Print
Restaurants

Salt + Charm Now Open To The Public At Brick-and-mortar Location

By Jessica Maurer, posted Apr 28, 2021
Abbye McGee's personal chef business has grown to include a brick-and-mortar location on South 17th Street in Wilmington. (Photo by Matt Ray Photography)

Food has always been an important part of Abbye McGee’s life, from learning the basics alongside her grandmother to hosting dinner parties for friends.

After leaving a career in music, McGee began working with local bakeries and caterers and blogging about food several years ago. All of that soon led to a fast-growing personal chef business, Salt + Charm.

But she never thought that a global pandemic would take Salt + Charm to the next level.

After taking about six weeks off at the start of the stay-at-home orders last March, McGee quickly saw an increase in demand for personal chef services.

“People were growing tired of cooking for themselves at home, and it was clear that there was a demand for services like meal prep and delivery and takeout,” McGee said.

Rather than going into people’s homes as she had previously, McGee began renting space at the incubator kitchen in Burgaw, which she describes as a great resource for people testing out new food businesses or looking to grow an existing one.

Over the next 10 months her business grew to a staff of 14, now offering in-home personal chef services and catering as well as carryout from their brick-and-mortar location at 702 S. 17th St. in the Cargo District. The new location serves as the company’s commissary kitchen as well as a grab n’ go breakfast and lunch option.

Customers will find breakfast offerings such as burritos, grain bowls, breakfast sandwiches, bagels and muffins as well as salads, sandwiches and wraps for lunch. McGee said she always has at least two vegan and vegetarian options on the menu and is excited to offer healthy meals for those that live and work near the Cargo District.

McGee, who still works in client’s homes on a regular basis and plans to continue to do so, credits her staff with helping her grow the business.

“I have a great team of women who are all really good at what they do,” McGee said. “It would have been impossible to expand so quickly without a trusted staff to help manage all the moving pieces. They are an amazing group that can get stuff done.”

McGee said that Salt + Charm’s meal prep service is now the biggest part of the business, which offers several different meal prep options for clients, all of which can be found online.

McGee is also in the process of putting together a schedule of cooking classes to be hosted at Salt + Charm’s open kitchen.

Salt + Charm’s current hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Weekends are reserved for private parties and catering.

Have a tip for Restaurant Roundup? Email us at: [email protected].

Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
Jane

The Childcare Cost Dilemma

Jane Morrow - Smart Start of New Hanover County
Chris 16239425

‘Creative,’ An Adjective To Describe Your Accountant?!

Chris Capone - Capone & Associates
Untitleddesign2 4523114356

Cybersecurity and Productivity: Striking the Perfect Balance for Business Success

Barrett Earney - EarneyIT

Trending News

Conservation Group Signs $8M Deal To Buy The Point On Topsail Island

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

Rezoning Could Bring 123 Townhomes To Growing Leland Corridor

Emma Dill - Mar 25, 2024

N.C. Ports Officials React To Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

Engineering Firm Hires Four Employees

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

National Organization Bestows Top Award On Cape Fear Professional Women In Building

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

In The Current Issue

INFO JUNKIE: Jack Fleming

Jack Fleming, owner of Socialry Marketing & Scourz and emcee for 1 Million Cups Wilmington, shares his media and tech picks....


MADE: Polyhose Inc.

Polyhose manufactures and fabricates hose protection, paint hose assemblies and rubber hydraulic assemblies from its Pender County facility....


Hacking Cyberdefense Shortage

A shortage of cybersecurity professionals influenced professor Ulku Clark and her team to slowly evolve UNCW’s offerings to now include eigh...

Book On Business

The 2024 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.

Order Your Copy Today!


Galleries

Videos

2023 Power Breakfast: Major Developments