut fries, Wisconsin cheese curds, and pretzel bites with cheese sauce. They are most famous for the cheese curds, served with a side of marinara sauce, and paired with the crispy fried cheese, make a great pairing with any of their entrees.

Their desserts truly set this place apart with the “Fresh Frozen Custard” which is made in each location “daily”. They give each customer creative freedom, allowing them to mix in toppings from over 35 options. Each location has its own “flavor of the day” uniquely chosen by the staff at that specific franchise, rotating daily based on a calendar and offering seasonal flavors.

While this chain is new to many AMHS students, those who have eaten at other locations in South Carolina, such as Summerville or the location in Fort Mill, near Carowinds, know the great flavor and experience Culver’s offers. Luke Morris (12) offers his opinion on Culver’s as being, “a top 3 fast food place and the custard makes it … the food is always fresh. Plus they have the best fries and cheese curds.” With the first try of this new opening many Magnet students will quickly move Culver’s into their ‘A tier’ of fast food.

Topgolf

Topgold is the most noticeable of the projects – construction has been ongoing at the site of the topgolf located adjacent to the Nike outlet parking lot and behind the shopping center housing Mr. K’ Used Books. From my own personal investigation, the massive poles and net surrounding the driving range are up at the time of publication. The construction is blatantly visible from the I-26 overpass many students cross over on the way in and out of school. The driving range “bays” as they are called are almost complete, but the turf surface with the baskets and the holes still have quite a bit of work to be finished.  According to Post and Courier, the location is targeting a Spring 2023 opening.

While pricing can vary based on the location and day, Topgolf can get very pricey. An hour can cost upwards of $30 at peak times, not exactly the most exciting to teenagers on a budget. One of the redeeming factors is the pass that was offered in the summer of 2022. If this program were to come back, it would greatly benefit students. It allows for unlimited play before certain times on weekdays, giving each pass its own private bay for up to 8 people. The pass was $199 for 2022. This promotion ran from May to August, which is great value considering after playing for 10 hours, the pass will have paid for itself and splitting the cost with friends can even better improve the value.

One of the unique features to this specific location will be the 14-hole mini golf course. From some research, only a handful of others have this addition to the typical driving range, making for another great experience for Raptor students to enjoy. Topgolf’s opening will be very exciting as many students who have already been able to experience other locations are anticipating its opening. Ransome Hudson (12) enjoyed his previous experience and said, “It was really fun in Myrtle Beach.”

Puma Outlet

The stores in the North Charleston Tanger Outlets location constantly evolve to keep up with current fashion and overall retail trends. This is very evident in the opening of the new Puma Outlet. This specific store opened this past summer and backs up to the Under Armour outlet, also being just around the corner from the Nike outlet.

One of the main draws to the store is the deep discounts offered on previous styles. This is common with many outlet stores and often ensures a constant flow of sales. Many students have no problems with buying a style that may not be the most current if it means they are able to save on a percentage of their purchase.

Puma’s styles have made a great comeback recently. This is largely in part due to athletes the company has been able to sign to endorsement deals. They include Michael Porter Jr., RJ Barrett, and Deandre Ayton. This has revitalized the brand, making them more relevant on social media and in popular fashion culture for athletic wear.  Lamelo Ball, an NBA player for the Charlotte Hornets, who has drawn great media attention since his high school career, recently released his first signature shoe with Puma. His popularity has a very influential on style making his shoe, the Puma MB.01, very successful for Puma.

With the introduction of many popular brands to the Charleston area, they should prove to be very busy locations. These new offerings should be great places for AMHS students to take advantage of.