Joe Walker swore he’d never open a restaurant again, but here he is a decade later feeding a need for West Ashley.

Walker’s’ newest venture, Café Roca, sits in a Highway 61 retail center next to Home Team BBQ. Opening Feb. 24, the restaurant is a joint venture between Walker, his wife Diana and business partner Shannon Wakeland. The eatery will serve breakfast, lunch and coffee to locals and commuters on the go, in particular.

Think of a box of hand-held breakfast bites suitable for a slog through the morning traffic. Wontons filled with egg, bacon, whipped herb cream cheese, green onion, eel sauce and sriracha aioli.

"I knew it was the right place for breakfast and lunch," said Walker, who owns the Pilates studio next door. "I thought there was a big void in that area."

Café Roca’s neighbors include Stuart Laurence Salon, Crew Lala dog boutique, Shift Pilates and, until recently, Taco Bartina.

Ten years ago, Walker opened Studio 8, a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant on Folly Road on James Island that he operated for three years.

He swore off the food-and-beverage industry when it shuttered, but through a series of serendipitous events, he and his wife opened Shift Pilates at 1305 Ashley River Road last September.

Walker’s original plan called for a coffee shop in the studio, but the project would have been too pricey with the space and permitting.

When A Salt and Battered, the locally owned fish and chippery, closed next door around the same time, Walker said the landlord came back.

“He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” Walker said with a laugh.

The business owner has spent several months renovating the restaurant, conscious of the elements used. His team stripped the walls down to the original brick, renovated exposed beams and added metal tables for people to sit and enjoy a meal.

Menu selections include "traffic bites" like the wontons, street tacos, toasts, bagels, bowls and sandwiches all “elevated” twists on original favorites. The Green Eggs and Ham, for example, adds avocado to the egg yolk for a spin on the deviled egg. Salads include seared tuna and carne asada.

The Chopped Cheese harkens to the popular New York sandwich with a burger chopped up into a hoagie roll.

Walker’s enthusiasm for the menu is just as prevalent as his excitement for the vibe. The back wall of the restaurant is decorated with 20 CDs that impacted his life. Each month he plans to make a themed playlist customers can listen to in the restaurant and at home.

The name Roca after all comes from the Spanish word for rock.

“My wife suggested it and after playing with the word, I liked the dual meaning of earthy foundation of earth and strength as well as rock and roll," Walker said.

The restaurant is bound to catch attention from residents such as Ben Greco, Morgan Martin and the roughly 54,000 other Charleston locals who regularly drive by the retail strip center.

“I love that little drag and I never pull over to it,” Martin said. “I haven’t been to much besides Home Team, so having a coffee shop or somewhere I could go and sit would make me a return customer.”

New dad Greco, who works from home down the street, said the shopping center can be tough to access, but luckily there's ample parking in the back of the building. He's looking forward to trying something new without having to hit up Savannah Highway during the heavy morning traffic or lunch hour rush.

“I used to go to Taco Bartina a lot, so that shopping center needs something else the locals can go to," he said. "I'm really looking forward to something new coming in."