Steve Palmer
Founder
Best-selling author, podcast host, Welcome Conference and TEDx speaker, James Beard Award semifinalist, mental health advocate, and restaurateur Steve Palmer is a food & beverage industry leader with more than 40 years of experience.
As Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Vision Officer of the award-winning Indigo Road Hospitality Group (IRHG), Steve has played an integral role in growing the Charleston, SC-based hospitality company from one restaurant in 2009 to a portfolio of restaurants and independent hotels across the country. He maintains the philosophy that great service starts with well-cared-for employees and attributes the company’s success to its loyal and dedicated team. By promoting from within and continuously creating new opportunities for his staff, Steve has developed a people-first culture built on an unwavering, high level of care and hospitality.
Nationally recognized by outlets like The New York Times, NPR, and Southern Living, Steve is a four-time semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Awards’ Outstanding Restaurateur, with his most recent nomination in 2024 for his work with colleague Say Grace: Food for Thought in Hospitality at O-Ku.
He became a best-selling author when he published Say Grace: How the Restaurant Business Saved My Life in 2019. He is also the host of a podcast called Say Grace: Food for Thought in Hospitality, on which he takes a deep dive into the stories of leaders in the hospitality industry and beyond.
His proudest accomplishment to date is co-founding Ben’s Friends with close friend and fellow longtime industry veteran Mickey Bakst. Through this organization, they offer hope, fellowship, and a path forward to professionals who struggle with substance abuse and addiction. An avid proponent of supporting people and communities, Steve serves as an active member on several industry boards and annual fundraising events and speaks at influential events like Welcome Conference, TedX Charleston, and Charleston Wine + Food Festival, speaking on personal passions like building strong company cultures and addiction/recovery.