The Women of SERG

November 2026 Issue

By Tamela Maxim 
Group Photography by Lindsay Gifford

 

In the South Carolina Lowcountry, the Southeastern Restaurant Group (SERG) stands as one of the region’s most influential and enduring culinary families. But behind the bustling kitchens, in-house brewery, rooftop bars, catering teams, and corporate offices, lies a powerful truth: women are a large part of the backbone of SERG’s success. Their leadership, creativity, loyalty, know-how, and deep commitment to community have helped shape the company’s identity for decades.

Across Hilton Head Island and Bluffton, SERG’s women describe a workplace where they are not only valued but also encouraged to grow. Many, beginning as servers, bartenders, or hosts, rose into management, operations, HR, accounting, marketing, private events, and even brewing—a field where women represent only three percent of professionals nationwide. Their stories reveal a company that feels less like a corporation and more like a family.

A Culture That Builds Careers and Keeps People
Operations Manager and Partner, Cary Welker embodies SERG’s spirit of internal growth. “Each restaurant is individually owned and locally operated,” she said, “but we all work together. When people from different restaurants share ideas, it’s like watching a family learn from each other.”

This sense of family is echoed across the group. Savannah Langley, now a Marketing and PR Account Executive, started as a cocktail server at Rooftop Bar at Poseidon 12 years ago. “I started from the bottom and worked up,” she said. “SERG is more than a restaurant group. We really are a family.”

Jenn Jackson, General Manager at One Hot Mama’s Hilton Head Island, shares a similar story. “One of the best parts about working for SERG is the opportunity to grow. Orchid (founder of One Hot Mama’s and celebrity chef), is amazing to work for; she’s passionate, supportive, and inspiring.”

Community, Loyalty, and Local Ownership
One of SERG’s most distinctive features is something many locals don’t realize: SERG doesn’t own the restaurants. Instead, it connects partners, supports operations, and fosters collaboration among 42 individual owners. This structure creates a rare blend of independence and unity—and a workplace where women’s voices carry weight.

Marie Luckey, General Manager at Frankie Bone’s Hilton Head, sees that firsthand. “A lot of times in partner meetings, I’ll be the only woman in the room, and there’s never been a time when I haven’t been heard,” she shared.

Breaking Barriers in Male-dominated Spaces
Some of SERG’s most trailblazing women work in roles rarely held by women. At Local Legend Brewing Company, Jordan Skeen is one of the country’s few female brewmasters. “Brewing is a combination of art and science,” she explained. “Somedays you have to pretend to be a plumber, engineer, and electrician. It satisfies both creativity and intellect.”

In the kitchens, Hope Fedun, Executive Sous Chef at Nectar Farm Kitchen in Bluffton, challenges the longstanding stigma that men do the hard work. “For women, especially in this company, I’ve never felt put down or like I couldn’t do something.” Hope describes a culinary philosophy rooted in the Lowcountry: “We use regional ingredients and work with different farms throughout the year; each season brings something different.”

Flexibility, Family, and Real-Life Support
The food and beverage industry is notorious for long nights and unpredictable schedules, a challenge for many women, especially mothers. But SERG’s women describe a company that understands real life.

Brandie Bishop Robinson, Assistant General Manager at Frankie Bones in Bluffton, said, “SERG has been very accommodating, especially as a single mom. I have been able to adjust my schedule and still be a full-time mom and full-time manager.”

Events, Weddings, and Community Impact
Kristen Quillian Bennoit, Director of Private Dining and Events, loves the way SERG connects her to the community. “We work with all the local organizations and raise funds through events,” she said.

Susan Norgeot, Director of Wedding and Catering Sales, added, “I interviewed with SERG my first week living here. I’m lucky I found this group.”

Community Strong
During COVID, SERG launched Community Strong, a program that became a lifeline for employees and the community. The Community Strong card offers 25 percent off food, and SERG donates the majority of the proceeds to local charities and non-profit organizations. “This year alone, we donated over $300,000 to local charities,” Savannah said.

Rewards, Benefits, and a Workplace That Cares
One benefit that is popular with SERG employees is earning rewards points for the quantity and quality of their work—points they can redeem for merchandise and credits like on an Amazon account.

WiseGuys Mixologist Amanda Melchiorri said, “When I go on vacation, I get all my hotels through the rewards.”

As the largest restaurant employer in Beaufort County, SERG offers benefits rarely seen in independent restaurants: insurance, paid time off, 401(k), supplemental plans, and flexibility that supports real life. And perhaps most importantly, upward mobility.

Leadership at the Top
Senior partner Kim Keppel has been with SERG for more than two decades. “Back in the day it was just Orchid and me,” she said. “We showed that women could do anything they wanted.”

Why They Stay
Perhaps the most powerful truth is this: SERG’s women stay. Many have worked there for five, ten, even twenty years—unheard of in an industry known for high turnover. They stay because they are supported. They stay because they are heard. They stay because they are valued. They stay because they are family.

SERG’s women are redefining hospitality in the Lowcountry—proving every day that extraordinary
women build extraordinary communities.

____________________________________________________________

Thank you to these women of SERG, who represent
just a few, for giving us valuable input and insight into
how a career in hospitality, food and beverage can
be a rewarding, long-term profession.

Amanda Melchiorri, Mixologist, WiseGuys
Brandie Bishop Robinson, Assistant General Manager, Frankie Bones, Bluffton
Cary Welker, Operations Manager, SERG office, and Partner at Char-Bar
Christy Heinze, Human Resources Manager, SERG office
Elaine Kohler, Jr. Accountant, SERG office
Hope Appel, Restaurant Manager, The Black Marlin
Hope Fedun, Executive Sous Chef, Nectar Bluffton 
Jenn Jackson, General Manager, One Hot Mama’s Hilton Head Island
Jordan Norris, Director of Human Resources, SERG office
Jordan Skeen, Production Manager, Brewmaster
Kim Keppel (affectionally called the Director of Chaos),
Partner and Manager for many SERG restaurants
Kristen Quillian Bennoit, Private Event and Catering Coordinator, SERG office
Marie Luckey, General Manager, Frankie Bones, Hilton Head
Misty Marshall, General Manager, Poseidon
Olesia Burrell, Restaurant Manager, Skull Creek Boathouse
Savannah Langley, Marketing Account Executive, SERG office
Susan Norgeot, Director of Sales and Partner of Signature Catering

 

 

Pictured Top (L to R)—Front Row: Jordan Norris, Jenn Jackson, Kristen Quillian Bennoit, Jordan Skeen, Cary Welker,
Marie Luckey, Christy Heinze, Olesia Burrell, Elaine Kohler. Back Row: Susan Norgeot, Amanda Melchiorri,
Hope Fedun, Brandie Bishop Robinson, Savannah Langley, Kim Keppel, Hope Appel, Misty Marshall