From Halls Chophouse Rockstar to Hurricane Helene Hero: Meet Stefan Stanton, Owner and Operator of Surf N Turf Landscaping in Charleston, South Carolina

By Mark A. Leon

It takes an army to move a mountain, but it only takes one individual to inspire a passion. Stefan Stanton, owner of Surf N Turf Landscaping has gone through a remarkable transformation from high end exclusive customer service liaison at one of the finest steakhouses in the nation to beautifying Charleston, one square foot at a time.

It takes a special type of person to take on a whole new purpose full of meaning, artistry and visionary insight.

Yet above all of this, Stefan was one of the selfless members of the Charleston community to go to Western Carolina and help those impacted from the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

We took a few minutes to learn more about Stefan and his incredible journey to help others.

Stefan Stanton – Owner and Operator of Surf N Turf Landscaping Q&A

CD: Following passion over wealth is a challenging decision for many and one often to pursued.  You took that step leaving Halls Chophouse as General Manager after 10 years to building a business focused on sustaining the beautiful landscapes of the Lowcountry.  What were the catalysts and drivers behind this decision?

SS:  I thoroughly enjoyed my time as General Manager of Halls Chophouse and it will always hold a special place in my heart.  The Hall family are still dear friends of mine and I will always value that relationship and the relationships made with the incredible guests I have met throughout the years.  The experiences and my personal development that I obtained from Halls will stay with me forever and I will apply the standards and hospitality I developed in that restaurant in any career or whatever path I may pursue.  That being said the decision to take a completely different path from the industry I have spent a majority of my life in, did not come easy.   I came to realize that the work to life ratio was off and my passion of the industry was fading.   Running the top restaurant in the nation is very time consuming and to put it simple, life is short so you better enjoy it.    

CD: As the architect of your business, you are the artist and your clients’ homes are your canvas.  How much of your work is client vision and how much is your inspiration and input?  

SS: Throughout my life I have always enjoyed landscaping and it was my way to unwind after a long week in the restaurant business.  I inherited my passion for gardening from my Mother and was lucky enough to get her green thumb.  My neighbor was the one who actually suggested that I should pursue landscaping as a full time career since he has always seen me working in my garden and no matter how hot or dirty I was, I was always smiling.  I decided to take the big leap so I retired the suit and bought a 1989 Ford F150 and a wheelbarrow.  The incredible family over at All Seasons Mulch on Johns Island were a huge support for my development in the industry and the growth of my business.  It would have been hard to do without them.  That was the start of Surf N Turf Landscaping and 3 and half years later, Im still smiling! 

CD: What do you want your clients to walk away with after you complete a landscaping job?

SS: When meeting a client for the first time, I like to get to know them and get a good feel for their expectations and what vision they may have for their property.  Everyone has different styes and tastes and some like to bring some designs or plants from wherever they have moved from so its my job to adapt to their likes then suggest plants or designs that will work in their area.  A majority of our business is SOD installation, so with that the design is already there we just need to figure out what grass will do the best in their location.

CD: What skills and stylistic approaches did you learn from your time as GM of one of the top food & hospitality establishments in Charleston that you have carried over with you owning Surf N Turf Landscaping?

SS: My favorite part of my job is when we get to reveal the completed project and get to see the look of excitement on the homeowners face.  A majority of our work will be the first thing the homeowner sees when they pull into their property, so its incredibly important exceed their expectations and have a finished canvas that they will be proud of for years to come.  It’s an amazing feeling when you can transform someone’s home and see the look of pride in their face.

CD: A big challenge of being a small business owner is to harness and nurture your relationships.  You are very well respected by those that come into your life with much of your work coming from referrals.  What are your personal convictions and approach that go into developing new relationships?

SS: Developing a new relationship with new clients is incredibly important and a huge part of what we do.  I bring my experience in the restaurant industry to provide hospitality in an industry that you generally don’t find that.  I would be unable to turn that off and even if I could that is not a part of my personality.  I take pride in communicating with the homeowners on what they can expect once the work starts and I like to make myself available to answer any questions they may have during or after.  Most importantly is to always be honest with your clients.  I don’t want to say its easy to create great relationships with your clients, but it’s a lot easier when you love what you do.  The homeowners can tell when you are passionate at what you do and the work shows it.

I like to bring the same level of hospitality and customer service we brought to so many guests throughout the years at Halls.   It is a huge contrast in styles of industries, but I feel there is no need to change my style of customer service and I believe my business benefits from it.  I want customers to feel confident in trusting us to transform their property and I want our passion to be obvious.

CD: So many of us have given time, donations, and even those seeking ways they can help to victims of Hurricane Helene.  You just decided to fill your truck and head West?  Why did you feel the need to help? 

SS: I was watching the news as many of you were and I was heartbroken by the devastation that the people of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida had just gone through.   I was tired of hearing about it and I couldn’t not do anything anymore.  There had to be something I could do.  So through the years, I was blessed to have obtained a dump truck as part of my fleet.  We didn’t have any work that required a dump truck for 2 days, so that’s when it hit me! I can do something!  I saw that Millers All Day was doing runs up to Asheville to drop off supplies, but they were using their smaller food truck and were limited on space.  So I reached out to Nate, at Millers All Day and teamed up with them and Halls Chophouse to offer my dump truck to fill it with supplies.   With their help we were able to fill my truck to the max with donations.  The next day I drove my dump truck with a max speed of 60MPH to Asheville to drop off some much needed supplies.  It was amazing to see all the small business owners bringing up materials.  Where we dropped off supplies, there was another Landscaper, a tree trimmer and a general contractor all with trailers loaded with supplies.  It was incredible to see people from all over the East coast helping out.  

CD: Since your return, how have your feelings changed witnesses the true devastation of those lands?

SS: I have an appreciation for how a community can pull together in a time of need.  The devastation up there is terrible, but the ray of sunshine coming through in the form of volunteers was incredible and humbling.

CD: In a sentence or two, what has living in Charleston meant to you?

SS: Through my years of living in Charleston, I have come to love the beauty of our natural landscapes from the beautiful beaches to the massive live oaks on Johns Island.  Charleston is incredibly visually stimulating and to top it off, there are some of the best restaurants in America here.  Truly a beautiful place and I’m proud to call it home.

If you want to learn more about Stefan or inquire about his services, you can contact him at his work line: 843-300-9805.