Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Durkee.
Hi Zachary, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Anderson, SC, and graduated from TL Hanna (Class of 2012). My father, Gary Durkee, was the proprietor of Outback Steakhouse in Anderson. My first job was bussing tables at the Anderson Outback Steakhouse in high school. In 2013 I went to Charleston Southern University to study business and play college basketball. That year my father broke off from Outback and opened a restaurant in Belton, SC, called Arnold’s of Belton. He did this with the help of legendary restaurant owner Arnold Perry, the original founder of Arnold’s Famous Hamburgers. Arnold sold the business to Gary, and today, there are four Arnold locations in the upstate (Anderson, Belton, Powdersville, Liberty). After graduating from Charleston Southern, I began a career in coaching College basketball. My first job was at The Citadel. While coaching basketball, I also worked on a Dinner Cruise to help make ends meet and save money for an engagement ring. I got engaged to my girlfriend from college (Alyssa), and we got married on July 20, 2019. My job of coaching college basketball would take us to Albemarle, NC, and then eventually out to Quincy, IL. After many long talks about our future and wanting to start a family, we decided to move back to Anderson to be closer to family and to begin learning the family restaurant business. Since my move to Illinois, Gary and his business partner Arnold Perry purchased a restaurant in Piedmont, SC, called Saluda River Grill. After a year of learning and training in various restaurants, I was moved to Saluda River Grill as the general manager. Saluda River Grill sits right along the Saluda River. It is a refurbished textile mill that was originally built in 1876. Piedmont, SC, is an area that is growing rapidly. Our restaurant is a symbol of the blue-collar past of the town as well as the bright future coming.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all. I had to learn everything about the operations from the ground up for nearly a year. My only experience in restaurants was doing dishes and cleaning off tables. I was fortunate to learn from some great store managers that work in the same restaurant group and have tons of experience. One benefit of coaching college basketball is you learn to communicate with different types of people. That is one area in which I have excelled.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Saluda River Grill, we strive to deliver a dining experience that exceeds expectations. We take great pride in serving high-quality food and providing customer service with genuine southern hospitality. We are known for the way we take care of our customers. We do everything we can to make your dining experience as enjoyable as possible. Some of our top dishes are our hand-cut ribeyes, prime rib, and shrimp and grits.
What characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to if you had to?
When I work a shift at the restaurant, I want the employees I work with to know I have their back. I need a job that is bigger for me to do. I will wash dishes, and bus tables, run food to tables, run alcohol to tables, take to-go orders, etc. I want to set the example every day that we are working to help each other. A restaurant is the same as a sports team. When the members are willing to help each other, things run smoothly. I also want to be a positive example in the restaurant through my attitude. I want each person that works at Saluda River Grill to enjoy walking into work each day.
Contact Info:
- Website: Saludarivergrill.com
- Instagram: @saludarivergrill
- Facebook: Saluda River Grill
