A variety of Charleston restaurateurs and industry professionals gathered for an “Accelerate” event hosted by What Now Media Group at Legami. The event provided a valuable opportunity for Charleston’s restaurant community to connect and share ideas on navigating the competitive market.
Legami, an elevated Italian restaurant located at 492 King Street in Charleston, hosted the free event on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, bringing together over two dozen representatives from businesses featured on What Now Charleston. This included local restaurants and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners. Attendees networked over bites and beverages before a presentation focused on strategies for growing and succeeding in today’s competitive market.
The event was hosted by Kyle Dondero and featured a range of notable restaurateurs and business owners. Attendees included local restaurant operators, including John Ropolo, director of operations at Legami, and Terell Ham, its general manager. Also attending were Alex Mouzakitis, founder of Alekos Greek Gyros, a food truck delivering Mediterranean flavors to Charleston neighborhoods, and Carla Mouzakitis, founder of Whip It Good, a mobile ice cream truck that recently secured a local baseball vendor contract and is exploring potential brick-and-mortar expansion.
Other participants included Terry Hung and Ajjima “AJ” Hung, co-owners of Cafe Hosanna, a charming café and coffee shop; Misty Coan, owner of Conch Cafe, which recently took over the space of a local breakfast spot; and Boni Belle Brooks, also of Conch Cafe. Oscar Hines and Matt Womack, co-owners of Dashi Wine Bar and Emporium, a wine bar and tavern offering global flavors, shared their insights. Oscar entered the hospitality industry after leaving law to focus on the joy food and drink bring to communities.
Additional attendees included Margaret Stypa, owner of Rivayat Creative Indian; Sabatino Covollo, owner of Sabatino’s Authentic New York City Pizza; Gina Cordoba, owner of Tracer Coffee Bar / Summit Grounds, who recently partnered with the Live Oak Hotel; and Taryn Grant, F & B director at Summit Grounds. Peter Politis, owner of The Bossy Hen, commented on how his concept brings Charleston elegance to Myrtle Beach.
Representatives from seven of What Now Media Group’s Preferred Partners attended to offer guidance and expertise. Hannah Pennell from A Head For Profits discussed draft beer equipment and installation strategies. Cassie Shaw and Tyler Hayes from Auris offered insights on HR and payroll solutions tailored to restaurant growth. From Global Payments – Genius Point of Sale, Jeremy Roberts and Justin Smith provided advice on streamlining payment systems. Louli Burroughs from OpenTable highlighted ways to leverage reservations technology to boost customer engagement. Joseph Payne and Nathan Steele from SpotOn shared operational strategies for scaling businesses.
The restaurant owners and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners shared valuable insights, operational highlights, and expert advice, creating an engaging and informative evening that was both enriching and beneficial for all attendees.
This led Kyle Dondero to take the conversation even deeper, discussing critical business points, such as having an exit plan and efficiently managing operations after expanding to multiple locations. After Kyle and the guests shared their tips, knowledge, and concerns, everyone became quickly interested in learning more about their businesses and how they could help one another.
This event served as a valuable platform for both restaurant owners and industry partners to collaborate, brainstorm, and form new connections. It’s clear that the Charleston restaurant community is eager to continue innovating and evolving, and What Now Media Group’s Accelerate events provide the perfect space for these conversations.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 33 cities across North America, breaking news, and provides timely insight into yet-to-open brick-and-mortar businesses. The platform shares news of thousands of openings across all 33 cities annually.
The industry-leading experts in What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners help new businesses open and existing businesses grow.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2026. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
Click here for a complete list of our partners. To learn more about becoming a preferred partner, click here.
