The Kozy Korner Diner was a fixture in downtown Myrtle Beach and one of the few places where Black and white patrons mingled—unofficially—during segregation. Charlie Fitzgerald often dined here alongside white businessmen, an act that stunned neighborhood children who didn’t know it was even possible.
Owned by Tony Thompson, Dino’s father, the diner also employed Black kitchen staff who were part of the same community that gathered nightly at Charlie’s Place.
Its plate-glass windows became a lens through which children saw integration in action, and a backdrop to small, everyday acts of defiance and unity.
Though the diner no longer exists, its legend lives on in the stories of those who saw barriers begin to bend.
Where it once stood is now part of the Arts + Innovation District of downtown Myrtle Beach, an area currently undergoing a revitalization effort to build the future of downtown while also preserving some of the area's past glory.
Charlie's Place is a podcast series co-produced by Atlas Obscura and Rococo Punch in partnership with Pushkin Industries and Visit Myrtle Beach. Hosted by filmmaker Rhym Guissé, the show uncovers the hidden history of a legendary Black nightclub in Jim Crow-era South Carolina—and the people who made it a symbol of culture, resistance, and community. Starting July 21st, binge the entire season early and ad-free by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Charlie's Place show page on Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.
