Plans for an upscale eatery with a focus on local coastal cuisine are underway at 114 Market St., the former home of Perkeo and prior to that, Deluxe. The 3,600-square-foot unit has been leased to Jeff Duckworth and Dean Neff, who plan to open PinPoint this spring.

Duckworth and Neff have nearly 30 years of restaurant experience between the two of them. Duckworth was previously an operating partner in a number of Bojangles franchises in the metro-Atlanta area and Neff was a protégé of James Beard Award-winning chef and cookbook author Hugh Acheson, who operates four restaurants in Georgia and regularly appears as a guest judge on Bravo’s Top Chef. Duckworth will focus on daily operations while Neff will serve as executive chef.

Duckworth and Neff named their new restaurant PinPoint after an unincorporated community in Chatham County, Georgia. Located about 10 miles south of Savannah, the rural community was founded by freed slaves following the Civil War. Its predominantly African-American population has a rich culinary history and many residents still speak Gullah, the creole language of the low country.

“Our focus will be on local seafood, oysters and shrimp as well as other premium proteins,” said Duckworth. “The menu will feature seasonal fare with a bit of low country cuisine thrown in and will be heavy on seasonal produce, so the menu will change pretty much daily.”

Neff says he plans to serve family style vegetable platters to accompany the entrees and will offer plenty of options for vegetarians.

As for the renovations now taking place, Neff says that he and Duckworth plan to return the space to its simplistic roots, restoring and maintaining as much of the building’s original integrity as possible.

An April opening is anticipated.

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