Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelleanne and Ryan Jones.
Hi, Kelleanne and Ryan; please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Ryan and I have worked together for 22 years. I owned a catering business in Connecticut, and he came to work for me shortly after we were married -we have been working together ever since. We have 4 children: Kobe, 19; Trae, 18; Ayla, 17; Zoe (my stepdaughter), 24; and a grandson, Brantley, 2. We catered until 2008, sold the business, moved to Las Vegas for 6 months, and went back to Connecticut to open the award-winning mill at 2t in Tariffville, CT, Zagat rated 28, Accolades from Zagat and Opentable referring to Best Restaurants in America and Top Food, New York Times, Chef of the year and 30 under 30.
We moved to CHS in 2016 and were Directors at Mex 1 Coastal Cantina before deciding to open our own restaurant again. While waiting for it to get built, we did a quick stint at The Workshop, where we worked together in a 250-square-foot kitchen serving high-end food and a full bar with fresh squeezed juice cocktails out of a takeout window. Then we opened Community Table (modern comfort food) in I’on in November 2019, just before COVID hit, forcing us to close. Ryan and I served takeout meals during the shutdown, sometimes up to 300 people a night.
Also, just before the shutdown, we signed a lease on a quick flip restaurant we called Kiki & Rye (wood-fired coastal cooking), which was delayed until July 2020. (has recently been closed). Then came Southbound (live fire concept), which opened in February 2023. Fine dining, all food is cooked over live fire -open hearth. Next, Honeysuckle Rose (an 8-course tasting menu concept) opened in September 2023, where you can find Ryan cooking and Kelleanne serving 4 nights a week. It was a super unique experience. Allora (coastal Italian) is next, opening in late 2024. We have built a restaurant group called Free Reign Restaurants and, loving every day, we have a fantastic team of talented, hard-working people behind us.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
It has sometimes been challenging. Since we’ve been in CHS, the most difficult things have been getting out of daily operations and finding investors. Ryan and I have always worked together at each location in daily operations. With him in the back and me in the front, we always had a team built around synergy. FOH doesn’t leave once all BOH duties are finished, and vice versa. Servers sometimes mop or take out the trash to help so everyone finishes together. Sometimes, BOH would help put up chairs and mop or do what was needed. Serving everyone a family meal was much easier when we were involved daily. We were like mom and dad. That is hard to teach others, so it trickles down. It was hard not to be in each restaurant daily instead of working behind the scenes. We are great at the concept, design, hard work, and operations, but it’s need help finding partners is complex.
As you know, we’re big fans of Free Reign Restaurants. For our readers who might need to become more familiar with the brand, what can you tell them about it?
Free Reign Restaurants has 4 restaurants: 1 in Mt Pleasant and 3 in downtown CHS. I am the designer for each restaurant, and I organize the daily operations, set the guidelines, and offer support to the management team. Ryan is the chef, writes the menu, and works closely with the executive chefs to stay on brand. We typically find a location, figure out what the area needs/wants, and then form our concept after. Proud of the Hospitality we offer at each location. The small touches that set us apart from other restaurants.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
We love that everywhere you look, there is water and boats. Boat and beach access is so easy. I love the people and the fact that there are so many restaurants to choose from. I wouldn’t say I like the dark ocean water -I’d like to see my toes. Lol, Ryan dislikes that there aren’t a lot of ethnic restaurants. The flooding has affected us 2 times now at Honeysuckle Rose (and we’ve only been open for 6 months)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.freereignrestaurants.com
- Instagram: @communitytablechs @honeysucklerosechs @southboundchs
