2023-24 South’s Greatest Restaurateurs
From hidden gems to gastronomic powerhouses, these restaurateurs have left a mark on the south’s food scene. Discover the culinary visionaries who have set it ablaze.
Photos: John Alexander
From hidden gems to gastronomic powerhouses, these restaurateurs have left a mark on the south’s food scene. Discover the culinary visionaries who have set it ablaze.
1. Jamie Pleta and Rebecca Gawley
Owners / Finches Sandwiches
South magazine: Being a restaurateur is known as being extremely challenging and stressful, but one of passion and reward. When did you realize the restaurant business was going to be your life’s work?
A: Owning a restaurant is like owning any business. It requires constant creativity, energy, and a whole lot of nerve. The challenges are unparalleled, but we remind ourselves daily that we aren’t performing brain surgery. We got our feet wet in fine dining, but when we decided our own business would be on sandwiches, we were able to loosen up. We take the food seriously, but we’re here to have fun.
Q: How do you manage the challenge of the job?
A: A stiff drink and some strong coffee. In that order.
Q: What restaurant lessons have you learned that more people should know?
A: Ask for feedback from your regulars. Get to know their names and their go-to order. Treat them like family. These diehards are the bread and butter of your business; keep them happy and they will be your greatest advertisers and investors.
Q: What advice do you have for diners who make Savannah a food travel destination?
A: Ask the bartenders where to go. We have some of the most talented folks in the industry slinging drinks in Savannah. Trust the experts.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with South readers?
A: It’s ok to start small. Finches opened in 700 square feet with a couple of panini presses and a toaster as our kitchen equipment. Invest in your business as you go. We had two bistro tables and a takeout window when we opened in 2020. Today, we have seats for 75. It blows our mind everyday how far we’ve come.
2. Michael and Frederika Fekete
Owners / Java Burrito Company Savannah + Hilton Head Island
South magazine: Being a restaurateur is known as being extremely challenging and stressful, but one of passion and reward. When did you realize the restaurant business was going to be your life’s work?
A: We started seeing how receptive people were to our food and our concept, and it gave us the fuel to dream bigger. When you hear a group of students say “let’s go to Java Burrito!” or a girl across from you at the nail salon saying “your place is the best, I’m there all the time.” It gives you the fuel to get through those challenging and stressful periods that are inevitable in this industry.
Q: How do you manage the challenge of the job?
A: Michael says to never stop moving and stay ahead of everything… Frederika says I go to Orange Theory and play tennis once per week. Haha.
Q: What restaurant lessons have you learned that more people should know?
A: You have to focus on the things that make a difference for the customer — quality, product, service. If you focus on these and create enjoyable memories for people then you’ve done your job well.
Q: What advice do you have for diners who make Savannah a food travel destination?
A: Savannah has such a strong culinary scene, but you should ask your locals where to eat.
3. Jeff Congdon, Cory and Tonja Hughes
Owners / The Bluffton Room
South magazine: How do you manage the challenge of the job?
A: (Jeff) My amazing family helps remind me to leave work “at the office”; and the superlative team at work happens to be great problem solvers.
Q: What’s your favorite motto?
A: (Jeff) Continuous improvement. It challenges you to look at every component, every relationship, and every process. It can also provide its own reward when you look back.
Q: Secrets to success?
A: (Cory) Consistency on all levels is key. Some of our guests return annually or biannually, and everyone refers us to their friends and family because they are sure the overall experience will be sensational.
Q: What technique should everyone be able to master?
A: (Tonja) Learn to be relatable yet still genuine. I treat my guests like they are friends in my home.
Q: Is there anything else that you would like to share?
A: We recently shared our first anniversary as partner owners, though we have worked together for over six years. The rest of our team has been together for many years as well. We are incredibly proud of each and every one of them and the value of their unique contributions can not be overstated. The unique vibe that is The Bluffton Room is the sum of all those parts.
4. George Casalicchio
Owner / Chez Georges Bistro & Bar HHI
South magazine: Being a restaurateur is known as being an extremely challenging profession, but one of passion and reward. When did you realize the restaurant business was going to be your life’s work?
A: I realized early, around 15. My father is a restaurateur, so the “bug” bit me early. I have worked in the kitchen overseas and here at home. But, now at Chez Georges I have a wonderful kitchen team works together to make our restaurant run the way we expect it to. The kitchen is led by chef Eric Golden and chef Chris Pinkeney.
Q: Secrets to success?
A: Keep pushing to be better.
Q: What advice do you have for diners who make Savannah a food travel destination?
A: Savannah is booming culinarily — we know that. But, here on the island, we are lucky to get guests to come to Hilton Head for a quick get away. The Lowcountry is growing everyday culinarily, we are blessed to be a part of that.
Q: What’s your favorite dish?
A: At Chez Georges, it’s our duck. We always serve it as a duo: seared breast and cripsy leg confit. We use the best duck and change the sauces and vegetables seasonally. There aren’t many dishes around our island like that.
5.Tod Whitaker and Michael Higgins
Owners / Wright Square Bistro
South magazine: Being a restaurateur is known as being an extremely challenging profession, but one of passion and reward. When did you realize the restaurant business was going to be your life’s work?
A: I (Michael) was in multiple businesses during my career, and had not been in a restaurant environment since high school until I decided it was time for a change. Tod, however, has been in hospitably most of his life. From executive dining on Wall Street in New York, he experienced all facets of the corporate guest experience. When we both decided it was time to go a new, combined direction, the Wright Square Bistro came to fruition. We needed to make the guest experience how we envisioned it. We have fun with it — and we love it.
Q: Why Savannah (or greater Savannah area)? What brought you here?
A: Savannah is a microcosm of the kind of communities in which we have always lived. The diversity, the weather, the cultural scene, the students, the locals — they’re the reason. It was also a place where we could put down roots, which is so important. Plus the dogs like the weather.
Q: What’s your favorite dish?
A: Honestly, we don’t have one. We continue to evolve recipes from our childhoods and cooks that have influenced us. Both of us had great-grandmothers who made those special things. We are trying to continue those legacies for our guests. We want them to feel like they are having dinner at our home as part of our family. We also bring in new ideas and interpretations. It’s an exciting challenge.
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