Please tell us about your business: In December 2016, through no fault of our own, my husband Nate and I were dealt a blow that forced us to start completely over. We formed the company Dining & Design in 2017. In 2018, we committed to a three-restaurant project in Surfside Beach, designing and developing buildings on Ocean Boulevard into three different restaurant brands. Two were real estate offices and one was a golf cart rental business with an ice cream shop. We opened Pizza Hyena in 2019, Gracious Pig Smokehouse in 2021, and Chimichanga Llama in 2022. Genesis 50:20.
Our company designs and creates restaurant brands from the ground up as well as assisting businesses with new and innovative ideas to stay with current trends. We design the logos, the brand, theme, menu items, and the interior and exterior. Nate is a genius when it comes to laying out a restaurant and has opened over 30 in his career, including Nacho Hippo, which we also co-own but do not operate. He oversees our three new locations in Surfside, but my role is more on the creative end. I handle the interior design, social media, advertising/marketing, email and messenger correspondence, promotional, website design, and maintenance. If you need a restaurant makeover or want consulting on a start-up, we can help you!
Our biggest achievement is overcoming a lot of obstacles to get where we are now. The final restaurant in the ‘Surfside Trifecta” as we call it, was a big moment this Summer. We did it! We got all three opened in less than four years, even with the COVID shutdowns and crazy restrictions. I am very proud of that.
Our business is a family, we have the greatest investors and management team in the industry. There are plenty restaurant choices in the Myrtle Beach area, so we try our best to operate with love and respect to our staff and our customers and it comes back to us—do unto others as you would have them do unto you, right? Also, as it is the lifeline of any business, we stress customer service as much as we do food quality.
We are big on keeping it local and serving the freshest food, meats, and produce possible. Everything is made in house, fresh every day (prep staff comes in at 4 a.m.!). We try to accommodate every dietary need; we are vegan and gluten friendly. I am also a stickler for garnish and plating. You eat with your eyes first, so the first impression when that food comes to your table is what I ‘emphasize’ before it leaves the kitchen.
Right now, we will take the next year to get the three restaurants fine-tuned and operating smoothly, and eventually we will expand to open (and possibly license or franchise) more Pizza Hyena and Chimichanga Llama locations.
My biggest inspiration has been and always will be my Grandmother ‘Hanky’ who raised me. She owned and operated her own upholstery shop along with my grandfather for over 40 years, and another 20 years by herself after my grandfather passed away. She worked hard to provide for me growing up and taught me to be a strong, independent woman, no matter the trials I face. My spa business is named after her.
Our company’s involvement in the community is: We always give a local discount and we feed the police, EMT and fire departments for half price. For the last two years, we’ve held successful can drives to help restock the pantry at South Strand Helping Hand. We constantly give gift certificates to local fundraisers and charities and give a 10% tithe to our church or whatever God leads us to do with that money.
Advice I would give to women who are starting out on their own is: Just do it! Don’t second guess yourself, take the risk, step out in faith. Put Jesus first, work hard and pray harder.
I’ve owned a resort spa business for 15 years now and do all my own accounting, payroll, graphic design, marketing and scheduling. It is a lot by itself, but the last few years I’ve had to take on more responsibility to help Nate build this new company. I’ve washed dishes, I’ve working in the kitchens, I’ve painted, I’ve hammered…the list goes on. I wear many hats and I’ve had a lot on my plate, but it’s so worth it for the reward of seeing the goals and dreams turn into reality. I am blessed.
Dining & Design
PO Box 70328
Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
dininganddesign.com, pizzahyena.com, graciouspig.com, chimichangallama.com
