25 Jul Little Basket, Big Times: Business wows guests with personal touch From the beach to the golf course and everything in between, South Carolina’s Hammock Coast is full of good times. Little Basket, one of the area’s newest businesses, perfectly captures the laid-back vibe that makes the area so attractive. Inspired by Georgetown County’s natural beauty and the desire to express her creativity in her work, Emily Pineda opened Little Basket on May 1, 2023. Local residents and vacationers alike have already embraced the eclectic market, located at 13089 Ocean Highway, Unit A1, in the Litchfield community of Pawleys Island. The Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce helped celebrate Little Basket’s recent grand-opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. (Photo by Julie Dyer/Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce) Pineda isn’t looking to sell Gucci handbags or name-brand wine labels, focusing instead on a wide variety of products that are crafted, brewed or built with a personal touch. Whether it’s coffee roasted by a friend in Brooklyn, New York, handcrafted salad servers from a woman in Kentucky, or champagne from a vineyard in Colorado that grew the grapes and produced everything onsite, a visit to Little Basket is a window into why small, local businesses remain so popular. “I try to think about who makes (the products we sell),” Pineda says. “Are they handmade, by real people? … I feel like it’s the little things that make life fun. “Little splurges on everyday things help make your day a little better.” Little Basket owner Emily Pineda and her husband, Dr. Donovan Johnson, stand inside the store on Ocean Highway in Pawleys Island. (Photo by Julie Dyer/Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce) When Pineda isn’t working with customers, she is always in search of new products with the ethos of Little Basket in mind. The inventory will change with the season, especially the wine and craft beer offerings that have proven to be so popular in the store’s opening months. Little Basket offers a selection of (moderately priced) wines from small vineyards that aren’t on the shelf at grocery stores or even many wine specialty shops. Weekly wine tastings and monthly classes are among the shop’s most popular offerings, attracting groups that want to learn about wine, a spirit that can be intimidating, due to its seemingly endless array of options. The tastings are casual gatherings, attracting women’s groups, couples and even friends looking to explore the world of wine. Following the one-hour tastings, many attendees hang around to enjoy a glass of their new favorite drink on the Little Basket porch. Baskets are just some of the merchandise that can be found in Little Basket. (Photo by Julie Dyer/Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce) The monthly classes are designed to help people find their passion, often focusing on a specific type of wine or offerings from a particular region. For instance, in July the classes concentrated on Italian sparkling wines, allowing people to not only sample product but educate themselves on its distinguishing characteristics. Tastings and classes are ticketed events (purchase here), but there is always an open seat on the porch at Little Basket for guests who want to enjoy a glass of wine under a South Carolina canopy of trees. While the store is new, it seems word-of-mouth advertising remains the most effective form of marketing and guests are already raving about Little Basket. Wine tastings and classes are offered at the store. (Photo by Julie Dyer/Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce) “This shop is SO CUTE!,” Layton Reesor-Oyer gushed in a 5-star Google review. “We had a glass of wine on the porch while visiting for a weekend trip. The service was exceptional. Emily could not have been more helpful! I was also thrilled to find some great snacks for my toddler to take to the beach the next day and THE BEST coffee. We will be sure to stop by every time our family visits Pawleys Island.” It seems Little Basket is already making a big impression on South Carolina’s Hammock Coast. ——- For more about Little Basket, check out its website at www.littlebasketmarket.com or call the store at 843-979-2700. Hours are Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays from noon-5 p.m. By Chris King for South Carolina’s Hammock Coast® 0 Hammock-All, Litchfield, Pawleys Island
