Coligny Plaza, Hilton Head Island, SC
Coligny Plaza is the shopping and dining center at the south end, a short walk from Coligny Beach Park, with the Beach Market and Sea Glass Stage.
Explore Coligny
Shops at Coligny Plaza, Hilton Head: a directory of 30-plus boutiques, surf, gift, toy and candy shops a short walk from Coligny Beach, with store hours.
Coligny Plaza restaurants on Hilton Head: seafood, daiquiris, Italian, breakfast, subs and ice cream a short walk from Coligny Beach, with phone numbers.
The Beach Market at Coligny is a small beachside center across from Coligny Plaza: gift and surf shops, restaurants and free underground parking.
Sea Glass Stage Company is a nonprofit community theatre staging plays and musicals in the Coligny Theatre at Coligny Plaza. Tickets and details.
Downtown Hilton Head is Coligny: the plaza, beach park and Pope Avenue restaurants at the south end, with free parking, plus Shelter Cove, the other one.
Coligny Beach Park: parking, ADA access, restrooms, and shuttle info for Hilton Head’s most popular beach, steps from Coligny Plaza shopping.
Where to park free at Coligny Beach Park — the main lot, ADA spaces, the USCB overflow lot and summer shuttle, and the free Breeze Trolley stop.
Restaurants at Coligny Plaza
Seafood on the lagoon with all-you-can-eat crab legs, oysters and free live music every day. Books on Resy.
Frozen daiquiris, pizza, crab legs and a wall of TVs, with a covered patio where dogs are welcome. Open late.
A South Pacific-themed room upstairs: burgers, fish tacos, coconut shrimp and live music most afternoons. Closed Sundays.
New York-style Italian with handmade pasta, short rib gnocchi and chicken parm. The one to book for a date night.
Family-run since 1993: breakfast until 3 p.m. every day, dinner most nights, gluten-free options and a pet-friendly porch.
A pub serving sandwiches since 1973: the Reuben, the Earle and the Duke, homemade soups and a patio. Closed Sundays.
- Shops and restaurants
- More than 60
- Parking
- Free lots around the plaza
Coligny Plaza is the shopping and dining center at the south end of Hilton Head Island, a few minutes’ walk from Coligny Beach Park. Its full name is Coligny Plaza Shopping Center, most people on the island just say Coligny, and with more than 60 shops, restaurants, ice cream counters and bars around one walkable set of buildings it is the closest thing Hilton Head has to a downtown. It is where a beach day usually ends: a walk up from the sand, an ice cream, a look around the shops and dinner.
Norris and Lois Richardson opened the plaza in 1956 with the Forest Beach Market, the island’s first grocery store, back when building materials came over by barge because there was no bridge. The family still runs it, and a lot of the island’s firsts started here, from the first bakery to the first post office.
What Is at Coligny Plaza
About a third of the tenants serve food or drink: seafood and live music on the lagoon at FISH, daiquiris at the Frosty Frog, a New York Italian dining room, breakfast at Skillets and Sweet Al’s, barbecue, sub shops and a run of ice cream, candy and fudge counters. The full list, with phone numbers and which ones take reservations, is on our Coligny Plaza restaurants page.
The rest are mostly independent shops: swimwear and surf gear, resort clothes, T-shirt and souvenir stores such as Camp Hilton Head, gifts, toys, candles and spices. They are listed by type on the shops at Coligny Plaza page. The plaza also has a Piggly Wiggly grocery store, a wine and spirits shop, a Circle K, two barbershops, the Coligny Theatre, where the Sea Glass Stage Company performs, and SoundWaves, the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra’s small concert space.
Coligny Plaza Map, Parking and Getting There
The address is 1 North Forest Beach Drive, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928, at Coligny Circle, the roundabout where Pope Avenue meets the beach. The plaza is a set of low buildings around open walkways, with a lagoon at the back where FISH, the barbecue place and the Rita’s kiosk sit, and a second floor where Big Bamboo is. The beach access is on the other side of the circle.
Parking in the plaza’s surface lots is free, but the lots fill up on summer afternoons and evenings, so come early or walk or bike in on the island’s path network. If you are going to the beach as well, the Coligny Beach parking guide covers the lots across the road.
Hours and Events
The plaza’s store hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from April to October and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from November to March, though each shop sets its own, and the restaurants and bars stay open well after the shops close. In season there are free children’s shows on some evenings and live music at several of the restaurants most nights.
When each place to eat is open
Breakfast starts at 7 a.m. at Skillets, Sweet Al’s and Carolina Coffee & Crumbs, and the Earle of Sandwich Pub stays open latest, to 11 p.m. Sunday is the day to check: Big Bamboo, the Earle and Stu’s Surf Side are closed, and SlowCountry BBQ closes Mondays and Tuesdays.
| Place | Hours | Closed | Dogs welcome | Reservations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skillets Cafe & Grill | 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner 4 to 9 p.m. except Tue., Wed. | Open daily | Yes | Yes |
| Sweet Al’s | 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Open daily | Yes | No |
| Carolina Coffee & Crumbs | 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Open daily | – | No |
| Gringo’s Diner | 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Open daily | – | No |
| Bad Biscuit | 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Open daily | – | No |
| FISH Casual Coastal Seafood | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Open daily | – | Yes |
| Frosty Frog Cafe | 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. | Open daily | Yes | – |
| Stu’s Surf Side | 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. | Sun. | – | No |
| Big Bamboo Cafe | 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Sun. | – | – |
| Earle of Sandwich Pub | 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. | Sun. | – | No |
| The Sandbar | 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Open daily | Yes | – |
| SlowCountry BBQ | 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Mon., Tue. | – | No |
| Cafe Al Dente | 4 to 9 p.m. (9:30 Fri., Sat.) | Open daily | – | Yes |
| The Carolina Tasting Room | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Open daily | Yes | No |
| The Ice Cream Cone | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (9:30 Fri. to Sun.) | Open daily | – | – |
| Frozen Moo | 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. | Open daily | – | – |
| POPS of Hilton Head | 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (7 Thu. to Sat., noon to 6 Sun.) | Open daily | – | – |
| The Island Fudge Shoppe | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (6 Mon., noon to 6 Sun.) | Open daily | – | – |
Watch: Coligny Plaza, Hilton Head: Shops, Food, Hours and Free Parking
Coligny Plaza is the shopping and dining centre at the south end of Hilton Head Island, with more than 60 shops, restaurants, ice cream counters and bars a few minutes’ walk from Coligny Beach Park. The address is 1 North Forest Beach Drive, at Coligny Circle, the roundabout where Pope Avenue meets the beach. Norris and Lois Richardson opened it in 1956 with the Forest Beach Market, the island’s first grocery store, and the family still runs it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Updated
What is the address of Coligny Plaza?
1 N Forest Beach Drive, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928, at Coligny Circle where Pope Avenue meets the beach.
Is parking free at Coligny Plaza?
Yes. The surface lots around the plaza are free, but they fill up on summer afternoons and evenings.
How far is Coligny Plaza from the beach?
A few minutes’ walk. Coligny Beach Park is across Coligny Circle from the plaza.
What are the Coligny Plaza hours?
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from April to October and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from November to March. Restaurants and bars stay open later, and individual shops vary.
What is open early and late at Coligny Plaza?
Skillets, Sweet Al’s and Carolina Coffee & Crumbs open for breakfast at 7 a.m. every day. The Earle of Sandwich Pub stays open latest, to 11 p.m., except on Sundays, and Big Bamboo and The Sandbar serve until 10 p.m.
How old is Coligny Plaza?
It opened in 1956, with the island’s first grocery store, and is still run by the family that built it.
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