Charleston-area restaurant owners, operators, and hospitality industry professionals gathered Tuesday, September 2, for What Now Media Group’s Accelerate networking event. The event was held at Charleston Beer Works, 480 King St., bringing members of the local restaurant community together for an afternoon focused on connection, relationship-building, and resources for growing hospitality businesses.
The event was hosted by Mariah Medley, Director of Events and Partner Engagement at What Now Media Group, and welcomed 35 attendees from 26 businesses. The group included 22 restaurant and hospitality-side attendees representing 16 businesses, along with 13 Preferred Partner attendees representing ten companies.
Restaurant Attendees
bartaco – 304 King St., Charleston, SC 29401
General Manager Michael Thomas represented bartaco, attending with guest Yasmean Elhak. The restaurant opened in Charleston in 2024, part of a growing national chain, and offers tacos, rice bowls, sides, cocktails, and other casual fare.
Mother’s Ruin – 474 King St., Charleston, SC 29403
Founder Connor represented Mother’s Ruin, a New York-born bar and restaurant that opened its Charleston location in April, marking the concept’s fifth outpost. The business occupies the former Rarebit space and serves cocktails and food, and offers daily brunch.
Jeff’s Bagel Run – 1710 Shoremeade Rd., Suite 440, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Jay Davis, co-owner, and Diana Hernandez, manager, represented Jeff’s Bagel Run. The fast-casual concept specializes in scratch-made bagels that are boiled and baked fresh daily, along with house-made spreads, coffee, espresso, and cold brew.
Striped Pig Distillery – 2225-A Old School Drive, North Charleston, SC 29405
Owner Paula “Pixie” Dezzutti attended, representing Striped Pig Distillery. Founded in 2013, the business describes itself as Charleston’s first distillery since Prohibition and offers tours, tastings, bourbon experiences, bottle sales, and private events.
Dezzutti shared her feedback about the event, telling What Now, “Accelerate Charleston reminded me that the greatest resource we have as entrepreneurs isn’t capital—it’s connection. When you put ambitious people in a room who are willing to share ideas, open doors, and challenge what’s possible, conversations happen that might never have happened otherwise. Charleston is growing because its people are willing to grow together, and I left Accelerate Charleston energized by what we can build next.”
NEAT Bourbon Bar – 440 Coleman Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
William Baber, co-owner, represented NEAT Bourbon Bar. The chain has more than 120 bourbon and whiskey options alongside cocktails and a food menu that includes bourbon-focused dishes and shareable options.
King of Pops – Charleston, SC
Director of Operations Griffin Hogan represented King of Pops. The frozen-treat company operates throughout the Southeast through pop-ups, carts, and other locations.
Avocet Hospitality Group – 1 Center St., Folly Beach, SC 29439
Avocet Hospitality Group was represented by Pietro Giardini, Senior VP; Chris Baggett, Corporate Operations Manager; Zach Norris, Creative Director; and Dixie Hemingway, Creative Director. The company operates a portfolio of independent hotels and restaurants across the Southeast.
Philly Pretzel Factory – 7827 North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
Franchise Owner Seth Middleberg represented Philly Pretzel Factory. The national franchise specializes in hand-twisted, fresh-baked soft pretzels, with the brand now operating more than 145 stores.
Thorough Bread Bakery & Cafe – 115 Laurens Street Northwest, Aiken, SC 29801
Manager Bret White represented Thorough Bread Bakery & Cafe. The bakery grew from a pandemic-era baking project into a storefront operation, bringing breads, baked goods, and café offerings to downtown Aiken.
Frothy Beard Off World – 1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., Charleston, SC 29407
Operations Manager Michael Biondi represented Frothy Beard Off World, part of Frothy Beard Brewing Company. Founded in 2013, the brewery serves house-brewed craft beer alongside pizzas, burgers, wings, and other pub fare.
Maya Del Sol Kitchen – 3245 Rivers Ave., North Charleston, SC 29405
Raul Sanchez, owner, represented Maya Del Sol Kitchen. The concept centers on a communal five-course Mexican dining experience created by Sanchez, with a rotating menu built around fresh, seasonal ingredients.
ParTee Shack – Charleston, SC 29403
Co-owner John Berger represented ParTee Shack. The family entertainment concept combines mini golf with attractions including go-karts, laser tag, duckpin bowling, and arcade games, as well as food and drinks.
Tracer Coffee Bar – 425 Meeting St., Charleston, SC 29403
Owner Gina Cordoba and roaster Eduardo Calle represented Tracer Coffee Bar. Tracer specializes in Colombian coffee sourced through direct relationships with producers. Its flagship coffee bar is located inside the Live Oak Hotel, while the company also operates a roastery in Summerville.
Mae’s Sweets With Soul – 3919 Savannah Highway, Johns Island, SC 29455
Owner Lillie Smalls and Carl Smalls, part-owner, represented Mae’s Sweets With Soul. The veteran-owned bakery and café is planning to debut soon, specializing in made-from-scratch Southern sweets, including cakes, cookies, brownies, pies, breads, muffins, sandwiches, and beverages.
Prince St. Pizza – 350 King St., Charleston, SC 29401
CEO Cara Morrissey represented Prince St. Pizza. The New York-born pizza brand has expanded beyond its original Manhattan roots with locations across the country and is known for its Sicilian-style square slices and classic New York pizza offerings.
The Velvet Pony – 2025 Reynolds Ave., North Charleston, SC 29405
Cat Forrester, co-owner, represented The Velvet Pony, a new LGBTQIA+ bar taking shape in North Charleston. Developed by Forrester and Lazer Kotowich, the concept is being built as a community gathering space centered on queer connection, local history, and nightlife.
Partner Attendees
Auris
Rhonda Bunker, SPA, and Luke Vendura, PCM, represented Auris. The company provides payroll and HR technology for small and growing businesses, including payroll processing, tax administration, employee benefits, time and attendance, hiring, and onboarding.
A Head For Profits
Director of Sales Hannah Pennell represented A Head For Profits. The company specializes in draft beer system installation, maintenance, and cleaning, helping restaurants and bars maintain properly functioning systems and consistent draft quality.
US Foods
Regional Sales Manager Erik Price represented US Foods. The company partners with approximately 250,000 restaurant and foodservice locations and operates more than 70 broadline locations, providing restaurant operators with food distribution, technology, e-commerce, and menu and business solutions designed to support day-to-day operations and growth.
TWC Services Inc.
Todd Wilbert, Senior Business Consultant, represented TWC Services. The company provides commercial ice machine installation, maintenance, cleaning, and repair services, primarily serving restaurants, hospitality businesses, and other commercial customers.
SpotOn
Lawrencia O’Neill, Account Executive, represented SpotOn. The restaurant technology company provides point-of-sale and broader restaurant management tools spanning payments, online ordering, reservations, marketing, scheduling, and labor management.
OpenTable
Louli Burroughs, Account Executive, represented OpenTable. The restaurant technology platform provides reservations, table management, guest databases, marketing, and other operational tools, with more than 70,000 restaurants, connecting them with diners across its network and partner sites and platforms.
Human Interest
Zach Lytle represented Human Interest. The company provides employer-sponsored retirement solutions, including full-service 401(k) plans designed to reduce the administrative burden associated with compliance, filings, employee support, and payroll integrations.
Global Payments Genius Point of Sale
Jeremy Roberts, District Manager, and Robert Favetella, SRM, represented Global Payments’ Genius Point of Sale. Genius combines restaurant point-of-sale and payment processing with tools for kitchen management, online ordering, inventory, loyalty, kiosks, and digital menu boards.
Gen-Con Group
Elijah Baker, Founding Partner, and Mark Coats, Director of Business Development, represented Gen-Con Group. The company provides general contracting and construction services, bringing construction expertise to the network of hospitality businesses navigating restaurant development, renovations, and new locations.
Easy Ice
Liz Crowley, BDM, represented Easy Ice. The company provides commercial ice machines through a fully managed subscription model that includes equipment, installation, preventive maintenance, cleaning, repairs, and ongoing support.
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.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2026. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
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