Stefan DeArmon

Years of Participation

2019

Stefan, a Coast Guard Veteran, returned home to Charleston to help his elderly parents. Through the VA, he was connected to One80 Place, where Stefan enrolled in One80 Place Training, a five-week culinary training program. Not only did Stefan learn important skills, but he also had the opportunity to volunteer at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival. On the last day of the festival, Stefan went from tent to tent, meeting chefs from different restaurants, volunteering to help, and trying to learn as much as possible. Fate stepped in when he approached the tent of Smoke BBQ and met Chef Roland Feldman. Stefan’s energy, positivity, and singing in the midst of chaos impressed Chef Feldman so much that he offered Stefan a job on the spot. Shortly after, a cornbread recipe mix-up Stefan made turned into one of the biggest opportunities of his life: The Reverend Cornbread Company. This happy accident propelled Stefan to become a sous chef by the next Charleston Wine + Food Festival and a small business owner teaching a class at this year’s festival.

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